Is it just me? Or my tenants?

I've had such a hard time, the last 2 tenants, getting move-in $ via Zelle.

I had thought it was easy & most reliable but now...

maybe google pay is a better option?

What is your recent experience with them?

Are there just too many banks putting too many restrictions on Zelle transactions?

The other option is online credit card payment through keycheck(square) with a 4.95% convenience fee.

Wondering if maybe I should cover that fee (if the website will let me) to just simplify and expedite things.

Remember: my MTR folks are coming from a distance, and funds MUST be transferred electronically

TIA

This current person sent $100 as a "test", which went through just fine.

The balance won't get deposited.

Her bank says it's mine, but they have never done it before - it's unclear. And after business hours to talk to anyone.

Keycheck/Stripe won't let me pay the fee.

For this time, to get it done & move her in, I've offered to reimburse her for 1/2 the convenience fee if she pays by credit card with stripe - so hopefully we can move on with this one.

But sheesh!! How frustrating for us both!

Ken:

Not from MS

"Remember: my MTR folks are coming from a distance, and funds MUST be transferred electronically"

Good idea, Plenty - but its just not working

We (I) have decided to void the whole deal. She's now getting all concerned about paying so much money up front, Blah, blah.

Nope - this one's not going to work. Strange. Its the first MTR tenant that has seemed a bit.....clueless? Half way through the process, she asked if it's furnished. Ummmm, yeah - did you see the ad? (And she's a well-educated nurse-practitioner)

Nope!, Not happening.

Zelle is good when it works, but obnoxious when it doesn't. And it doesn't communicate to explain why there's a hiccup-- it just hiccups, and leaves you to figure out why.

Someone wanted their sd returned via Zelle, so I did. My initial $5 went through, but the remainder took four days to go.

I used to ask new tenants to send $1 first to confirm that they entered the correct information. Recently, though, the $1 went through and then the rest didn't. It ended up taking 2-3 days. What the bank finally told us is that sending that small amount first gets the transaction flagged as potentially fraudulent.

From Google:

The Zelle standalone app has shut down, but the Zelle service itself remains available through participating banks and credit unions. Users who previously used the app must now re-enroll through their bank's app or online banking to continue using Zelle.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

App Shutdown:

Zelle announced in October 2024 that it would be phasing out the ability to send or receive money via its standalone app, and the app officially stopped processing transactions on April 1, 2025.

Service Remains:

The Zelle service itself is not disappearing; it's still available through more than 2,200 banks and credit unions that offer it.

Re-enrollment:

Users who previously used the Zelle app will need to re-enroll through their bank's app or online banking to continue using the service.

Why the Change?

Zelle cited the growth of its network and the fact that the vast majority of users access the service through their bank's apps or websites as reasons for the app shutdown.

Where to find Zelle:

Sign up for ACH thru your bank's Business Services department.

I highly suggest mine do direct deposit to my bank account

I'm with Ken.

The only time Zelle didn't work for me was on the HVAC side. I sent a request to pay an invoice to an HVAC client (lives in the U.S., recent import from Africa, has a law degree) Zelle doesn't allow out of country banks so not sure what happened. He ended up paying by check.

Sounds like the would be tenant was the problem and you nipped it in the bud.

My CU doesn't take Zelle. I set up a Venmo account. I have only used it once, but it worked seamlessly.

Let us know what you end up doing. Looks like I will have an empty in a month and I would like to know what the best options are.

You could use paypal. Paypal allows you to send an invoice for the rent or security deposit or whatever you need. Yes they will charge you an add on surcharge but who doesn't. Then you just transfer it into to your bank account.

Sign up with square or any of the hundreds of other merchant account companies. Square will let you process credit cards if you buy one of those hand held things or it has a little dongle you can process them on your phone. Square will let you send an invoice and they can pay via ACH or CC. Yes they take a fee out too so either bump up the numbers to account for it or eat it as a business expense.

The nice thing about square is when your midterm person wants to pay their next month with a credit card you just whip out your hand held terminal or jump on the computer and process their card. Or you send them an invoice and they pay it that way.

We use Zelle for over half of ours. Paypal for only one and she might be leaving from what I hear. Still a few cash which DH likes but I hate being bothered. A few send checks/money orders.

If everything else checked out on her, I would give some forgiveness for asking about the furnished part, as she is a ? traveling nurse?

In case anyone is curious, perhaps it can help you in the future:

I do use Zelle through my Credit union, know how to do it, and it normally works just fine.

I communicated with Zelle this morning, and they said when someone makes a small transfer, then a larger one, they flag it as possible fraud, will not deposit it, return it to sender and block any further transfer from that person.

They could not say how much larger the 2nd attempt needs to be to trigger the flag, or how much time between attempts would let it "reset".

Apparently, only some algorithm on some computer somewhere knows when another transfer would be allowed. Or if they do know, they won't say - because that would enable me to work around it and commit fraud.

So, the problem is the prospective tenant who is for some unknown reason reluctant to send $ (before taking possession?). Why they think it's "safer" to send a "test" deposit first, I have no clue. It looks like this problem can be avoided altogether in the future by telling them to pay the entire amount due at once. All of the "reasonable" people who have done that in the past have had no problem.

"So, the problem is the prospective tenant who is for some unknown reason reluctant to send $ (before taking possession?)"

Plenty:

Mid-term, where the residents come from afar. They know I continue to advertise and work with other inquiries until all move-in funds are received & Rental Agreement signed. So, time is of the essence if they want it before someone else. Also, this one wanted to move in quickly - already arrived in the area.

Who here - maybe Ken & 6x6?- will give possession to a new resident before receiving their move-in funds, First month, Security? When you deal only with local folks, it is quite different. They could bring over a bank check, money order, deposit cash into your account, etc. Someone from MS or CO or CA cannot.

Ken, I know you want to get $$ asap from anyone who wants to move into your place - or else they lose out to someone who moves faster. Right? Why would you not?

DJ, As Ken, I wouldn't either.

Don't recall anyone even suggesting that. Thought we were all discussing forms of payment that could be excepted and that there are scams these days that some people are being cautious of.

Time is of the essence makes sense, however, then it was stated "....already arrived in the area." So, could this person not also have put cash into your account, met you somewhere, such as a bank, where they could have exchanged funds in some form or fashion?

Why did this particular person, who was already in the area, have to use Zelle? I understand that this is a routine that you have established. But, the lady did attempt to use it, it failed, and there was an older way of things that could have been done in this case. Not saying that you have to go back to old school, but this was just a moment in time that it may have been used.

Somewhat off topic, but I wonder how many have gotten counterfeit money for rents?