Paying rent and bills shouldn’t be a hassle—or a missed opportunity to earn rewards. With Chexy, you can use your credit or debit card to pay rent and nearly any bill, from utilities and tuition to insurance and childcare. 

Plus, you’ll have the flexibility to choose how your landlord or bill payee receives the funds: via Interac e-Transfer, Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD), or Bill Pay. In this guide, we’ll go over how each payment method works, who it’s best for, and what to consider when making your payments with Chexy.

How to Pay Rent and Bills with Chexy 

With Chexy, you can pay rent and bills with your credit or debit card, earn rewards, and build credit on your largest monthly expenses. We’re an all-in-one platform for paying rent and almost any kind of bills you can think of–insurance, phone bills, tuition, childcare, etc. 

You can pay your bills with your credit card (which we highly recommend!) or debit card. 

Using a credit card is right for you if… 

• You have a credit card that earns rewards (points, cashback, or miles)

• You want to build your credit score 

• You don’t mind paying a small fee

If you don’t yet have a credit card that earns you rewards, take a look at our rewards calculator and sign up through our link to get the processing fees waived for your first month. 

Using a debit card is right for you if…

• You have a low credit score 

• You don’t want to pay a fee 

• You’re a newcomer to Canada and don’t have a credit card yet 

Learn more about using Chexy with a credit vs debit card. 

How Chexy Payments Work: The 3 Options 

When you sign up for Chexy, there are three ways your rent and bill payments can be transferred to your landlord or bill payee: Interac e-Transfer, pre-authorized debit, and bill pay. Here’s a brief overview of how they work, who each method is best for, and some things to consider. 

Interac e-Transfer

How It Works:

When you pay rent or bills using e-Transfer, Chexy sends the payment to your landlord or bill payee via Interac e-Transfer. The recipient receives an email or text prompting them to accept the payment and deposit it into their bank account. 

If they have auto-deposit enabled, the funds automatically go into their bank account without them needing to accept it manually. 

Best For:

• Landlords who accept e-Transfer

• Those who want fast payments (typically within a few minutes to a few hours)

Things to Consider:

• Some landlords don’t accept e-Transfers

• The landlord must manually accept the transfer (unless they have auto-deposit)

How to Set Up e-Transfer Payments with Chexy:

1. When setting up your rent or bill payment, choose the Interac e-Transfer option. 

2. We’ll ask you if the payee is an individual (person with a first and last name) or a business (a company with a business name). 

3. Enter the payee’s name, email address, and phone number. 

4. Enter your rent or bill payment amount. 

5. We charge your card 3 business days before the payment due date. 

6. The funds are sent to your landlord or payee on the due date. 

Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD)

How It Works:

With pre-authorized debit, your rent or bill payment is automatically withdrawn from your bank account and sent to your landlord or payee’s account. This is a direct bank-to-bank transfer that doesn’t require any manual action from them (besides the initial setup). 

This method requires authorization, so you’ll need to share your bank details, and your landlord or bill payee will need to agree to receive PAD payments. 

Best For:

• Those who want an automatic, set-it-and-forget-it payment method

• Landlords who prefer direct deposits instead of e-Transfers

• Those who want to avoid potential e-Transfer fees 

Things to Consider:

• The landlord or bill payee must accept PAD (not all do)

• It takes about 3-5 days to process 

• If there aren’t enough funds in your account, the payment may bounce 

How to Set Up PAD Payments with Chexy: 

1. When setting up your rent or bill payment, choose the pre-authorized debit (PAD) option. 

2. Enter the payee’s name, email address, and phone number. 

3. Enter their full name and bank transaction name (optional).

4. If you’re setting up a rent payment, upload your lease agreement. 

5. We create a personalized digital deposit account called your Chexy Wallet with all your bank details. Share these details with the payee or your landlord. 

6. Return to your Chexy Dashboard to activate the payment method. 

7. We charge your card 3 business days before the due date. Your funds are stored in your account. 

8. The funds are automatically sent to your landlord or the bill payee on the due date.

Bill Pay 

How It Works:

With Bill Pay, payments are processed through Canada’s bill payment network.

Bill Pay works best for paying utility bills, tuition, insurance, and other major bills that are set up within the banking system. Instead of sending money directly to the payee, this method ensures payments are routed through official bill payment services. 

Best For:

• Bill payments, such as insurance, tuition, utility bills, and other major bills 

• Paying bills that can’t be paid through Interac e-Transfer or PAD

• Those who are familiar with Bill Pay and don’t want to pay extra fees

Things to Consider:

• Not all payees accept Bill Pay

• Payments take 1-3 days to process

• You don’t need to upload your lease 

How to Set Up Bill Pay with Chexy:

1. Choose the Bill Pay option. 

2. Search for your landlord like you would in your online banking app.

3. Enter the Bill Pay information provided by your property manager or payee (payee name and account number). 

4. Enter your rent or bill due date and amount. 

5. We charge your card 3 business days before the due date. Your funds are stored in your account. 

6. The funds are automatically sent to your landlord or the payee through Bill Pay on the due date. 

There are two limitations to PAD and Bill Pay: we do not accept variable payments (you must update the payment amount every month if the amount changes) or multiple payments. 

So, which payment method should you choose? As a quick recap:

• If you need to send rent payments quickly, e-Transfer is best. 

• If you want a fully automated process, choose PAD. 

• If you’re paying major billers or a landlord who doesn’t accept PAD or e-Transfer, go with Bill Pay. 

With Bill Pay, PAD, and e-Transfer as payment options, Chexy makes rent and bill payments even more flexible and accessible. Pay with your credit card to earn rewards, build credit, and make the most of your largest monthly expenses. 

A high-value card can help you earn cashback to offset living costs or rack up travel points for free business-class flights. Start earning rewards on your rent and bills today with Chexy!