A renter’s confusion over a $39 “convenience fee” added to their monthly rent payment sparked a wider discussion about the hidden costs of paying bills online.
The misunderstanding was resolved when people on the thread pointed out that if the OP opted to pay via eCheck, the system doesn’t add a percentage fee to the payment.
Although there was an easy solution for @mangum95 to avoid a fee, the post sparked a discussion among renters fed up with paying “money for nothing” just because their landlord switched to electronic payments.
The discussion pointed to an even broader issue about exorbitant transaction fees charged by banks and credit cards.
@mangum95’s post from March 1, 2026, to r/mildlyinfuriating accumulated over 5,5000 comments.
OP wrote, “They just updated the system. The previous system allowed ACH payment but the new system does not. So infuriating. I think I can pay by check but now I have to get a checkbook or get cashiers checks which also have a fee.”
Credit card companies charge a percentage-based fee to merchants who use their service, and although the fee is small, between 1.5% and 3.5%, fees add up when higher prices are paid.
A monthly rent of a couple of thousand dollars can incur a significant additional charge to cover the credit card vendors’ fee. People avoid the fee by paying by check or, in @mangum95’s case, eCheck.
If eCheck is not an option, or an ACH bank transfer comes with a fee, most banks will mail a physical check on the payer’s behalf free of charge.
If a landlord accepts electronic payments with fees attached, commenters on the thread advised renters to go back to the old checkbook.
A tenant who writes checks every month to avoid a fee forces a landlord to deal with manual processing, which could convince them to remove the fee.
Commenters on the thread helped OP resolve the issue for now. The fact remains that consumers are at the mercy of banks and credit card companies with free reign to set fees. And renters are especially vulnerable to picking up extra costs.
u/the_irish_oak pointed out, “Most people aren’t aware how credit cards have outrageous fees for merchants.”
“Convenience to them not to us. Malicious compliance,” replied u/weareallmadherealice.
Users like u/Friendly-Channel-480 helped solve @mangum95’s issue. “You wouldn’t be charged a fee if the payment came from your bank account. The fee is to cover what the credit card company charges the landlord. Can you pay through your bank account? You’ll save the fee.”
But it’s still a problem for some renters pay electronically.
u/havens1515 commented, “My apartment complex started doing this even for auto debit, or payment by debit card. Those usually do not include a fee for the other party. They're forcing me to send a check to inconvenience themselves.”
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