I got tired of chasing rent checks in the mail, so I moved my tenants onto Innago.
There was setup work on the front end. Now the rent comes into the account, and I cover the ACH transfer fees so tenants do not pay an extra fee to use that option.
That was the experience behind my September 24, 2026, group post. I asked how everyone else was collecting rent because I wanted to hear what was working for other small landlords.
For me, the attraction was ordinary: less time dealing with checks and a process I could manage around my full-time job.
What I wanted the system to handle
In the comments, I said I liked automatic collection because it handled late fees and gave tenants a credit card option. Those features were useful to me.
Online collection does not guarantee that every payment will arrive on time. It also does not make a late fee legally enforceable just because the system can add it to an invoice.
The work still has to match the lease. The rent amount, due date, any grace period, and authorized charges need to be right before automation repeats them.
I would rather spend time getting those settings straight than discover that a small mistake was applied across several accounts.
Free software still has payment costs
Innago's current FAQ, checked October 27, 2026, lists no monthly subscription or setup charge, a $2 ACH transaction fee, and a 2.99% credit or debit card fee. It says landlords can choose to absorb transaction fees.
I cover ACH fees. In the September thread, I rounded the card fee to 3%; the current published figure is 2.99%. A tenant choosing the card option should see the actual charge before paying.
Here is a hypothetical example using that published pricing. Ten separate ACH rent payments in a month would cost $20 if the landlord paid all ten fees. At that same volume every month, the annual cost would be $240. Ten payments is an example, not a statement about the number of units I own.
A $1,000 card payment at 2.99% would carry a $29.90 transaction charge. That is why “free software” and “every payment is free” are different claims.
For my tenants, the ACH choice has no extra transaction cost because I pay it. Another landlord can decide differently, subject to the lease and applicable rules, but the cost should be explained clearly.
Submission and deposit are different events
Innago says funds usually arrive in one or two business days, with longer holds in specified circumstances such as a first payment or new funding source. It shows an expected deposit date for each payment.
That is a processing estimate. It is not a guarantee that clicking Pay produces immediately available, irreversible funds.
For a hypothetical example, suppose a tenant submits a payment near a weekend. The useful questions are what status the system shows, when processing is expected, and whether anything later fails. An email saying a payment was submitted answers only the first part of that sequence.
I would keep the payment record and bank reconciliation connected. Otherwise, it is possible to have an organized dashboard and still misunderstand what actually reached the account.
This also matters at move-in. I have a separate article on collecting and verifying the first month's rent and security deposit. A convenient monthly payment method does not remove the need to verify those funds before handing over keys.
A useful setup list for another small landlord
The switch took some setup work. For someone considering a similar move, here is a checklist I would recommend:
1. Check the lease, accepted payment methods, due date, and any payment-related charges. 2. Verify each tenant's opening balance before sending the first invoice. 3. Explain the available payment methods, fees, and processing times in plain language. 4. Help tenants understand the difference between a one-time payment and recurring payment settings. 5. Check the first transactions and reconcile them to the bank account. 6. Keep a practical way to handle errors, access problems, and any required accommodations.
For example, a hypothetical $200 balance left over from an earlier month should be checked against receipts before it is imported. Software can repeat an incorrect opening balance very efficiently.
The tenant should also know whom to contact if a payment goes wrong. A portal is useful, but it should not leave someone guessing whether to call the landlord, the bank, or the payment provider.
Automated late fees still need a human decision
I like having the system handle late fees. But a setting in an app does not decide whether the lease authorizes a charge or whether it is lawful and enforceable in a particular situation.
Before turning on automatic charges, I would compare the settings with the actual lease and have uncertain Ohio terms reviewed. The fact that software offers a field for a percentage or a dollar amount does not make every number appropriate.
A notice or threatened filing needs separate attention too. If a payment is partial, delayed, reversed, or received after a notice, I would get advice on its effect before taking the next legal step. A payment platform cannot settle that issue simply by accepting money.
As I explain in my article on the work behind small-town landlording, saving time helps. It does not eliminate the decisions that come with owning the property.
Other landlords described other workable approaches
The group did not all use the same system. Nicole described direct deposits into an account. Clayton used RentRedi. Carrie and Lauren discussed Innago, and Scott mentioned Apartments.com.
Those were their experiences. They are useful starting points for comparison, not proof that another landlord should choose the same product.
For a comparison today, I would look at the subscription cost, payment fees, who pays them, processing times, records, support, and the experience of the person sending the rent. Pricing should be checked with each provider rather than copied from an older comment.
My reason for switching was simpler than a feature chart. I was tired of chasing checks. Covering the ACH fee made that payment option cost nothing extra for my tenants, and moving collection online made the work easier for me.
That is enough of a reason to keep using a system that fits. The remaining job is to keep the records accurate and pay attention when a payment does not go as expected.