How do I Block a Tenant’s Debit for Several Months?

A block is a one-time request to not debit your tenant’s bank account for the upcoming payment period. If you or your tenant know ahead of time that your tenant will not have the necessary funds in their bank account on their scheduled debit day, you have the option to do a one-time block. Your tenant’s bank account will not be debited, and you will need to make arrangements to have your tenant pay you directly. ClearNow debits from your tenant’s bank account will automatically resume the next payment period.

If you or your tenant do not want to debit for several payment periods, then we suggest that you unenroll the tenant and then reenroll the tenant when debits should resume. This way, you or your tenant will not forget to block a debit.

Can my Tenant Enroll if They Don’t Have Checks?

Absolutely! Your tenant can still enroll in ClearNow even if they do not have checks. We accept other bank documents for enrollment such as their bank statement, a direct deposit authorization form for payroll as provided by their bank, or a bank letter typed on bank letterhead that confirms your tenant’s name and full account number.

After your tenant completes the online enrollment agreement, they’ll receive an email entitled “One More Step”, which will contain a link asking your tenant to upload their bank documentation directly to ClearNow. This security measure further simplifies our enrollment process and eliminates the need to attach a separate file in an email.

Additional ClearNow Accounts: What You Need to Know

You may want an additional ClearNow account if you need a different debit day to accommodate a tenant’s request, or if you need to deposit to a different bank account than what we currently have on file. The best way to notify us is via your ClearNow account. After you’ve logged in, from the left-hand menu select “My Info” and then “Set up Addl Acct”. There are two links, and you may use the same bank account we have on file or you may choose to deposit to a different bank account. Be sure to include what debit day you want your additional account to debit on in the box that pops up. Monthly options are the 1st, 5th, 15th, or 25th and the fee is only $7.95, which includes the debit of one tenant (additional tenant debits are $2 each, per month).

If you want to deposit to a different bank account, please be sure to complete the agreement online. Once you submit the agreement, you’ll receive an email asking you to upload your bank documentation. We can accept a voided check, bank statement, or a letter from your bank on bank letterhead.

Introducing eSignToday

ClearNow has introduced a new tool, eSignToday, to get your leases esigned.  It costs just $0.50/esignature!

Over our many years of working with landlords, we have received feedback on what would make their lives easier.  Beyond easy rent collection, another common request was easy lease signing.  Recognizing that leases are very specific to each landlord, we spent time researching how we can make lease signing easier while preserving the uniqueness of each landlord’s lease.  In addition, we wanted to apply what we have learned with ClearNow’s online rent payments where the best tools are (a) mobile friendly, (b) simple to use, and (c) a time saver.  Last but not least, the VERY BEST tools are also affordable.

Esignatures are the solution for easy signing as anyone can sign on a phone, tablet, or laptop.  You do not need a printer, and all paper and delays are eliminated!

What we have found, however, is that most esignature tools are not affordable as many of them require a monthly subscription.  So if you only need one or two signatures a month, paying $10/month is overkill.

With eSignToday, you can easily get your leases esigned . . . all for just $0.50/esignature.  ESignToday is easy and cheap.

  • Use your lease and use eSignToday for signatures
  • Tenants instantly esign on their phones at their convenience
  • Eliminate paper and delays!

Pay only $0.50/esignature.  NO monthly subscription fees.

We hope you find lease signing to be easier with eSignToday!

Set up a free account today at eSignToday.com!

Can a Tenant Change Their Debit Day by a Few Days?

Unfortunately, we are not able to change your tenant’s debit day by a few days. If your tenant is concerned there won’t be enough funds in their bank account on their debit day, the best option is to block that month’s debit. This action is temporary and may save any fees that may be assessed by ClearNow or your tenant’s bank. Please refer to our blog post about “Blocks” to better understand this process if you need more information.

How to Update Your Bank Account

In an effort to reduce paper waste and make our services more efficient, you can change your bank account information by logging into your ClearNow account.  Once logged in, select “My Info”, then “My Bank Info”. Follow the prompts to fill out the Property Manager Enrollment Agreement, esign it, then click submit.  You’ll receive an email from Support@ClearNow.com requesting you email your bank documentation for the new bank account. If you have more than one ClearNow account to update, repeat the above process after selecting the account from the drop-down menu located in the upper left of the screen. You need to complete the online agreement for each ClearNow account that you have and want to update. Confirmation of changes will be sent to you via email.

Your tenants may also update their bank account information in a similar way as described above. Once they’re signed into their ClearNow record, they complete the Tenant Enrollment Agreement, esign it, and click submit. Once we receive their bank documentation for the new bank account, the tenant and you will receive email confirmations of the update.

COVID – 19 Important Update

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop, we want to assure you ClearNow remains open and operational for all of your online rent payment needs. Our esign enrollment process is a safe and contact free way to enroll your new tenants online, with no paper to print or signatures to gather.

Our Customer Service is available, and we are best reached via email at: Support@ClearNow.com. We are monitoring our business phone and listening to voicemails but encourage you that the best way to reach us is through email. You can continue to access your ClearNow accounts as normal by logging in and managing tenants as needed.

We have useful blog posts that explain many questions we regularly receive such as how to block an upcoming debit, how to update your bank account information, or what bank documents can be submitted for new enrollments. You can also visit our FAQ section of our website for answers to your questions.

Thank you for your patience as we do our best to offer uninterrupted service and keep our employees safe during this public health crisis.

What is a “Block” and How to Block an Upcoming Debit

If you know ahead of time that you will not have the necessary funds in your bank account on your scheduled debit day, you have the option to do a block. A block is a one-time request to not debit your account for that payment period. Your bank account will not be debited, and you will need to make arrangements to pay your landlord directly for that payment period. Your online rent payments will automatically resume for the next payment period. The deadline to request a block is always one banking day prior to the debit day before 12:00pm (noon) ET. Both you and your landlord may request the block or either of you can log into your respective ClearNow accounts and block the debit yourselves.

Blocking a debit is a proactive way to avoid possible late fees or bank fees. ClearNow service fees are also not charged for a blocked debit.

Can you Explain Your Credit Reporting Feature?

Tenants who wish to build a credit history with their ClearNow rent payment data may opt in to our free credit reporting feature after they are enrolled in our online rent payment service.

ClearNow rent payment data will be furnished to Experian once your tenant has four (4) payment periods of data. Subsequent data is furnished on a monthly basis. We can only furnish rent payment data made while a tenant is enrolled in ClearNow.

Why Building Your Credit History is Important

Credit plays an important role in your life — affecting the purchases you make and much more. A credit history is vital in today’s economy and enables you to obtain valuable credit services such as credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans. Lenders use online credit reports and credit scores to gauge the likelihood that you will pay back a loan.

How Paying Rent on Time Helps Build Your Credit History

Experian incorporates on-time rental payment data into their credit reports. Rental payment information will be included as part of a standard credit report and may be incorporated into certain credit scores. The inclusion of positive rental payment data in Experian credit reports allows your tenant to build credit history through timely rental payments.