Radpad Rent Payments are Back [CSR MS Angle]

A blast from the past: Radpad.

Radpad is a home/apartment rental finder business who has an auxiliary service which allows rent payment with credit or debit card for a fee. The standard fee on credit cards is 2.99% and for debit is $4.95 or $9.95 (depending if your rent is above $5k).

Pay with Radpad link

Back in October, Radpad shut down their rent payment service,  “to focus our team around a few key areas of our business,” as they explain. Today, the company relaunched their rent payment service under new ownership.

Screen Shot 2017-03-14 at 9.56.36 PM

Some people had some bad experiences with them toward the end, as I recall. Personally, I wouldn’t be too worried if I’m making a payment with a credit card since there is card protection there.

Why we care about Radpad?

The truth is that with their standard 2.99% pricing, you’d do better paying your rent with Plastiq who charges just 2.5%.

The main interest in Radpad right now is due to the fact that, previously, Radpad coded as a travel purchase when using Android Pay or Apple Pay since it’s part of the lodging/hotel category. This was and is especially interesting for the Sapphire Reserve card which offers 3x on travel purchases. It might be interesting for some other card or offer which gives a bonus in the travel category. In the comments there is mention that it might code at 3x on Prestige with Apple/Android Pay and 3x on AT&T card with direct payment.

We are waiting for confirmation that it still codes as travel on Android and Apple Pay; there’s certainly a possibility something changed.

Update: Apple Pay is coding as Travel, as expected.

Just to reiterate, the travel coding works only when paying with Apple or Android Pay, not when using direct credit card payment.

There have been various promotions from Radpad in the past, and I’m hopeful we’ll see more in the future, perhaps upcoming soon with the relaunch of their service. Nice to have a steady way of ‘buying’ UR points for 1 cent-per-point, and if Radpad runs a promotion to lower the rate it can be even better.

Hat tip to wiivile on r/churning

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54 Comments
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Ron
Ron (@guest_1062252)
September 25, 2020 10:40

2017 last comment. Is anyone currently using radpad for rent payment?

David
David (@guest_405611)
May 12, 2017 15:37

Curious if I used radpad w/android pay and my US Bank Altitude card. Will it give me x3?

Penny
Penny (@guest_395936)
April 25, 2017 18:33

I assume PPBDC is still considered debit to Radpad? I rather pay the $5 flat fee instead of the 2.99% or less over at Plastiq

Jason
Jason (@guest_376655)
March 25, 2017 10:38

Does it make more sense to use PPBDC with RadPad now or with Plastiq?

Will it earn cashback with either website at this point?

My rent is about $2100. Please advise.

Jake N
Jake N (@guest_380753)
March 31, 2017 11:11

I don’t think it will. PP made changes last year to make this no longer a cashback transaction, regardless of RadPad existing.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/negative-changes-ppbdc-october-19th-2016-debit-transactions-no-longer-earn-cash-back/

R
R (@guest_375066)
March 22, 2017 16:34

radpad is requesting driver license and copy of lease? is that normal?

David
David (@guest_374724)
March 22, 2017 02:43

any DP on paying directly on Radpad with CSR still get 3X? aka no Apple Pay or Android Pay
-upgraded my preferred to reserve for this!
Thanks!

wiivile
wiivile (@guest_374918)
March 22, 2017 12:16

I’m curious though because someone reported that AMEX coded as travel on the main site. Maybe they are purposely coding as travel now everywhere because they realize this is a selling point?

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/5zfpfu/radpad_is_back/df1bw58/

Jake N
Jake N (@guest_373776)
March 20, 2017 19:44

Any data points from using Citi Prestige coding as travel? I need to spend $4k this month, so wondering if it’s worth going through RadPad or just going with VGCs.

Jake N
Jake N (@guest_380745)
March 31, 2017 11:04

Confirmed that it works. Charge just posted as “Lodging”.

PrathapReddy Jambula
PrathapReddy Jambula (@guest_373670)
March 20, 2017 17:24

Hey Doc,
Help me understand how is Radpad will be useful even if its coded as 3% with CSR as 2.99% of rent would nullify the benefit.

sirtheta
sirtheta(@sirtheta)
March 20, 2017 17:54

Since UR are generally worth more than 1 cpp, 3x UR can work out to 4.5-6% cashback, which is greater than 2.99%*. It’s not a good way to rack up UR, but it can be situationally useful since you’re unlikely to get more rewards on your rent by some other method.

* tSince UR are generally worth more than 1 cpp, 3x UR can work out to 4.5-6% cashback, which is greater than 2.99%*. It’s not a good way to rack up UR, but it can be situationally useful since you’re unlikely to get more rewards on your rent by some other method.

* so, technically it’s a gain of 3x UR on 102.99% of rent versus a cost of 2.99% of rent. So even at UR = 1 cpp (3%) you wind ahead by 0.0997% instead of 0.01%.

sirtheta
sirtheta(@sirtheta)
March 20, 2017 17:55

Woops, my phone keyboard accidentally pasted my comment or something; ignore everything in that first *.

PrathapReddy Jambula
PrathapReddy Jambula (@guest_373708)
March 20, 2017 18:16

Thanks for the reply ,
so if we redeem it towards travel/hotel category it is useful but for just statement credit it may be straight 3% right?

William Charles
Admin
March 20, 2017 19:23

Some people value Chase UR at more than 1¢ each. In addition it triggers the $300 travel credit.

Jake N
Jake N (@guest_371093)
March 16, 2017 07:11

Just was able to successfully authenticate a Prestige card via Apple Pay on the app. I don’t have any immediate CSR / Prestige MS needs, but wanted to share the news.