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).
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.
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
View Comments (54)
2017 last comment. Is anyone currently using radpad for rent payment?
Curious if I used radpad w/android pay and my US Bank Altitude card. Will it give me x3?
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
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.
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/
radpad is requesting driver license and copy of lease? is that normal?
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!
No, based on prior experience, direct payments will not code at 3x.
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/
Hmm, interesting. Maybe that's a new thing or maybe an Amex thing.
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.
Probably will work, it used to work with Apple Pay https://www.doctorofcredit.com/radpad-rent-payments-back-csr-ms-angle/#comment-370413
Confirmed that it works. Charge just posted as "Lodging".
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.
Some people value Chase UR at more than 1¢ each. In addition it triggers the $300 travel credit.
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%.
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?
Right, for cash redemption there is no gain. Unless you just find it convenient to use Radpad, then it's a break-even (tiny, tiny profit).
Woops, my phone keyboard accidentally pasted my comment or something; ignore everything in that first *.
Still good for travel credit and for racking up URs. We discuss this in the post.
DPs: coding as travel via ApplePay:
https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/5zfpfu/radpad_is_back/df5y5vo/
https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/60fuf9/daily_discussion_thread_march_20_2017/df61ngv/
Thanks!!
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.
Thanks Jake, I'll update