Ask about switching payment methods before changing the rent collection routine. Tell the tenant who pays the fee, when the first debit would happen, and how to set it up. Keep the existing method available during setup, and agree which method will cover the first month so rent isn’t paid twice.

The examples below ask for voluntary enrollment. Check the lease and applicable payment-method rules before requiring a change. Replace the sample dates, fees, and cancellation instructions with the terms your provider actually offers.

Explain fees, bank details, and cancellation

A tenant needs enough information to decide whether to authorize recurring withdrawals. Cover these points:

  • Cost. Say who pays any fee. With TenantHub, the landlord pays up to $6.99 per successful payment, deducted from the payout; the tenant normally pays the scheduled rent. The deduction includes the $1.99 TenantHub service fee and standard Stripe ACH processing; additional return, dispute, verification, or exceptional banking fees may apply. See pricing for the breakdown. If you’re using a different platform, check its pricing and say so plainly.
  • Bank details. Explain that they enter their bank information with the payment provider through a secure link, not by texting you a routing number.
  • Control. Tell them the exact date the debit runs, that they’ll get a receipt each time, and how to revoke authorization.

The short text

Hi Sam — I’m moving rent collection to autopay so neither of us has to remember it each month. Nothing about your rent changes: still $1,650, still due on the 1st. You’d set it up once through a secure link, the payment runs automatically on the 1st, and you get a receipt every month. I cover the standard processing fee. Here’s the link: [link]. Zelle still works until you’re set up — no rush, but I’d love to have it in place before the November payment. Questions? Just reply. — Jane

The email

Subject: Setting up automatic rent payments

Hi Sam,

Starting with the November 1 payment, I’d like to collect rent through automatic bank payments instead of Zelle. Here’s what that means for you:

  • Same rent, same due date. $1,650 on the 1st, exactly as in your lease.
  • One-time setup. You’ll use a secure link to connect your bank account. You won’t need to send me your full bank details.
  • Automatic each month. The payment is initiated on the 1st. You’ll get an email receipt when it clears, and you can view your payment history in the portal.
  • Processing fee. I cover the standard processing fee.
  • You stay in control. You can revoke authorization using the provider’s cancellation process. Let me know if you do, so we can agree how any remaining rent will be paid.

Setup link: [link]

Please set it up by October 25 so the first automatic payment is ready for November 1. If you’d rather keep using Zelle for now, tell me and we’ll figure it out — I’m not trying to make anything harder.

Thanks,
Jane

The Zelle-to-autopay message generator fills in the tenant name, landlord name, amount, and date. It inserts a generic TenantHub payment URL; replace that with the tenant’s actual invitation link and review the fee wording before sending. The tool creates text to copy, not an invitation or scheduled payment.

Plan the first autopay month

Set the first autopay date only after setup is confirmed. A fixed cutoff for Zelle can leave a tenant without a working payment method.

  1. Send the message 5–6 weeks before the first autopay date. For a November 1 start, send it around September 20–25.
  2. Set a setup deadline about a week before the due date — October 25 for a November 1 payment — to leave time for account verification and scheduling. This does not mean a debit initiated November 1 will settle that day. Check your provider’s processing times and explain how the lease treats a payment in progress.
  3. Confirm which method covers the first month. If rent has already arrived by Zelle, check for a scheduled debit or retry before leaving autopay active for that period. Record the Zelle payment in the ledger.
  4. Confirm the first successful autopay in the payment system before marking rent paid. Continue checking for failures or returns in later months.
  5. Send one gentle reminder to anyone who hasn’t set up by the deadline. Ask whether they need help or prefer to keep their current method.

What the tenant is agreeing to

A recurring bank debit requires the tenant’s written or electronically authenticated authorization under federal Regulation E, and the tenant has the right to stop a preauthorized transfer by notifying their bank at least three business days before it’s scheduled (CFPB, 12 CFR § 1005.10). A hosted enrollment flow captures that authorization; if you’re using a paper form instead, our ACH authorization guide explains what it must cover and why the form alone doesn’t move money.

If authorization is revoked, agree on how any rent still owed will be paid.

Questions tenants ask

“Does it cost me anything?” The landlord covers TenantHub’s standard successful-payment fee from the payout. Explain any other applicable charges separately, including the tenant’s own bank fees. Check your provider’s terms before promising there are no possible costs.

“What if the payment fails?” If the account has insufficient funds, the debit returns and the rent is still due. Check the provider’s status and retry schedule before requesting a replacement payment. If a retry is pending, collecting again through Zelle could duplicate the charge. Confirm any permitted fee under the lease, law, and provider terms before mentioning it to the tenant.

“What if I want to pay early or split it?” Autopay runs on the scheduled date for the scheduled amount. If a tenant needs flexibility — say, two payments on the 1st and 15th — agree on the arrangement before enrollment. Some platforms support a one-time manual payment alongside autopay; check yours.

“Can I still pay by Zelle sometimes?” If you agree to another method for a month, check whether the scheduled debit needs to be canceled and record the outside payment. Don’t assume it automatically stops autopay.

“How do I cancel when I move out?” Follow the provider’s cancellation instructions and confirm the last scheduled debit. Include those steps in the move-out checklist.

“Why are you doing this?” Be honest: automatic receipts, a clean payment history, and not having to check the bank app on the 1st. Explain the work you want to reduce without promising that autopay suits everyone.

When a tenant declines

If the tenant declines, check your existing agreement and local requirements before changing accepted methods. You can continue recording outside payments and issuing a receipt for each Zelle payment. Discuss any proposed lease change separately; a setup invitation is not a lease amendment.

If you’re weighing whether to keep Zelle at all, our guide on using Zelle to collect rent covers the trade-offs, and Zelle rent payment limits explains why larger rents often arrive in pieces.

generate the switch message with your tenant’s details, send it five to six weeks before the target due date, and note the setup deadline in your calendar so you can follow up once.