An online payment policy states the accepted channel, when a payment counts as received, who bears processing fees, what happens on a reversal, and whether cash remains an option. The last point is the Texas rule: under Property Code §92.011 a landlord must accept a timely cash payment “unless a written lease … requires the tenant to make rental payments by check, money order, or other traceable or negotiable instrument.” A lease that requires payment through a portal satisfies that condition; a policy announced by e-mail does not.
The policy, clause by clause
- Channel: the portal or bank method, and that the landlord may change the provider on 30 days’ written notice.
- Receipt time: “rent is received when the payment is initiated through the portal before 11:59 p.m. on the due date” or “when it settles” — say which, because §92.019’s two-full-day grace runs from the due date, not from settlement.
- Fees: whether the tenant pays card or ACH fees; a fee passed through must be disclosed in the lease.
- Reversals: a returned or disputed payment is treated as unpaid from the original due date, with the returned-payment fee the lease allows and a requirement to pay by certified funds thereafter.
- Cash: either state that cash is not accepted (traceable instruments required) or keep the §92.011 receipt-and-record-book routine.
- Statements: the tenant may request a late-fee statement under §92.0191; the portal history is the answer.
What the portal must give you
- An export of every transaction with date, amount, method, status and period.
- Notification of failed or reversed payments the same day.
- A receipt to the tenant with the fields a receipt needs.
- Access controls so that a co-owner or manager sees only the properties they should.
Keeping the human option
A tenant without a bank account, or one whose card is declined on the first, still owes rent on the first. Offer a money order route to a named address in the lease so that the policy never becomes the reason a payment was late — and never becomes an argument that the landlord refused a lawful tender.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Texas landlord require online rent payment?
Yes, if the written lease requires payment by a traceable or negotiable instrument; otherwise cash must be accepted with a receipt and a record-book entry (Property Code §92.011).
When is an online payment “received” for late-fee purposes?
Whatever the lease says — initiation or settlement — measured against the original due date and the two-full-day grace in §92.019 (Property Code §92.019).
Can processing fees be passed to the tenant?
Only if the lease discloses them; an undisclosed fee is not a charge the tenant is legally liable for under the lease.
Sources
Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 — Residential Tenancies ↗
- Texas State Law Library — Landlord/Tenant Law research guide ↗
- Texas State Law Library — Rent ↗
General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.