Can you pay rent with a credit card in the UK?

In the UK, rent is almost always paid by standing order or bank transfer. To take a card, a landlord needs a card machine or an online payment account, and most private landlords don't have either. Some letting agents will take a debit card for a holding deposit or the first month, but very few accept cards for the rent itself.

That leaves what is often your largest monthly bill outside your card, earning you nothing.

A card-to-bank service sits in the middle. You pay with your card, and your landlord receives a normal UK bank transfer. With Omrello it works like this:

1. Add your landlord. Enter their name, sort code, account number and the reference you usually use. We check the name matches the bank account before anything is sent.
2. Pay with your card. Use a UK-issued Visa, Mastercard or American Express, credit or debit.
3. Your landlord gets a bank transfer. It arrives with your reference on it, like any other rent payment.
4. You keep the card rewards. Avios, points or cashback, depending on your card.

Omrello is launching soon in the UK. Join the waitlist to get access first.

Your landlord sees a bank transfer from a UK account with the reference you chose. There's nothing for them to sign up to or agree to.

If your tenancy agreement says how rent must be paid, read that part first. Your rent still arrives as a bank transfer, which is what most agreements ask for.

Rent paid through Omrello goes through as a normal card purchase, not a cash withdrawal. Each card provider decides what earns points, so check your card's terms before you start.

As an example, if your card earns 1 point per £1 and your rent is £1,500 a month, that's 18,000 points a year. See our guide to earning Avios and points on rent for more.

• Your credit limit. Rent can take up a big share of it. Using most of your limit can lower your credit score, so make sure there's room.
• Pay your card in full. Interest on a credit card balance will soon cost more than any points you earn.
• Timing. Pay a few working days before rent is due so it arrives on time.
• Your card's terms. Some cards treat certain payments differently for rewards.

Paying rent by card makes most sense if you already clear your card each month and collect rewards, or if you've just opened a card with a sign-up bonus to reach. It's not a good idea if you'd need to carry the balance.