What is Buy Now, Pay Later
If you have done any amount of online shopping in the past few years, you’ve almost certainly noticed an option to split your purchase into smaller payments. Klarna, AfterPay, Affirm, and other companies have been at the forefront of recreating how consumers think about payment installment plans.
These plans enable consumers to receive their products immediately and often do not include interest fees, making them more cost-efficient compared to credit cards.
With many using BNPL for larger purchases, this trend is likely here to stay.
Buy Now, Pay Later in the Rental Industry
Consumers have come to expect a BNPL option with most online purchases, but what about the most significant expense of the month for renters? Can a renter use a BNPL service to settle their ledger with the property management company?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is that offering this solution directly from the property is not efficient or risk-free. By the nature of BNPL programs, it would be nearly impossible for a property owner or manager to offer this solution directly. They would assume all renter risk and have debt sitting on their books indefinitely. Launching a BNPL program that leaves property managers and owners picking up the check on a highly delinquent portfolio would be counterintuitive.
So properties are left to strike the perfect balance between offering a BNPL option and mitigating renter risk.
This is why we launched the Qira Pay Later program.
How it Works
With Qira’s Pay Later program, Qira will pay rent on the resident’s behalf on the first of the month.
When residents go online to pay rent, they will see an option to Pay Later directly beside the balance owed. First, they would designate their desire for Pay Later, and then Qira would check their eligibility.
Once approved, they will be given several repayment options and can transparently view the fee Qira collects (as low as 1.5% of the amount deferred).
Once enrolled in the program, Qira will pay rent to the property on the resident’s behalf. The resident’s ledger will reflect a balance that is paid in full, and properties can enjoy a 100% collections rate.
Repayment is handled directly between the resident and Qira from that point on.
How it Compares
Here at Qira, we pride ourselves on being the most resident-friendly option on the market. Our Pay Later program is not a subscription-based model that forces renters to utilize the service month after month. Instead, our program is meant to be used as-needed and is 100% controlled by the resident’s needs and wishes.
We are a small, boutique financial management firm and pride ourselves on exemplary service and support for our renters and partners. If an issue or question does arise, our team is available 24/7.
The upside is immense for our property management partners: Residents are given the option to control their finances, properties have a new amenity to market, and, most importantly, our property management partners experience little to no delinquency within their portfolios.
Learn More
Simply click “Book a Demo” in the top right corner of this screen, and a Qira team member will reach out to show you a quick demo of the program!
