Accepting PayPal, Venmo, and checks

Stripe handles the bulk of online payments, but most communities offer at least one alternative. PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and paper checks are the most common. This article covers them.

When alternative methods make sense

• Some residents flatly refuse to enter card / bank info into “another app.” PayPal accounts they already have. They’re more comfortable.
• A subset of younger residents only use Venmo. A Venmo method lets them pay from the app they’re used to.
• Older residents who want to mail a check. Paper checks are still common in HOAs and aren’t going away. Just plan for it.

You don’t need to enable every method. But making at least one alternative available cuts the number of “I don’t know how to pay” support questions in half.

PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App

HomeHerald doesn’t process PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App payments. What it does is show residents exactly where to send the money: your PayPal email, your Venmo username, or your Cash App username. The resident pays in that app, the money lands in your account there, and you record the payment in HomeHerald.

What you need

• The HOA’s own PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App account (one you control, not a board member’s personal account, so it survives board turnover)

Step-by-step

1. Go to Settings → Community Settings → Payment Methods panel
2. Click Add Method
3. Pick PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App
4. Enter the PayPal email, Venmo username, or Cash App username (plus any instructions, like “include your property address in the payment note”)
5. Save

Residents now see Pay with PayPal, Pay with Venmo, or Pay with Cash App on their payment screen, with the address to send to. You can switch a method between Active and Disabled at any time without deleting it.

Recording what comes in

Each payment needs to land on the property’s ledger:

• By hand: record it like a check - see Recording a manual payment
• From your email: if you’ve connected the HOA’s email in Email Inbox, HomeHerald can recognize PayPal and Venmo payment emails (set under Payment Sources) and offer each one to you as a payment. You pick the property and approve it, and the payment record is created for you.

Fees

PayPal’s fees are different from Stripe’s:

• Card via PayPal: 3.49% + $0.49 (slightly higher than Stripe cards in some cases)
• Bank via PayPal: Free for the resident; payout fee on your end varies
• Venmo: Same as PayPal card

HomeHerald’s Pass convenience fee to resident setting applies only to card and bank payments made through HomeHerald. PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App charge their own fees under your account with them; HomeHerald adds nothing to those payments and cannot pass their fees on.

Disputes

PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App disputes happen entirely in those apps. HomeHerald doesn’t see them and doesn’t notify you, so make sure someone on the board watches the email tied to that account.

You respond in PayPal’s dispute resolution center (or the other app’s), not in HomeHerald or Stripe. Don’t ignore disputes - the app can decide against you if you don’t respond in time. If you lose one, delete the payment you recorded so the property’s balance is right again.

Paper checks

Paper checks are an out-of-band flow: the money never passes through HomeHerald. You add a Check payment method so residents see where to send it, and you record each check via manual payment recording.

Setup

Go to Settings → Community Settings → Payment Methods, click Add Method, pick Check, and fill in two things:

• Make Checks Payable To: Your HOA’s legal name (e.g., “Maplewood Homeowners Association”)
• Mailing Address: Where to send the check

Residents see both on their payment screen under Pay by Check. It also helps to repeat them in the welcome email and on the community’s website.

Workflow when a check arrives

1. Open the envelope, confirm the check is real and made out correctly
2. Deposit at the bank (most banks have mobile deposit now)
3. Once it clears, record the payment in HomeHerald - see Recording a manual payment
4. The property’s balance updates; the resident sees the payment in the app

If the check bounces, delete the payment you recorded (HomeHerald keeps it struck through in the property’s log with your reason) and add a charge for the NSF fee if your bylaws allow it. Communicate with the resident promptly - bounced checks are usually accidents.

Tips

• Use a P.O. box if possible. Mailing checks to a board member’s home address creates problems when boards transition. A P.O. box is community-owned.
• Get checks deposited weekly. Older checks expire (usually after 6 months) and create cleanup work.
• Record promptly. A check that’s been deposited but not recorded leads to “you owe money” notifications going out to residents who already paid. They get angry. Record within a few days of deposit.

Communicating options to residents

Once you’ve set up the methods you support, tell residents. A simple onboarding message works:

How to pay your dues

You have several options:

1. Online by card or bank - sign in to HomeHerald and tap Pay Now on your balance. Paying from a bank account (on the web) costs less than a card.
2. PayPal or Venmo - send to [PayPal email / Venmo username]. Your payment screen in the app shows where.
3. Mail a check - payable to “[HOA Name],” sent to [P.O. Box address].

All payments show up in the app once they’re recorded, so you can see your balance update.

Customize for what you’ve enabled. Don’t over-explain - most residents pick a method and stick with it.

Plan implications

None. PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App payment instructions and manual check recording are included in every HomeHerald plan - there’s nothing to upgrade to. Third-party processing fees still apply, and those go to PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App, not HomeHerald.

Common questions

“Can residents pay through Zelle?” Not directly. Zelle isn’t integrated. If a resident insists, they can Zelle to the HOA’s bank account out-of-band, and you’d record the payment manually.

“Can we accept cash?” Sure - but record it as a manual payment when you receive it. Get a paper receipt for your records.

“Can residents auto-pay through PayPal?” No. HomeHerald never touches PayPal payments, so it can’t schedule them. For auto-pay, point residents to Dues AutoPay, which saves a card or bank account through Stripe.

“What if a resident pays the wrong amount via PayPal?” Record the payment for what they actually sent. If they overpaid, the property has a credit. If they underpaid, the property still owes the difference. Don’t try to “fix” the PayPal record - it’s already happened.

Where to go next

• Enabling Stripe payments - the primary method
• Recording a manual payment - for paper checks and out-of-band payments
• Payment methods overview - the full menu and fee comparison
• Issuing refunds - when payments need to be reversed