Most of us have wondered at some point: “Why can’t I just pay my rent with my credit card and earn points?” Rent is often the largest monthly expense, and yet it earns zero rewards. Meanwhile, groceries and restaurants rack up points even though they’re a fraction of the cost.

That’s where Chexy steps in. It’s a Canadian fintech that lets you pay rent — and now, many recurring bills — using your credit card, even if your landlord or payee doesn’t accept credit cards.

But is Chexy worth the 1.75% fee? Does it make sense for cash-back people, travel hackers, or the average Canadian renter? And is it safe?

I recently signed up for Chexy and paid my CRA bill- it was an easy painless process and I got to earn Aeroplan rewards for it.

What Is Chexy?

Chexy is a Toronto-based bill payment platform that acts as an intermediary between your credit card and a landlord or biller who normally refuses credit card payments. You add your landlord or bill provider to Chexy, Chexy charges your credit card, and then Chexy sends the money to the recipient via:

• Interac e-Transfer
• Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD)
• Bill Pay (through banking networks)

For landlords, this means:
They don’t need an account, they don’t pay fees, and they get paid like normal.

For tenants, this means:
You can finally earn rewards on what is usually a boring, unrewarded transaction — rent.

Chexy initially launched just for rent, but in 2024–25 they expanded to include:

• Insurance
• Condo/strata fees
• Tuition
• Childcare
• Phone/internet
• Taxes (this made paying CRA less painful for me)
• One-time e-Transfers (in beta)

How Chexy Works Step-by-Step

First you sign up and you have to get validated. You need a photo ID and a phone number to sign up.

1. Set up your payee
   Enter your landlord’s email or your bill provider’s info. Chexy verifies what payment methods the payee accepts.
2. Choose your payment method
   Visa, Mastercard, or Amex. (Note: Canadian Mastercards are not currently accepted)
3. Chexy charges your credit card
   This happens 3 business days before the due date. Important if your due date is tight- so pay your bill ahead of time.
4. Chexy sends the money to your payee
   Your landlord or biller gets an e-Transfer or a direct deposit on the due date.
5. You earn credit card points or cash back

Chexy Fees

Now the big elephant in the room. It’s not free, so how much does it cost?

Chexy Credit card fee:

• 1.75% for Canadian Visa and Amex
• 2.5% for some non-Canadian cards (International Mastercard, American Express, and Visa)
• Canadian Mastercards are not accepted currently

For example:
If your rent is $2,000, Chexy charges $35 to process it (1.75%)

And this is where the math matters. Because if your card gives 1% cash back, you’re losing money. If it gives 5%? It might be worth it for you.

More on that below.

Here are some pros of using Chexy:

Earn credit card rewards on your largest monthly expense

If your rent is $2,000 and you’re using a high-value travel rewards card, you can easily earn:

• 1,000–2,500 points per month
• Or $30–$70 value (depending on the program)

This adds up fast — especially if you’re saving for a trip.

Great for Welcome bonuses

My favourite words. Welcome bonus. My life feels a bit empty if I’m not working on a welcome bonus. Yes, sad I know.

Many premium travel cards in Canada require:

• $3,000 spend in 3 months
• $5,000 spend in 3 months
• Or even $7,000 in 3 months

If your rent is $2,000/month, you’ve basically unlocked the bonus just by paying your rent.

Hitting a $600–$1,200 welcome bonus for $35 to $87 on top of the annual fee you paid for the credit card? It might be worth it for you.

Smooth cash flow management

Because Chexy charges your credit card instead of your bank account, you get a full 30-day grace period until you actually pay for the rent. If your paycheques are uneven, this can help.

But of course you have to be responsible with it.

Aeroplan partnership

What got me most interested in Chexy was their Aeroplan partnership.

Chexy now awards Aeroplan bonus points on top of your credit card rewards. I love double dipping.

People who travel even once per year can get value from this.

It is cheaper than Plastiq or Paysimply

Chexy is cheaper than Plastiq or Paysimply. These companies also allow you to pay your CRA bill or rent with a credit card.

However, Plastiq and Paysimply charge around 2.45% to 2.5%. It doesn’t sound like much but over thousands of dollars every month that can really add up.

This is more expensive than Chexy’s 1.75% for Canadian American Express or Canadian visa credit cards.

I’m a bit skeptical on how long Chexy’s lower rates can last though.

So it might not last long, take advantage of it while you can! 🙂

One-time credit card e-Transfers (It is in Beta Mode)

This is a big deal.

Let’s say you need to pay:

• A contractor payment
• A tuition deposit
• A wedding vendor
• A security deposit

These are often $3,000 to $10,000 payments.
Using Chexy could generate large rewards for you.

It’s only for a select group of Chexy users though, and if you see “e-transfer” as a payment option that means you are part of the group in Beta mode. For me, I do not have access to this beta mode.

Chexy Cons

It’s not all roses with Chexy, let’s have a look at the downsides. And there are some.

The fee might outweigh the rewards

If your credit card earns less than ~2% back, you’re losing money- it won’t be worth it.

Chexy is not for:

• 1% cashback cards
• Low-value points cards
• No-fee cards with weak earning rates

Reported payment reliability issues

Reddit has several posts about:

• Payments failing
• Accounts getting flagged
• Rent payments delayed
• Customer service taking days to respond

For bills like insurance, this is annoying.
For rent, this is stressful and does not help showcase your reliability from your landlord’s point of view.

Chexy appears to be improving reliability over time, but it’s still something to keep in mind. This is a new thing available in Canada and there are bound to be hiccups.

Variable bills not supported

If your utility bill changes each month, you can’t set it on recurring auto-pay.
You have manually update it.

For example, if your Fortis bill is $66.92 one month and the next month it is $83.24, Chexy won’t work for it.

You need discipline

If you’re going to put rent or other large recurring payments on a credit card, you MUST:

• Pay the credit card balance in full
• Track your statement dates
• Avoid carrying a balance

Otherwise, interest charges will destroy any benefit you gain from using your credit card to pay for rent, utilities, and CRA taxes instantly.

Who Should Use Chexy?

Here’s who would benefit from Chexy.

Travel hackers

If you’re using these cards for travel points (but not by that much)

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite
• Amex Cobalt
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite

You can turn rent into some decent travel value. For example, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. On a $2000 a month rent bill, that would equate to 24,000 Aeroplan points for the cost of $420, which with $0.02 per point would be $480. You would come out ahead but not by that much ($60). You could get a round trip economy flight within North American for 24,000 Aeroplan points.

Let’s take another example, the American Express Cobalt. You would get 1% back in American Express MR points which can be transferred to Aeroplan on a 1:1 basis, again you would be at $480 in points value for the cost of $420.

It’s not amazing, but it’s something.

People chasing a welcome bonus

Personally I think using Chexy for a welcome bonus is the way to go.

• A $600 bonus
• A $1,200 bonus
• A first-year-free premium card

Then the math almost always works.

Let’s take an example of spending $6000 USD for 130,000 Hilton Honors points and that minimum spend has to be done within 6 months. Well if your rent is $2800 a month or so, you’ll hit that within 3 months and pay $210 CAD (2.5% for an international credit card). 160,000 Hilton points could get you a 5 night stay somewhere that costs 40,000 Hilton points per night, and that can be around $800 (at $0.005 a Hilton point).

Side hustlers and small business owners

Big supplier payments via one-time Chexy e-Transfer can rack up points fast.

Many of these suppliers don’t accept credit card and this is where Chexy can be helpful.

Who Should Avoid Chexy?

This is non-negotiable.

Anyone using a low-value cash back card

If you earn 1–1.25%, you’re losing money.

Renters with unpredictable landlords

If your landlord isn’t tech-friendly or doesn’t understand the process, things can be difficult and they may accuse of of not being on time with your payment.

People who want zero risk

Chexy is still a newer fintech company. If you want 100% reliability for essential payments, sticking to traditional methods might feel safer.

Does the Math Actually Work?

Let’s run the numbers.

Scenario A: Rent is $2,000/month

Chexy fee:
1.75% → $35

Option 1: 2% cash back card

Earn: $40
Fee: $35
Net gain: $5/month or $60/year

This is barely worth it unless you’re doing it to hit a bonus.

Option 2: Amex Cobalt (5x points dining, 1x base for rent)

Earn: 2,000 points (worth ~ $40–$60)
Fee: $35
Net value: $5–$25/month
$60–$300/year

Better.

Option 3: TD or CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite

Earn: 2,000 Aeroplan points (worth about $40–$60)
PLUS Chexy’s Aeroplan bonus (varies)
Minus: $35 fee

Option 4: Hitting a welcome bonus

Let’s say you’re going for a $900 travel bonus requiring $4,000 spend in 3 months.

Your rent covers almost all of that.

Chexy fees:
$35 × 3 = $105

Bonus value:
~$900

Net gain: $795

This is by far the most powerful use case.

Is Chexy Safe?

Chexy itself uses:

• Encryption
• PCI-compliant payment processors
• Secure bank transfer rails

The platform is safe.

The bigger issue is reliability, not fraud:

• Delayed payments
• Failed PAD transfers
• Accounts flagged for review
• Customer service that moves at typical fintech speed (slow)

Most users have smooth experiences.
Some have headaches.
No one should rely on Chexy hours before rent is due.

Final Verdict: Is Chexy Worth Using?

I think Chexy can be worth using if you are chasing welcome bonuses on a travel credit card. However, for day to day travel credit cards, I don’t really think it is worth it, especially since the day to day earn rate isn’t that high.

If you fall into the first group, Chexy can turn rent into free flights, hotel stays, cash back, or thousands of points.

If you fall into the second group, Chexy will cost you money and add unnecessary stress.

Some people are even using it for a 4% cash back (such as the Scotiabank Momentum Visa, which is $80 cash back per month on a $2000 a month rent, you could get $45 a month net, or $540 per year.

It definitely gives you more options by allowing you to pay your rent or other usual bills that do not allow you to use your credit cards for points.

Chexy Referral

Another way to reduce the fees for Chexy even more is to share with your friends. The more people you refer to Chexy the less you pay for the Chexy fee. For example, if you refer to three other people and they sign up for Chexy, you get Pink Referrer Status and your Chexy Fee becomes 1.5% instead of 1.75%. You could reduce it all the way to 0.5% if you have 10 referrals.

The 0.5% Chexy rate is good for one calendar year. After that you get reset.

You can also sign up through another person’s Chexy link and save money on your first Chexy payment. You can get $15 for signing up, and they also get $15 for signing up. The $15 you earn can be redeemed for upcoming payments. Thanks in advance!

The Aeroplan points you earn on your Chexy payment is deposited within 60 days to your Aeroplan account.

Have you tried Chexy? What do you think of it?