Online Methods for Self-Storage Payments

If you run a self-storage business then one of the most important aspects of the way you run that business is ensuring that you can take payments in a way that’s convenient, secure and seamless. 

Whether you opt for manual payments, automatic payments or cash payments, the right choice will help you to maintain cash flow and boost your profit margins. In addition to this, offering a range of payment methods will make it easier to persuade people to utilise your storage options. 

In this article we’ll look at the self-storage payment options on offer, and how working with GoCardless can keep things as simple as possible 

Accepting self storage pay online 

When customers take out self-storage they look for convenience at each point of the process of renting. That’s why many customers choose a self-storage facility which is within a short travelling distance to their home, and also why fully automated facilities are becoming increasingly popular. Online payments make it far easier than manual payments, and when you partner with GoCardless you’re able to utilise a range of different methods to enable customers to pay online. 

Direct Debit payments 

Direct Debit payments are the ideal choice for taking recurring payments from self storage customers. Put simply, once the customer has created the direct debit via their bank account – choosing the right amount and a regular payment date – the money will be taken from their account automatically. This not only ensures a regular income stream for your self storage business, it also means that the customer can relax and doesn’t have to take any action to make their regular monthly payment.  

Instant bank pay

In some cases, a customer may want to rent a unit on a one-off basis – someone who is decorating and needs to clear a space out, for example – in which case they would only need to make a single payment. The GoCardless Instant Bank Pay option enables customers to pay directly from their bank account to yours, with instant confirmation that the payment has gone through. 

International payments 

Another advantage of the Instant Bank Pay method is that you can use it to take international payments. This is particularly relevant to self-storage businesses in that many self-storage customers opt to store the contents of their home for a period while living or working in another country. International payments taken through GoCardless are available for more than 30 countries and the payments can be made in the local currency, with the money landing in your account as pounds sterling. Another key advantage of working with GoCardless is that international payments are made using the real exchange rate, which tends to be fairer and more competitive than the kind of rates offered by the majority of money transfer providers. 

Credit card payments 

Some customers may opt to make their self storage payments using a credit or debit card, and the good news is that this is also possible for online payments by setting up an online customer account with card payment options or a guest checkout page for one-off payments. With a GoCardless account you can take online payments for self storage using credit or debit cards without having to go to the time, trouble and expense of creating a merchant account and dealing with the many fees involved.   

We can help

GoCardless is a global payments solution that helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of financial admin your team needs to deal with. Find out how GoCardless can help you with one-off or recurring payments.