Transaction Fees For Rental Payments?

[ex2013]

Hi all. We are searching for our first apartment from the U.S. for our family and found a house through a loose connection. The agency accepts rent payments by paypal or via bank transfer, which is attractive to us. But, they charge an additional 4% per rent payment as a transaction fee on top of the rent (and on top of our transaction fee to wire/transfer the money). Is this a norm in BA/Argentina? What have been your experiences?

Also, the rent does not include electricity and we would be responsible for paying that bill. Is this a big undertaking? Our contact at the rental agency told us that payment is easy (via a kiosk in the city) but I have read elsewhere that it can require a lot of time and effort.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on these issues.

 

[mariposa]

I have a house in BA that I sometimes rent out to foreign visitors. People pay me usually via wire transfer or a check from a U.S. bank. I also accept Paypal payments but in that case I add those 4% on top. I think that's not unusual. We always include all utilities and wi fi in the rent which is normal procedure. Strange that your rent does not include that.

You can pay bills like that at many corner kiosks or pharmacies. these services are called pagofacil or rapipago. How long it takes depends a lot on how long the line is which depends on the time of day. Go at off hours (never at lunch hours or when people get off work) or you'll be in line for ever.