How to pay your rent

How to pay your rent:

1. Direct Debits
2. By telephone
3. Swipe card
4. By post
5. On-line payment and text payment
6. By claiming Housing Benefit

1. Direct Debits

A Direct Debit is by far the easiest and most convenient way to pay your rent. It is an instruction to your bank or building society authorising Mercian to collect your rent payments from your bank account.

To set up a Direct Debit please call 0121 322 7373. We can process this for you over the phone and no paperwork is required.

Alternatively download, print and complete a Direct Debit Mandate (94 KB) and send it to:

Income Team
Mercian Housing Association
Gee Business Centre
Holborn Hill
Aston, Birmingham
B7 5JR

You will receive confirmation of the amount and date that the first payment will be debited from you account by Allpay. This instruction can be amended by Mercian.

You can pay directly from your account through Internet banking. You will require the following information to set this up.

Our bank details are as follows:
Account number: 01171569
Sort code: 60-08-02

Please ensure that the reference for the payment includes your name and tenant reference number. This will ensure speedy allocation to your account.

2. By telephone

Mercian is able to accept payments over the telephone using a debit or credit card on our behalf. The service is accessible from either landline or mobile phones, which will enable bill payers with an Allpay.net swipe card to make payments by phone. Simply call us on 0121 322 7373 to speak to a Customer Services Officer and follow the steps below to make a payment.

1. Contact Mercian 0121 322 7373 or Allpay on 0844 557 8321 or 0870 243 6040
2. Supply your rent card number (the long number on your rent card)
3. Supply your debit or credit card number, the expiry date and the issue number (applicable for Switch cards only) and the amount to be paid
4. The payment will then be authorised on line
5. The caller will then be given an authorisation code.

3. Swipe card

Swipe cards can be used in conjunction with cash at over 45,000 convenient UK locations, including all Post Office branches and paypoint outlets. Many of these outlets also accept payments by debit and credit card.

You will be issued with a receipt. It is important that you keep receipts as proof of payment.
If you are paying at the Post Office, make your cheque payable to Post Office Counters Ltd.

If you lose your swipe card contact Mercian immediately.

To request a swipe card or for more information, contact the Customer Services team on 0121 322 7373.

4. By post

You can send a cheque or postal order to our Head Office in Aston (address above), but do not post cash. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to Mercian Housing Assoc. Ltd. Please write your name and address clearly on the back of your cheque and your tenants reference number. Upon arrival of your cheque a receipt will be sent out to you.

5. On-line payment and Text payment

On-line payments
From our website, you can make rent payments securely and safely on-line through Allpay.

I wish to make a rent payment on-line.

Text payments

To begin securely texting your rent payments you need to:
* register your details at https://allpayments.net/textpay
* have a UK registered mobile phone
* have an email address
* have a valid Mercian swipe card
* have a current Debit Card or Credit Card.

6. By claiming Housing Benefit

For information on claiming Housing Benefit please contact your local council.

Claiming Housing Benefit in Birmingham

Claiming Housing Benefit in Coventry

Claiming Housing Benefit in Walsall

Check on your entitlement to Housing Benefit as well as other Benefits and Tax Credits on our welfare benefits page.

If you know you will have a problem paying your rent contact the Income Team immediately on 0121 322 7344 or email incometeam@mercian.org.uk.

Last modified 04/10/11