Missed payments are a fact of life in property management. Whether it’s a bounced rent payment or a tenant who needs a refund, how you handle these edge cases can make or break your experience as a landlord.
That’s why we’ve built PendoPay to handle NSF fees and refunds clearly, securely, and with the right protections for both landlords and tenants.
If you’re considering switching to Pendo, here’s how we deal with those “what if” moments—so you’re never left wondering where the money went.
What Happens When a Tenant’s Payment Fails?
hen a tenant’s rent payment fails due to insufficient funds (NSF), the system automatically flags the issue and notifies both you and the tenant.
Here’s what happens step by step:
- The PAD attempt fails (usually within 1–2 business days after the scheduled rent date)
- Pendo immediately updates the payment status in your dashboard to “Failed”
- The tenant receives a notification with the reason (e.g. NSF)
- You can choose to:
- Re-attempt the payment (once tenant confirms funds are available)
- Add a one-time charge for an NSF fee (if allowed by your province)
You’ll always have a timestamped record of the failed payment, visible in your ledger and ready for download or dispute resolution.
Who Pays the NSF Fee?
By default, the bank charges Pendo for NSF events. Pendo then passes this fee onto the landlord (at cost), who can choose to pass it on to the tenant—if provincial tenancy rules allow.
In most provinces:
- You can charge a reasonable NSF fee to the tenant, but…
- The amount must be disclosed in the lease or a signed addendum
- You cannot apply punitive or excessive fees
We recommend checking your local Residential Tenancy Branch or board for allowed charges:
- BC – Residential Tenancy Branch
- ON – Landlord and Tenant Board
- AB – Residential Tenancies Act
- QC – Tribunal administratif du logement
- NS – Residential Tenancies Program
Let us know if you’d like a customizable lease clause template for NSF recovery.
Can I Retry the Payment?
Yes. Once the tenant confirms the issue has been resolved, you can manually trigger a reattempt of the PAD payment right from your Pendo dashboard.
You’ll also see a full transaction history—initial attempt, failure reason, and any subsequent retries—all logged for audit purposes.
This saves you from having to chase tenants down or guess whether they’ve followed through.
What If I Need to Issue a Refund?
Mistakes happen. Whether a tenant accidentally overpays or you need to cancel a rent charge, Pendo lets you issue refunds directly from the admin panel.
Here’s how it works:
- Go to the transaction in question
- Click “Issue Refund”
- Enter the amount (full or partial)
- Submit
Refunds are processed back to the tenant’s verified bank account, and both parties get a receipt confirming the transaction.
Note: Refunds can only be issued once funds have cleared, to avoid issuing money you haven’t yet received.
What Pendo Offers That Banks and e-Transfers Don’t
| Issue Type | e-Transfer | PendoPay |
| NSF Alerts | No | Yes, real-time |
| Retry Payment | Manual re-send | One-click reattempt |
| Refunds | Manual, external | Built-in, trackable |
| Audit Trail | No | Yes, fully timestamped |
| Tenant Notification | Manual | Automatic |
| Compliance | You’re on your own | PIPEDA + FINTRAC aligned |
Handling NSF events and refunds shouldn’t require detective work, awkward emails, or lost time. With PendoPay, you get a clear, traceable, and compliant way to manage the exceptions—so you can focus on what’s working, not what’s broken.
Already using Pendo? Check out your Payments tab to review recent transactions or set up your retry/refund settings.
Still using e-Transfers? There’s a better way to manage rent — without the surprises.
