US Storage Centers, a self-storage operator that owns or manages more than 70 facilities in 12 states, has implemented PayNearMe, an electronic cash-transaction network, as a convenient and secure cash-payment option for its customers. Through the network, tenants can pay their monthly rent with cash at nearly 10,000 retail locations nationwide, including more than 7,600 7-Eleven stores.
To make a payment, tenants will need to use their US Storage Center mobile or printed PayNearMe PaySlip, which includes a barcode, at any PayNearMe location. The cashier can then scan the barcode and accept the cash payment. When payments are made, US Storage Centers is notified automatically, and the tenants account is credited, company officials said. The operator is the first in the storage industry to offer the service to tenants.
Most of our tenants want the convenience of paying remotely and the assurance of an instant payment confirmation, said Jason Lopez, vice president of marketing at US Storage Centers. With PayNearMe, we can offer a compelling payment option to our cash-paying customers. While many of our customers pay online with credit cards or ACH [Automated Clearing House], some still prefer to pay with cash, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to pay their rent.
People shouldnt be penalized if they dont have a bank account or credit card, added Christopher Volgenau, vice president of business development for PayNearMe. In an industry that services a high volume of cash-paying consumers and [is] prone to perpetual churn, we are pleased to make it easier and more convenient for US Storage Centers cash-preferred customers to make payments with cash.
Through the PayNearMe system, US Storage Centers can reconcile cash payments automatically into its property-management software and authorize only payments that represent the full amount owed. This is enabled through PayNearMes partnership with OpenTech Alliance Inc., a Phoenix-based provider of self-serve kiosks, call-center services and other technology solutions for the self-storage industry. By integrating with OpenTechs INSOMNIAC Self Storage Network, PayNearMe can authorize the acceptance of cash payments in real time based on data in the property-management software system.
We were excited to start offering PayNearMes electronic cash payment options to our renters, but had no idea how fast and easy the integration would be, said Mike Brady, vice president of operations at US Storage Centers. In addition to providing an amazingly elegant cash-payment option to our tenants, we did next to nothing on our end technically.
The PayNearMe cash-transaction network enables consumers to pay rent, transfer money, repay loans, buy tickets and make online purchases with cash. Consumers can access the system through nearly 10,000 participating 7-Eleven and ACE Cash Express stores across the United States.
US Storage Centers owns or manages more than 70 self-storage facilities in 12 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas.
