Fee Listener - Payment Processing

Easy HOA is continually growing and evolving. As part of this progress, we have made an update to improve how payments are processed.

Please see the details below outlining how payment processing is now handled.

Why this change was necessary

Previously, the convenience fee feature allowed HOAs to set a percentage or flat fee to try and match processing costs. While well-intentioned, this approach created compliance risk for both the HOA and EasyHOA because it allowed fees to be applied to only certain transactions or payment types.

From a regulatory and governance standpoint, this can raise concerns with:

• Card brand policies (Visa, Mastercard, Discover)

• State laws governing HOAs

• CC&Rs and fiduciary responsibilities of the board

Boards have a responsibility to ensure that all homeowners are treated fairly and that one group is not unintentionally subsidizing another. The previous model made that difficult to guarantee in all cases.

Because of this, we were required to move to a more compliant and consistent solution.

How the new fee listener works

The fee listener is designed to be:

• Accurate – It calculates the exact processing cost for each individual transaction

• Transparent – The fee is clearly shown to the homeowner at checkout

• Fair – Each homeowner pays only the cost associated with their own payment method

Instead of setting a fixed percentage, the system now:

• Automatically determines the true cost of the transaction (ACH or card)

• Passes that exact fee directly to the homeowner making the payment

• Removes the HOA from having to manage, estimate, or cover processing fees

Payment options update

As part of this rollout, all payment types have been enabled (ACH and card options).

This is intentional and important for compliance. Since the fee listener ensures that:

• Fees are applied consistently and correctly

• Each homeowner pays based on their chosen method

…it allows homeowners the flexibility to choose how they pay, while still keeping everything uniform, fair, and compliant.

What this means for your HOA

• No more need to manage or adjust convenience fee percentages

• No risk of uneven fee application across homeowners

• Full alignment with card brand rules, state laws, and governing documents

• Reduced liability for the board when it comes to handling online payments