I like a screening company that the applicant can directly pay, like RentPerfect for example.

Not complicated.   

Tell them they need to give you a check for $35 (assume that's the cost of the credit report).  Give them a receipt stating the money is non-refundable and that a credit report is required for ANY/ALL applications to be considered.

John,

What exactly is your question? 

@Cameron Tope it asks for their card number, how am I supposed to charge them with their card number?

@Steve Morris a cashier's check? Why not through PayPal?

Who asks for their credit card number?!?

You subscribe to a credit/background check company, they use your credit card.

Prospects pay you cash/check/Zelle/CashApp but not with credit card.

Their authorization to conduct credit/background check in their application  for  your rental.

@Irina Belkofer ooh I understand, so Ill use that card number to pay for the application fee on the on the app/website I use?

@John Perez It’s not real clear what you’re trying to do here, but generally there’s two ways to do it.

One way is you utilize a credit check service that the applicant pays directly through, in which case you don’t need to collect any money or credit card numbers from the applicant.

The other way is you collect cash (not a credit card number and never a check) from the applicant, and then you run their information through a credit check service.  

You can use only your own credit card, not somebody else’s one.

I never take credit card payment as their application fees - only cash/check/CashApp 

You can tell them to apply through Zillow or other resources but they have to authorize use of them/c themselves - not you using their c/c.

@Irina Belkofer do you accept PayPal?

@John Perez

Use a service that applicant pays directly so you don’t have to handle any money.

@Anthony Wick what do you mean?

@Anthony Wick like PayPal for example?

 I don’t but people do
You have to go to a local REIA - so real people would show the whole process.

There is more than one way to do this

@John Perez

I use MySmartMove. I submit tenants application and email. Tenant gets an email to apply and pay at the website. MySmartMove sends me their credit report, criminal history, nationwide eviction, and makes a recommendation on if they seem like a good applicant. It costs each tenant $40. I handle no money for applications.

@Anthony Wick do you pay for anything besides the application fee they pay?

Dude, if you can't figure out how to process a credit card then I'm sorry to say but real estate investing is not for you.  

@Cameron Tope I'm sure you weren't born knowing how to process a credit card. Were you?

@Cameron Tope oh, also, It'd be stupid giving up on my real estate dreams just by not knowing how to process a credit card.

@John Perez. There is zero cost to me to screen an applicant. I collect no fees. I do a free preliminary screening of each applicant, such as; calling current landlord, verifying employment and income, looking up criminal records on open source documents (in Iowa anybody can look at Iowa Courts Online). I do these things before submitting their application to MySmartMove, in order to weed out anybody that does not qualify. I do not want people paying $40 per adult to find out they never would have qualified in the first place. I make it very clear to applicants that we will be checking for credit score, income, evictions, etc., so do not waste your money if you cannot qualify. Most people self disqualify or simply do not apply if they realize they won't be accepted. And I do not submit more than one vacancy at a time. So, if you're qualified, you aren't coming in 2nd or 3rd place and still not getting approved, even though you qualify. I don't like wasting peoples money.