Linking your checking account is the fast, free way to pay your refundable deposits (security, pet, etc) at move-in. Roost uses Plaid to establish a secure connection with your bank. Plaid is used by tens of millions of people to connect their bank to services like Venmo, American Express and Chime.
If for whatever reason you don’t want to link your account, you can pay your deposit by credit or debit card.