Blog
Should Small Businesses go Cash-Only?
Cash-only businesses are often thought of as a thing of the past. In reality, the number of cash-only small businesses has actually made a small comeback in recent years.
The True Cost of Processing Credit Card Payments
For small businesses, accepting electronic payments online, in-store, or through mobile payment processing has become standard practice. The vast majority of businesses will need to accept and process credit cards to keep up with public demand. Unfortunately, the cost of credit card
The Risks and Rewards of Accepting American Express
American Express gets a bum rap when it comes to their treatment of small businesses. Ironically (or perhaps not so ironically, depending on your level of cynicism), American Express is a huge supporter of the Shop Small Movement and even founded the
How to accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Payments
Well, over ten percent of American residents receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While this number has fallen significantly from ~15 percent as recently as 2013, food assistance programs continue to be a vital way to provide food
What is an Automated Clearing House (ACH)?
Almost everyone has had some form of ACH payment deposited in or withdrawn from their banking account. Despite this, few of us truly understand what automated clearing house transactions mean and how they function in the real world. ACH transacted approximately 23
Common Mistakes Business Startups Make
Entrepreneurs have the courage to put their livelihoods on the line and start or run new businesses. This often comes with huge personal and financial risk, which is of course offset by potentially large rewards. Even experienced entrepreneurs and business owners can
6 Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Opening a small business is incredibly demanding. From developing a product/service to formulating a high-quality business plan to incorporating, the list of tasks can feel insurmountable. It stands to reason that many small business owners make mistakes along the way. Today, we
Merchant Services 101
Nearly all small businesses have a relationship with a merchant service provider. Yet the term “merchant services” is relatively unknown in the public sphere. Every time you make or accept a credit card purchase, you are interacting in some small way with
Choosing the Best Point of Sale System for Your Business
Point of Sale Systems, frequently shortened to simple POS systems, are a mainstay of brick and mortar businesses. These machines combine hardware and software to handle payments from credit cards, debit cards, EBT, and much more. POS systems continue to improve as
What is Real-Time Transaction Management?
So many things that used to take minutes, hours, days, or even weeks, are now completed in the blink of an eye. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to processing merchant transactions. Merchants and customers alike expect to be updated
Small Business Loans 101
Perhaps the biggest problem facing small businesses and/or startups is finding operating capital. Where some small business owners might be fortunate enough or prudent enough to have saved enough to self-fund, a large number of small businesses will depend on small business
Convenience Fees for Alternative Payment Methods
For small business owners, minimizing credit card processing fees can be a huge issue. The vast majority of businesses and even many independent contractors accept credit cards and other electronic payments for customer convenience. Credit card processing may be a standard part
