45 tagged with "Payments"
Manage payment processing, tracking, and reconciliation efficiently
Passing Credit Card Fees to Customers: Surcharges, Cash Discounts, and Dual Pricing in 2026
Surcharging, cash discounts, and dual pricing are the three legal ways to pass card fees to customers in 2026—surcharges cap at 3% (Visa) and are banned in CT, ME, and MA, while cash discounts and dual pricing are legal in all 50 states and skip the 30-day network notice.
Buy Now, Pay Later Is Quietly Breaking Your Books: A Merchant's Guide to Accounting for Klarna, Affirm, and Afterpay
BNPL providers pay merchants the full sale price minus a fee, then report gross volume on a 1099-K — so recording only the net deposit understates revenue and triggers IRS underreporter notices. Record gross sales through per-provider clearing accounts to keep fees, reserves, and 1099-K totals reconciled.
How to Reconcile Payment Processor Payouts: A Clearing Account Guide
A payment processor payout bundles gross sales, fees, refunds, chargebacks, sales tax, and rolling reserves into one net deposit. Route every piece through a clearing account so your books tie out to the penny and match the gross volume on your 1099-K.
OFAC Sanctions Compliance for Small Businesses: SDN Screening, the 50% Rule, and Voluntary Self-Disclosure
OFAC enforcement now targets fintech, crypto, real estate, and small e-commerce firms with civil penalties up to $377,700 per violation. A practical guide to SDN list screening, the 50 percent ownership rule, voluntary self-disclosure under the 2026 portal, and the five-pillar compliance program Treasury expects from any company touching cross-border money.
PCI DSS 4.0.1 in 2026: The Small Merchant's Guide to SAQ A, Script Tampering, and MFA
PCI DSS v4.0.1 governs every 2026 assessment, and FAQ 1588 has narrowed who qualifies for SAQ A. This guide walks small merchants through the new script-tampering rules (6.4.3 and 11.6.1), the 12-character password and MFA requirements, what non-compliance actually costs, and a 12-step checklist for getting it right.
FedNow and RTP in 2026: How Small Businesses Replace Slow ACH With Instant 24/7 Bank Transfers
FedNow and RTP now reach over 1,700 and 1,200 U.S. financial institutions, settling credit pushes in under 20 seconds, 24/7/365. A practical guide for small businesses on when instant rails replace ACH, how the two networks differ, and how to defend against the fraud patterns that irrevocable settlement creates.
Embedded Finance and BaaS for SMB Software: How Vertical SaaS Adds Payments, Lending, and Issued Cards
Vertical SaaS platforms are layering payments, lending, and issued cards on top of their software using sponsor banks and BaaS middleware. A practical guide to the 2026 stack, realistic economics, the right sequencing, and the compliance traps that freeze programs.
The 1099-K Whiplash Ends: Why the $20,000 and 200-Transaction Threshold Is Back for 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act repealed the $600 1099-K threshold in July 2025 and restored the original $20,000-and-200-transaction federal rule, easing paperwork for casual sellers and gig workers — but every dollar of business income remains taxable.
Form 1042-S Withholding on Payments to Foreign Persons: A Compliance Guide for US Businesses
Form 1042-S reports US-source FDAP income paid to foreign persons. US businesses act as withholding agents with personal liability — default 30% withholding, W-8 documentation rules, March 15 deadlines, and stiff per-form penalties. This guide covers W-8BEN versus W-8BEN-E, treaty rate reductions, the source-of-income rules, and common mistakes like sending Form 1099 to a foreign contractor.
Billing Management Guide: A Complete System for Getting Paid Faster
A four-stage billing system—strategy, invoicing, collections, reconciliation—that reduces DSO, cuts the 1–5% EBITDA loss from revenue leakage, and stops late payments before they start.
Dunning Email Signals: How to Decode Customer Replies and Get Paid Faster
A four-stage dunning ladder, the signals hidden in customer replies, and operational rules that turn overdue B2B invoices into reliably collected cash.
Invoice Email Templates That Get You Paid Faster: 5 Proven Examples
Five copy-ready invoice email templates—initial, pre-due reminder, overdue follow-up, recurring retainer, and post-payment thank you—plus timing data showing follow-ups within 3 days of a missed due date get paid in 7 days versus 30+.