Explore BAMS

Category: Business Tips

BAMS featured graphic showing how improved payment risk metrics can help ecommerce merchants reduce rolling reserves and unlock more working capital.
Featured Article How to Reduce Rolling Reserves for Ecommerce

Manage chargeback ratios, hit release milestones, and unlock trapped working capital faster Learn which operational metrics processors use to set rolling reserve percentages and how to improve them. This guide covers chargeback ratio management, reserve release schedule milestones, and concrete steps to lower your hold rates. TL;DR Your reserve percentage is negotiable — Processors reassess […]

QuickBooks Plan B The Top 3 Best Alternatives to QuickBooks
Read MoreThe Top 3 Best Alternatives to QuickBooks

Intuit’s QuickBooks is undoubtedly the king of the hill when it comes to popular cloud-based accounting software. But there are a number of competitors on the market currently offering their own robust accounting products capable of challenging QuickBooks’ dominance. Three of the most popular QuickBooks alternative include Xero, FreshBooks, and Zoho Books, each offering their […]

BAMS featured image comparing one flat payment-processing rate with transaction-specific payment costs. Is A Flat Rate Good for Your Business? – Spoiler: Probably Not!
Read MoreIs A Flat Rate Good for Your Business? – Spoiler: Probably Not!

Simple Pricing Can Be Useful, but Simpler Does Not Always Mean Cheaper What makes a reasonable transaction fee? A surprising number of merchants never really answer that question. They know the rate printed on the processor’s website but not necessarily what accepting payments costs their business over an entire month. That is one reason flat […]

PayPal, Square, or Stripe How PayPal’s New Refund Policy Impacts Your Business and What You Can Do About It
Read MoreHow PayPal’s New Refund Policy Impacts Your Business and What You Can Do About It

On May 7th, 2019, PayPal updated its user agreement and made a big change that impacts every single one of their sellers in an inarguably negative way. Prior to the change, any time a refund was provided to a customer, the slice of the pie that PayPal had taken on the transaction was returned to […]

BAMS featured image showing QuickBooks Desktop 2016 support ending and merchants reviewing modern accounting and payment options. What the Discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop 2016 Means to You as a Merchant
Read MoreWhat the Discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop 2016 Means to You as a Merchant

QuickBooks Desktop 2016 Still Opens for Some Users, but Support Is Long Gone QuickBooks Desktop 2016 discontinued support years ago, which creates an important distinction for merchants still running the software. A program may continue to open on a computer even after Intuit stops supporting the version. That does not mean the software still has […]

BAMS featured image comparing eCommerce platform alternatives to Shopify for businesses in 2026. The Best Alternatives to Shopify in 2019
Read MoreThe Best Alternatives to Shopify in 2019

Shopify Is Still Strong, but It Is Not the Only Choice The best Shopify alternatives in 2026 give merchants different levels of control over their website, payment processing, hosting and technology stack. Shopify remains one of the strongest all-in-one eCommerce platforms available but some businesses eventually want more control over how their store operates or […]

Saves Businesses Thousands Annually BAMS Low Cost Payment Processing Saves Businesses Thousands Annually
Read MoreBAMS Low Cost Payment Processing Saves Businesses Thousands Annually

BAMS has been offering electronic payment processing solutions to thousands of merchants all across the globe for well over a decade. Our experience and commitment to customer satisfaction and savings mean that there are a number of significant benefits to choosing BAMS as a payment processor – benefits that our competitors simply can’t match. From […]

BAMS featured image showing a merchant statement separating interchange, network fees and processor markup. Why Is Interchange-Plus Pricing the Most Advantageous Merchant Account Pricing Format?
Read MoreWhy Is Interchange-Plus Pricing the Most Advantageous Merchant Account Pricing Format?

Interchange-Plus Makes It Easier to See What Payment Processing Actually Costs A merchant’s profitability is determined in part by the costs of doing business, and one of the most common expenses merchants face is the cost of processing card payments. But payment processing is not priced the same way everywhere. Some providers use standardized flat […]

Fees Understanding Merchant Fees – Which Fees Are Common for A Merchant Account Statement?
Read MoreUnderstanding Merchant Fees – Which Fees Are Common for A Merchant Account Statement?

Credit card transaction processing fees seem simple on the surface, but the overall fees are actually made up of many smaller fees, sometimes numbering in the dozens. In the interest of transparency and regulatory compliance, payment processors break down all of those fees on their merchants’ monthly statements. That’s good for both the processor and […]

Merchant Account Provider Which Merchant Account Provider is Better – BAMS, Braintree or QuickBooks Merchant Services?
Read MoreWhich Merchant Account Provider is Better – BAMS, Braintree or QuickBooks Merchant Services?

Choosing a merchant services provider is a serious task and picking the wrong merchant account can result in headaches with integration, unnecessarily high fees, and delays in deposits reaching a merchant’s bank account. Merchants choosing between BAMS, Braintree, and QuickBooks Merchant Services – three of the most popular merchant services providers on the market – […]

Merger Does Size Matter? In an Age of Major Mergers, what do Merchants Gain from Going Big?
Read MoreDoes Size Matter? In an Age of Major Mergers, what do Merchants Gain from Going Big?

On May 28th, 2019, payment processing giants Global Payments and TSYS officially announced a merger in a deal worth 21.5 billion dollars. That merger was just the latest in a series of mergers and acquisitions that have seen some of the industry’s largest players become even larger. In fact, the Global/TSYS merger was the third […]

Level 3 Credit Card Do You Receive Next-Day Funding with Your Merchant Account?
Read MoreDo You Receive Next-Day Funding with Your Merchant Account?

Not all merchant accounts are created equal, and from fees – to support – to hardware, and beyond, there are countless factors that determine which is the best for you and your business. One of the most important factors is fund availability – how prompt your payment processor is in depositing the funds from sales […]

Restaurant Payments Is Square the Best Payment Processor for Restaurants?
Read MoreIs Square the Best Payment Processor for Restaurants?

Ever since the introduction of the original Square Reader – the small, white plastic magstripe reader that plugs right into the headphone jack of a smartphone – Square has been a widely recognized brand name among small businesses and entrepreneurs. There is no question the Square Reader was revolutionary for pop-up shops, mobile businesses, and […]

Best Choice - five stars Stripe Alternatives: How BAMS Stacks Up Against Stripe’s Payment Processing Solutions
Read MoreStripe Alternatives: How BAMS Stacks Up Against Stripe’s Payment Processing Solutions

Since its initial launch in 2011, San Francisco-based Stripe has become one of the most recognizable brand names in online payment processing. Used by online businesses in over 200 countries, Stripe has recently expanded its electronic payments offerings with the introduction of its in-store card reader, the Stripe Terminal.  Stripe has a number of third-party […]

Emailed Invoices How Emailed Invoices Can Help You Get Paid Faster
Read MoreHow Emailed Invoices Can Help You Get Paid Faster

Cash flow is everything, and one of the biggest keys to success in business is keeping accounts receivable to a minimum. The faster your invoices get paid, the healthier your company’s finances will be, and the better you’ll sleep at night. That means using any tool that can help you collect payment faster is a […]

Interchange Fees The Basics of Interchange Fees – What They Are, What They Cover, and How They’re Calculated
Read MoreThe Basics of Interchange Fees – What They Are, What They Cover, and How They’re Calculated

Merchants are all painfully aware of the fact they’re charged fees on the card transaction they put through, but many don’t understand what those fees are made up of. While those fees contain a number of different components, the largest portion is made up of the interchange fee. Interchange fees are charged on every single […]

POS merchant account services system Top Retail POS of 2019
Read MoreTop Retail POS of 2019

Providing shoppers with a smooth POS, easy checkout experience is key to generating return business and a loyal customer base. There are few things that can frustrate a customer more than waiting in a long line once they’ve made their buying decision or running into trouble with systems at the cash. That’s why it’s so […]

PayPal, Square, or Stripe When is a Third-Party Processor like PayPal, Square, or Stripe Right for You?
Read MoreWhen is a Third-Party Processor like PayPal, Square, or Stripe Right for You?

The thrid-party electronic payments industry is a hotly contested marketplace, with a wide array of different payment solutions for merchants to choose from. Unfortunately, sometimes that level of choice can lead to indecision. It isn’t uncommon for merchants to respond by signing up for the providers that they’re most familiar with. Sometimes that might mean […]

Restaurant POS System Top Mobile Restaurant POS Systems of 2019
Read MoreTop Mobile Restaurant POS Systems of 2019

A point-of-sale system is an important factor in a restaurant’s success for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it’s the system that facilitates all electronic payments, and in a world where plastic is king, a flawlessly operating POS is a must. On top of that, paying the bill is often the last step of […]