Category: Merchant Services

eCommerce payment reconciliation infographic comparing $14,200 in dashboard sales with a $13,740 bank deposit and breaking down the unexplained deposit gap.
Featured Article 7 Fee Reconciliation Signals Hiding in Your Daily Deposits

A diagnostic checklist for eCommerce operators who want to spot processor overcharges in minutes, not months Learn how to identify the gap between your eCommerce dashboard totals and actual bank deposits. This checklist surfaces daily transaction-level signals that reveal hidden payment processor fees without enterprise tools. TL;DR Calculate your effective rate monthly – Divide total […]

BAMS featured image showing a physical loyalty card designed to encourage repeat visits, customer rewards and stronger brand loyalty. Tangible Benefits of Adding a Loyalty Card to Your Loyalty Program
Read MoreTangible Benefits of Adding a Loyalty Card to Your Loyalty Program

Why Physical Loyalty Cards Still Have a Place Loyalty card benefits are not limited to the reward printed on the card. A physical card can also put the business in front of a customer again after the transaction ends. It sits in a wallet, hangs from a keychain or appears the next time the customer […]

BAMS featured image showing NYC merchant services with a payment terminal and New York City skyline. NYC Merchant Services – No Place Like Home Startup
Read MoreNYC Merchant Services – No Place Like Home Startup

NYC Merchant Services Without the Payment Processing Headache NYC merchant services should make accepting payments easier, not give a business owner another system to decipher. Rates matter, but so do the less obvious parts of the relationship: the technology, security requirements, reporting and the person you call when something does not look right. For a […]

BAMS featured image showing a chargeback dispute alert, lost transaction revenue and the financial impact of chargebacks on a business. How Problematic Are Chargebacks for Business Owners?
Read MoreHow Problematic Are Chargebacks for Business Owners?

Why Chargebacks Can Become More Than a Refund Chargebacks for business owners can create problems well beyond losing one sale. A dispute can affect revenue immediately, interrupt expected cash flow and create extra work for the team responsible for gathering records and responding to the claim. One chargeback may be manageable. A pattern of them […]

BAMS featured image comparing an EMV chip card with a traditional magnetic stripe card. EMV vs Magnetic Stripe Systems
Read MoreEMV vs Magnetic Stripe Systems

Why EMV and Magnetic Stripe Cards Handle Security Differently EMV vs magnetic stripe is really a comparison between two very different ways of handling card-present payment data. Magnetic stripes rely on static card data. EMV chips add dynamic transaction security that makes copied payment data far less useful for creating counterfeit cards. That difference matters […]

BAMS featured image showing a customer loyalty program with a loyalty card, rewards progress and repeat purchase incentives. Take Your Business to the Next Level by Offering a Loyalty Program
Read MoreTake Your Business to the Next Level by Offering a Loyalty Program

Build Repeat Business With a Loyalty Program Customers Want to Use A customer loyalty program gives people a practical reason to come back. The strongest programs are usually easy to understand, easy to use and valuable enough that the reward actually matters to the customer. They do not need to be complicated. A simple punch […]

BAMS featured image comparing tiered pricing and interchange plus pricing for merchant payment processing. Is Tiered Pricing as Good as Interchange Plus Pricing?
Read MoreIs Tiered Pricing as Good as Interchange Plus Pricing?

What Your Payment Pricing Model Really Changes The pricing model behind a merchant account determines more than the rate shown on a proposal. It affects how easily you can see processing costs, how processor markup appears on your statement and how much information you have when comparing one provider with another. Partnering with the right […]

BAMS featured image comparing a low advertised processing rate with the total value of a merchant services account. Should You Choose the Lowest-Priced Merchant Services?
Read MoreShould You Choose the Lowest-Priced Merchant Services?

Low Price Matters, but Look at the Whole Merchant Account Low-cost merchant services can make a real difference to a business that processes hundreds or thousands of payments every month. But the cheapest advertised rate is not always the cheapest account once every fee, contract term and service requirement enters the picture. The better question […]

BAMS featured image showing a local merchant service provider with secure payments, modern payment technology and local support. Reasons Why You Should Work with a Local Merchant Service Provider
Read MoreReasons Why You Should Work with a Local Merchant Service Provider

Why Work With a Local Merchant Service Provider? A local merchant service provider can give businesses a closer point of contact for payment support, security and technology. The right provider can also help a business choose payment tools that fit how its customers prefer to pay. There hasn’t been a more successful change in technology […]

BAMS featured image showing its Low Price Guarantee, five-step payment processing review and merchant cost comparison. Low Price Guarantee: How BAMS Compares Processing Costs
Read MoreLow Price Guarantee: How BAMS Compares Processing Costs

How the BAMS Low Price Guarantee Works The BAMS Low Price Guarantee gives business owners a structured way to compare payment processing costs before making a change. The five-step review looks beyond a single advertised rate and considers how a business actually accepts payments. In the day-to-day grind as a business owner, you’re in a […]

BAMS guide showing how to set up Authorize.Net with a BigCommerce store and connect online payment settings. How to Setup Authorize.Net With Your BigCommerce Store
Read MoreHow to Setup Authorize.Net With Your BigCommerce Store

Connect Authorize.Net to Your BigCommerce Store An Authorize.Net BigCommerce setup connects your online store to a payment gateway so customers can submit card payments at checkout. Visa provides a helpful overview of how payment processing works across merchants, acquirers and issuers. BigCommerce is one of the top eCommerce platforms currently available and is the #1 […]

BAMS featured image showing how COVID-19 accelerated online shopping, eCommerce growth, grocery delivery and changing consumer buying habits. How COVID-19 is Impacting Online Shopping
Read MoreHow COVID-19 is Impacting Online Shopping

How the Pandemic Changed Online Shopping Behavior COVID-19 online shopping trends created a rapid shift in how consumers bought everyday products and how businesses reached their customers. While this article reflects the conditions of 2020, many of the eCommerce lessons around checkout, fulfillment, customer communication and payment costs remain useful for merchants today. Editor’s note: […]

BAMS featured image explaining Magento 1 end of life, including security exposure, PCI compliance risk and business disruption. What to do About Magento 1’s Upcoming End of Life
Read MoreWhat to do About Magento 1’s Upcoming End of Life

What Magento 1 End of Life Means for eCommerce Merchants Editor’s note: Magento 1 reached end of life on June 30, 2020. This article was originally written before that deadline. Any merchant still operating a Magento 1 store should treat migration and payment security as immediate priorities. On June 30th, 2020, Magento 1, one of […]

Clover POS Best Clover Apps for 2020 – Take Your Clover POS to the Next Level with these Plugins
Read MoreBest Clover Apps for 2020 – Take Your Clover POS to the Next Level with these Plugins

Take Your Clover POS Beyond Basic Payment Processing The best Clover apps can help merchants extend a POS system beyond payment acceptance. Depending on the app, businesses can add accounting automation, employee management, operational tools and other functions to their Clover setup. Clover is a popular POS system that provides both software and hardware solutions […]

BAMS featured image showing eCommerce payment processing with secure checkout, integrations, chargeback defense, reporting, transparent pricing and support. Why BAMS Is The Perfect Solution For Your E-commerce Business?
Read MoreWhy BAMS Is The Perfect Solution For Your E-commerce Business?

eCommerce Payment Processing Built for Online Businesses eCommerce payment processing plays an important role in the customer experience and daily operation of an online business. A complete solution should support checkout, payment security, reporting and the technology a merchant already uses. Over the past decade, the world of e-commerce business has completely transformed consumer purchasing […]

5-step framework for reducing credit card processing fees Merchant Services Optimization to Cut Hidden Fees
Read MoreMerchant Services Optimization to Cut Hidden Fees

A line-by-line guide to reading processor statements, calculating effective rates, and eliminating costly surprises Learn how to audit your payment processing statements, identify negotiable fees, and choose the right pricing model. This guide gives eCommerce managers a repeatable system for merchant services optimization that delivers predictable costs. TL;DR Know your effective rate – Total fees […]

Checklist of hidden merchant fees including effective rate, PCI fees, downgrade charges, and processor markups 10 Hidden Merchant Fees Your Processor Won’t Reveal
Read More10 Hidden Merchant Fees Your Processor Won’t Reveal

A monthly payment processor audit checklist that exposes the line items silently inflating your processing costs Discover the 10 most commonly obscured merchant fees draining your margins and learn how to run monthly audits that catch them. This tactical checklist helps eCommerce managers cut processing costs by up to 60%. TL;DR Hidden merchant fees inflate […]

Monthly payment processor audit checklist showing 9 key checkpoints including effective rate, downgrades, PCI fees, and chargeback monitoring Monthly Payment Processor Audits: 2025 Checklist
Read MoreMonthly Payment Processor Audits: 2025 Checklist

The specific statement checkpoints that catch hidden fee discrepancies before they drain your margins Learn the exact line items and fee categories to inspect each month so your merchant fee comparison reflects what you actually pay. Built for eCommerce teams processing $50K+ monthly. TL;DR Monthly audits beat annual reviews – A 30-minute monthly check of […]

Comparison of interchange-plus pricing and surcharge programs for eCommerce businesses Interchange Plus vs Surcharge eCommerce Comparison
Read MoreInterchange Plus vs Surcharge eCommerce Comparison

How each model affects your transaction costs, customer experience, and bottom line Learn which payment processing model fits your eCommerce business. This comparison breaks down fee transparency, customer impact, and true cost differences between interchange-plus and surcharge programs. TL;DR Interchange-plus pricing shows every fee component so you can see interchange, assessments, and processor markup separately. […]