by Dean Sheaffer | Oct 22, 2026 | 2026 Q4, Cost Optimization, Operations
Before You Sign That Payments Contract, Read These 10 Clauses The rate looks great. The salesperson is persuasive. The new POS system promises to simplify your business. So what could go wrong? Plenty. For small and midsize businesses (SMBs), choosing a payment...
by Dean Sheaffer | Sep 3, 2026 | 2026 Q3, Cost Optimization, Operations
What Every Merchant Should Know Before Offering Buy Now, Pay Later For years, merchants have been told that Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) can be a powerful way to increase sales. The pitch is compelling: give customers the ability to split a purchase into manageable...
by Dean Sheaffer | Jul 30, 2026 | 2026 Q3, Cost Optimization, Operations
Five Payment Metrics Every Small Business Should Track (Hint: It’s Not Just Processing Fees) Ask most small business owners about how they measure their payment performance and they’ll likely tell you how much they paid in processing fees last month....
by Dean Sheaffer | Jul 19, 2026 | 2026 Q3, Cost Optimization, Legal, Operations
Surcharging Isn’t a Silver Bullet—It’s a Legal Minefield As margins tighten, more SMBs are turning to surcharging to offset card acceptance costs. On paper, it’s simple: Pass the fee to the customer. In practice, it’s anything but. Why Surcharging Is Surging Card...
by Dean Sheaffer | Jul 9, 2026 | 2026 Q3, Cost Optimization, Operations
The Hidden Revenue Leak: How SMBs Are Losing 5–15% to Avoidable Payment Declines Most SMBs obsess over getting customers to click “pay”. Far fewer pay attention to what happens after that click. That’s a mistake—because one of the largest, most fixable revenue leaks...
