#payments
Manage payment processing, tracking, and reconciliation efficiently
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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act repealed the $600 1099-K threshold in July 2025 and restored the original $20,000-and-200-transaction federal rule, easing paperwork for casual sellers and gig workers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 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.
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.
A four-stage dunning ladder, the signals hidden in customer replies, and operational rules that turn overdue B2B invoices into reliably collected cash.
Copy and adapt invoice email templates for payment requests, reminders, overdue follow-ups and recurring billing, plus a post-payment thank-you example.
