Chase Bank has some of the best lending rates in the country. Those elite rates are available mostly to an elite clientele. Still, if you have a stable, profitable business and/or a stellar credit rating, it’s not a bad idea to talk to your local Chase Bank loan officer to see if you could qualify.

Paying for purchases has become a lot more complicated in the modern world than it used to be. In this article, we’ll review the various payment methods you’ll want to be able to accept as well as explain how those payment methods are processed so that you can receive your money.

Credit card associations, like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, charge fees for their services every time a credit card is used. If you take credit cards, then card association fees are a necessary evil, since these fees comprise a part of wholesale fees you have to pay in order to take credit card payments. Here’s everything small businesses need to know about card brand fees.

Is there anything you can do to get your funds from your payment processor more quickly? Yes, but if you think being able to accept credit cards instantly means you’ll get paid instantly, it’s time to think again.

So many processing companies offer Clover POS products that trying to wade through them and pick one can seem very daunting. We’ve put together a list of the best and worst companies so you know what to look for — and beware of!

As with so many other merchant services providers, Payroc has a few nice features, such as a robust lineup of products and services, including EMV-compliant mobile processing solutions. At the same time, it still includes a very lengthy contract term. Its hefty early termination fee has generated significant criticism among merchants.

Epos Now is a budget-friendly, user-friendly point of sale solution, but it has some shortcomings — such as requiring an additional paid plan for technical support and inconsistent customer service. See if the system might be a good fit for you!

KORONA POS is a good POS solution, though I still see room for growth. In the future, I’d particularly like to see continued improvement in inventory management features and a native online ordering platform. It would also be nice to see a wider selection of pre-built integrations.

Rapid Finance (formerly Rapid Advance) is an alternative small business funder. It offers merchant cash advances (MCAs) and short-term business loans to small businesses seeking short-term funding. Unlike many of its competitors, it provides a number of variations on the typical MCA, leading to a slightly longer application process but also better rates in many cases.

If you don’t understand basis points or the other aspects affecting your credit card processing rates, do some research or ask someone to explain it to you. If your processor can’t do that, you probably want to start looking for a new one. You can start by checking out our top-rated credit card processors for small businesses.