The blog
Short, sourced answers to what business owners are searching for right now, timed to the seasons that squeeze cash and card fees.
By Business Funders editorial teamUpdated Oct 21, 2026
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- Oct 21, 2026American Express merchant services: how small businesses take Amex, and who sets the priceMost small businesses accept Amex through their regular processor under the OptBlue program, which American Express opens to businesses under $3 million a year in Amex sales. How it works and how your Amex rate gets set.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026The non-bank ATM surcharge settlement: what it means if there is an ATM in your storeThe $167.5 million Visa and Mastercard settlement pays cardholders who paid ATM fees at non-bank machines. What it means if you have an ATM in your store, which case covers ATM owners, and the fee notice rules you still follow.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Taking cards through your bank: what Chase and PNC merchant services publish, and what they leave outChase and PNC both publish 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person cards. What the rate leaves out, how the two compare on keyed and online payments, and the questions to ask your bank before you sign.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Holiday rush card fees: what peak volume costs a retail store, and what to check on the statement afterHow much retail card volume jumps in December, what each kind of holiday sale costs to process under Visa's published rates and flat-rate pricing, and the statement checks to run in January.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Payroll short in December: what to do, in order of costWhat to do when a December payroll comes up short: the options ranked by what they cost on a $20,000 gap, the two things you must never skip, and the New Jersey wage rules that make late pay expensive.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026The MySBA Loan Portal and your COVID EIDL: payments, payment help, and what it means for your next loanWhat the SBA Loan Portal is for, the 50% payment reduction the SBA offers COVID EIDL borrowers, what happens after 120 days late, and why a delinquent EIDL can block a new SBA loan.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Intuit credit card processing: what QuickBooks Payments really costs a small businessQuickBooks Payments charges 2.5% in person, 2.99% on invoices, 3.5% keyed and 1% by ACH. Here is what that means on a real month of sales, and where the extra fees hide.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026The $5,000 SBA small business grant: what is real, what is not, and where to look insteadThe SBA says it does not give grants to start or expand a business. What to make of $5,000 grant offers, how to spot a fake, and the real SBA and New Jersey options for small amounts of money.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Hazard insurance for an SBA loan: when you need it and what your policy must saySBA rules require hazard insurance on pledged collateral for 7(a) loans over $50,000. What the policy must cover, the clauses your lender will ask for, the two exceptions, and how flood and life insurance fit in.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026SBA business acquisition loan updates: what SOP 50 10 8.1 changed for buyers on October 1, 2026The SBA's new rulebook for 7(a) loans took effect October 1, 2026. For buyers: deals of $3 million or more now need a quality of earnings report, sellers can consult for up to 24 months, and the equity rules are spelled out by deal type.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Financing a snow plow before winter: a guide for New Jersey landscaping crewsHow New Jersey landscaping and snow removal crews finance plows, spreaders and trucks before the first storm: what a plow truck package costs to finance at published rates, sales tax, seasonal payments and the year-end deduction.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Tax season cash crunch in New Jersey: the early 2027 deadlines and how to cover the billThe federal and New Jersey business tax dates from January to April 2027, checked against IRS and NJ Division of Taxation publications, and what each way of covering a tax bill costs, from an IRS payment plan to a cash advance.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Covering a winter cash gap: merchant cash advance vs line of credit, dollar for dollarA $24,000 winter gap drawn December to February and repaid by May, priced side by side as a line of credit and a merchant cash advance, with what each one takes out of your account in the slow months.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Getting a New Jersey restaurant through January and February: cash and card fee movesHow far restaurant sales fall after the holidays, what January 2027 adds to a New Jersey restaurant's payroll, how each kind of funding behaves when sales drop, and the card fee checks worth doing before the slow months.Read the post
- Oct 21, 2026Buying equipment before December 31: Section 179 in 2026, and what financing changesThe 2026 Section 179 limits from the IRS, what placed in service by December 31 means, how financed equipment fits, and why New Jersey's own $25,000 cap matters for owners of pass-through businesses. General information, not tax advice.Read the post