BluePay Blog

We’ve written extensively about the sharing economy and how consumers increasingly prefer renting items instead of buying them outright.                   Uber is a prime example.  A close cousin of the sharing economy is the “experience economy” — a growing trend that also de-emphasizes “ownership.”  Instead, the focus is on experiences.  Just think about all the holiday gifts you’ve received over the years — from ugly sweaters to socks to hot new gadgets. Even the best “physical” presents in the world lose their luster over time.

Topics: Small Business Tips, Financial Institutions

Every year, YouTube compiles an ever-growing list of Black Friday montages in which crazed shoppers fight over heavily discounted items.  Most of the videos take place at big box stores, which is where large crowds tend to congregate. But Black Friday is a major cash cow for all retailers — big and small. In fact, more than 100 million people brave the madness (in-person) every year. That’s just on a single day.  Millions more go shopping on Small Business Saturday, generating $15-plus billion  in sales for local retailers.

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips, E-Commerce and Online Payments, Mobile Payments

2019 is the year that there will be more Gen Zers than millennials, according to research published by Bloomberg. According to the article, "Gen Z will comprise 32 percent of the global population of 7.7 billion in 2019, nudging ahead of millennials, who will account for a 31.5 percent share, based on Bloomberg Analysis of United Nations data, and using 2000/2001 as the generational split."

Topics: Mobile Payments, Payment Trends, Due.com Partner Posts, Small Business Tips

Baseball enthusiasts may disagree, but when you run the numbers, “retail therapy” is officially America’s favorite pastime. As a nation, we love going to the mall, window-shopping, and coming home with new gadgets and toys.  At least, this used to be the case.  In recent years, this time-honored tradition has evolved as retailers increasingly welcome a new breed of American consumer — one whose shopping preferences and technological knowhow are vastly different from anything we knew before. 

Topics: Payment Trends, Small Business Tips, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, E-Commerce and Online Payments, B2B, Mobile Payments, Payment Technology

Since American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010, it has grown in popularity with consumers around the country. Although there was a slight dip in spend from 2016 to 2017, the shopping holiday is recognized by 70 percent of U.S. consumers. Last Year's Recap American Express found that approximately 108 million consumers chose small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2017. It also included record support from communities, organizations, and businesses. There were 7,200 Neighborhood Champions, and 2.1 million small businesses that joined the Small Business Saturday Coalition.

Topics: Small Business Tips, E-Commerce and Online Payments, Mobile Payments, Due.com Partner Posts

The BluePay Blog is dedicated to providing you with useful information to help you understand payments, learn best business practices, or stay attuned to security concerns. We continually publish new content, averaging over 125 posts annually. We took a look at our blog to see which posts resonate with our visitors. Here is a list of our top 10 popular blog posts. If you haven’t read them yet, click on the links below.

Topics: Awareness, Getting Started with Payments, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Payment Technology, E-Commerce and Online Payments

If you’re a horror movie buff, October is the perfect time to binge watch some of your favorite films. That’s because in the days leading to Halloween, Netflix and the cable networks typically stuff their catalogs with plenty of blood, gore and the supernatural.  Even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, there are tons of horror movie business lessons you can glean from these ghoulish delights. 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Maybe you have noticed that holiday products are already appearing in online catalogs and store shelves. If you have been into Costco, Walmart, Target or other retailers, you may feel compelled to pick up some of the first products of the holiday season as you grab that Halloween candy. Those retailers clearly know something and now is the time to pay attention if you have an online or multi-channel retail business. You could be making extra sales right now by having your holiday promotions ready to launch. 

Topics: Small Business Tips, Due.com Partner Posts

Like professional sports, business is a never-ending struggle for one-upmanship. It doesn’t really matter if you have:  A first mover advantage or huge head start Plenty of resources and a large budget The best product or team in the world  Success (and profits) will always attract attention. Rivals will inevitably muscle in on your territory. And this assumes you’re starting out on top.

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

It seems like every week there’s a new high-profile data breach that dominates cybersecurity news headlines. Sometimes, these stories bleed into the mainstream as well.  In just the past few years alone, for example, you’ve probably heard about the following cyberattacks:   WannaCry and SamSam ransomware attacks Deloitte and Equifax data breaches Colorado Department of Transportation hack Facebook and Cambridge Analytica breach

Topics: Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention