The Dots Blog

Insights and updates from the Dots team.

Latest Post

Why OFAC Screening is Your Startup’s Non-Negotiable Shield Against Global Sanctions

Why OFAC Screening is Your Startup’s Non-Negotiable Shield Against Global Sanctions

Protect your startup from massive OFAC fines. Learn why automated sanctions screening is non-negotiable for secure global contractor payouts API and financial stability.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Read more

Why OFAC Screening is Your Startup’s Non-Negotiable Shield Against Global Sanctions

Protect your startup from massive OFAC fines. Learn why automated sanctions screening is non-negotiable for secure global contractor payouts API and financial stability.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Do Marketplace Payouts Work?

How do marketplace payouts work? Discover how a payouts API can simplify seller disbursements and automate tax processing. Read on to know more.

Simran Handa 2 min read

What are Global Payouts and How Can They Help Your Startup?

What is a global payouts API and how can it help scale your business? Eliminate errors and high fees while automating payouts. Read on to know more.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Why Your Global Strategy Needs Stripe Alternatives Built for Compliance

Discover one of the best Stripe alternatives and avoid costly compliance risk. Move from generalized payment processing with dedicated payout infrastructure.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Cross Border Payments Work to Avoid Costly Failure Fees

Did you know that you can get charged $15 - $20 for failed payouts? Learn how cross border payments work and how you can avoid these repair fees.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Real Time Payments Work and Why They are the Future of US Tax Form Disbursements

Discover how real time payments work and how they guarantee secure 1099 disbursements. Guarantee year-end tax compliance with an auditable, fast payouts system.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Why Automated Onboarding is the Critical First Step for Modern Marketplace Payment Solutions

Stop manual bottlenecks today. Discover why fast, automated onboarding is essential for all modern marketplace payment solutions. Book a demo today to know more.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Automate Reconciliations with an API for Payments

Still manually processing reconciliations for your global payouts? Discover how to automate this process with an API for payments and start saving resources.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Beyond P2P: What is an Alternative to PayPal?

Discover what is an alternative to PayPal for mass payouts. Start automating compliance, get faster process times and better reconciliation than P2P wallets.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Aries Tickets Automates Student Payouts (and Wins Back Hours) with Dots

See how Aries Tickets swapped nightly manual payouts for an automated payout API, saving hours, adding payment methods, and delighting student sellers.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Compliance 101: Which 1099 Form Should You Use for Contractors?

Confused which 1099 form to use for contractors? Here’s a quick guide on which form to use and discover how payouts API can help your business stay compliant.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Clicki Replaced Manual Venmos with Real-Time Payouts, Powered by Dots

How Clicki replaced hundreds of manual Venmos with Dots’ API to automate 2,000+ payouts each month, cut support tickets, and scale growth.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Learn how cross border payments work to significantly improve contractor payouts

Modern API Payouts: How Cross Border Payments Work

Delayed and unsafe contractor payouts? Learn how cross border payments work and how API payments can make the process fast and secure. Book a FREE demo today.

Simran Handa 2 min read

From Manual Work to Automation: How CRWD AI Streamlined Participant Payouts with Dots

Slow, manual focus-group payments? See how CRWD AI uses Dots to automate participant payouts and scale research operations faster.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Tipalti vs Dots: The Next Evolution of Global Payments Infrastructure

Dots replaces fragmented systems like Tipalti with one global platform for payouts and compliance across 190+ countries and 150+ currencies.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Paying Freelancers: Is it Better to Pay in Local Currency or USD?

When working with contractors, is it better to pay in local currency or USD? Find out which option builds trust and retains global talent.

Simran Handa 2 min read

AI in the Creator Stack: Where Does Technology Do Its Best Work?

At LA Tech Week, Dots hosted “AI in the Creator Stack,” featuring Locker, Beacons AI, Merazine, Stan, Superfiliate, and Hook & Anchor Media, all cutting through hype to reveal where AI truly creates value in the creator economy.

Simran Handa 2 min read

What are Cross Border Payments and Can You Pay with Crypto?

What are cross border payments? Discover the most efficient and advanced way to pay overseas contractors and freelancers. Book a demo today.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Inside Dots’ SF Tech Week Panel: The Future of Data Labeling and Human Context in AI

Dots hosted a panel at SF Tech Week featuring CloudFactory, HumanSignal, Samaya AI, TriFetch, and Waldium, exploring how humans, context, and alignment will define the future of data labeling.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Why Platforms Are Moving Beyond Stripe Connect: 6 Payout Gaps & What to Do

Outgrowing Stripe Connect? Dots unifies payouts, accounts payable, and compliance in 190+ countries, one infrastructure for all your global payments.

Simran Handa 2 min read
What are the Hidden Financial Drains When Paying International Contractors?

What are the Hidden Financial Drains When Paying International Contractors?

Are you paying too much on slow wire transfers? Learn the most compliant, cost-effective, and secure methods in paying international contractors.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Real-Time Validation and Anomaly Detection Secure Your Global Payouts

Don't let fraud jeopardize your finances. Discover how a secure global payments API can protect your international payouts and speed up payment processing.

Simran Handa 2 min read
1099s

How to Accurately Verify Contractor Bank and Tax Information

With help from Dots, discover how to accurately verify tax and bank information for contractors, preventing potential issues like fraud from occurring.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Case Studies

CookinGenie’s Secret Ingredient: Fast, Flexible Payouts Powered by Dots

Is your gig marketplace struggling with payment delays and 1099 forms? Learn how Dots helped CookinGenie reduce manual time, automate tax filing, and more.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Case Studies

Why Teams Switch to Dots

Are manual payouts and slow speeds impacting your growth? See why top teams switch to the Dots payouts platform to automate payments and simplify 1099s.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Contractors

What to Know About U.S. Tax Withholding for Foreign Contractors and Non-Residents

Navigating U.S. tax withholding for foreign contractors and non-residents? Learn key insights to ensure compliance and optimize financial processes here.

Simran Handa 2 min read
1099s

What to Know About 1099 Filing Penalties

Learn about the crucial aspects of 1099 filing penalties to ensure compliance and avoid financial repercussions. Stay informed with our comprehensive guide.

Simran Handa 2 min read
FAQ

What is IRS Form W-9? Everything You Need to Know

Discover IRS Form W-9: Your essential guide to this tax document, when to use it, and how to fill it out accurately. Get started with Dots today!

Simran Handa 2 min read
Esports

How Payouts APIs Can Prevent Prize Money Disputes in Esports

Explore the role of Payouts APIs in ensuring transparent and dispute-free distribution of prize money in esports tournaments.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Esports

Streamlining Tournament Operations: The Role of Payouts APIs in Esports

Explore how Payouts APIs revolutionize esports tournaments, ensuring seamless prize distribution, efficiency, and an enhanced gaming experience.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Payouts

How Automated Payouts Can Help Your Small Business

Are you a small business owner looking to streamline your operations? Automating your payouts is one way that you can boost efficiency. Learn more here.

Simran Handa 2 min read
API

How to Integrate Payouts APIs into Your Platform

Unlock seamless transactions by learning how to integrate Payouts APIs into your platform. A step-by-step guide for efficient financial operations.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Royalties

How Do Streaming Services Calculate & Distribute Royalties?

Streaming services are exceedingly popular in the music industry. With Dots, learn how to calculate and distribute royalties to effectively pay your artist.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Global Payments

The Future of Disbursements: Exploring Payouts APIs

Dive into the future of financial transactions with insights on Payouts APIs. Learn how APIs revolutionize disbursements for seamless, efficient processes.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Fraud

Fraud Trends in 2025: Paying Out Your Contractors

Learn key 2025 fraud trends in contractor payouts and how tools like Dots help protect your business from scams, theft, and platform manipulation.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Gig Economy

Can Your Business Benefit From Gig Workers?

Discover the advantages of integrating gig workers into your business model and how to leverage them effectively to grow your business.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Fraud

Top 3 Marketplace Fraud Schemes

Discover the top 3 marketplace fraud schemes harming buyers, sellers, & platforms. Learn how to prevent scams and protect your marketplace from fraud.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Fraud

From Sign-Up to Payout: Where Fraud Can Enter Your System

Discover how fraud enters your payout system from onboarding to execution and how Dots helps protect your business with built-in fraud prevention tools.

Simran Handa 2 min read

The Complete Guide to Fast, Secure Global Payouts for Businesses

Need a guide to fast, secure global payouts? Use a payouts API for instant transfers, multi-currency support, and full compliance. Read on to know more.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

Scale Your Global Payout Operations With Modern Infrastructure

How to simplify and scale global payouts? Use a unified payouts infrastructure API for multi-currency support, compliance, and automation. Talk to us today.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payouts

Most Common Types of Payout Fraud

Stay one step ahead, discover the six most common types of payout fraud & learn how Dots’ secure payout platform can protect your business & users.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Behind the Scenes of a Fraud Attempt: How Fraud Attempts Work

Behind the Scenes of a Fraud Attempt: How Fraud Attempts Work As technology advances and the world becomes more connected, fraud is an ever-growing concern. Fraudsters are not a new threat. However, these criminals are becoming more sophisticated, using stealthy tactics to defraud consumers and businesses. According to the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), a staggering 79 percent of companies were victims of payment fraud attacks and attempts in 2024. The Federal Trade Commission (

Simran Handa 2 min read

What are Interchange Fees and How Do They Work?

Learn about the intricacies of interchange fees in the payment card industry. Explore structure, rates, regulations, and more in this comprehensive guide.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Measuring Success: KPIs for Evaluating Payouts API Performance

Explore key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess and enhance the effectiveness of your Payouts API and learn how to optimize performance here.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How to Disburse Payments to Your Telehealth Doctors

With Dots, navigate compensating health practitioners to ensure smooth and fast payments in the telehealth industry, leading to happy physicians.

Simran Handa 2 min read

What to Look for in a Telehealth Payouts API

Explore key factors for choosing a Telehealth Payouts API to streamline and enhance payment processes for health care providers.

Simran Handa 2 min read

Strategies for Expanding Your Affiliate Marketing Network

Ready to scale your affiliate marketing network? Learn why businesses are utilizing payouts API for automation, multi-currency payments, and high-security.

Simran Handa 2 min read

How to Mitigate Payment Fraud

Skimming, phishing and triangulation are just a few ways fraudsters target people and businesses. With help from Dots learn how to mitigate fraud!

Simran Handa 2 min read

Everything You Need to Run a Successful Affiliate Program

Creating a Successful Affiliate Program Affiliate marketing is a multibillion-dollar industry poised to experience substantial growth over the next decade. The concept is nothing new; the earliest iteration of affiliate marketing goes back to 1989. However, the rise of the World Wide Web made it a compelling marketing tactic as e-commerce started gaining traction. Today, it's a huge part of modern digital marketing efforts. The latest surveys show that over 80 percent of brands use affiliate pr

Simran Handa 2 min read

Digital Wallets: What Are They and Why You Should Offer Them

Digital Wallets: What Are They and Why You Should Offer Them Digital wallets first entered the financial scene in the late '90s, but it wasn't until smartphones became a ubiquitous part of everyday life that they truly took off. The latest estimates say that over half of all consumers in the United States will use a digital wallet in 2024. Meanwhile, projections show that global adoption will surpass 5.2 billion users by the end of 2026. It's not hard to see why digital wallets are so popular.

Simran Handa 2 min read
How Empower Project Uses Dots to Reduce Payout Fraud
Case Studies

How Empower Project Uses Dots to Reduce Payout Fraud

How do you stop fraudulent payouts and protect donor funds? Empower Project used Dots Control for payout fraud management and cut fraud by over 50%. Here’s how.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

A Guide to Paying Your Creative Freelancers

Navigate the art of compensating creative freelancers with our comprehensive guide. Ensure smooth and fair payments in the creative industry.

Simran Handa 2 min read

What are Real-Time Payments?

Discover the ins and outs of real-time payments and how they revolutionize financial transactions. Stay updated with the latest in instant payments.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Blog

What is Know Your Business (KYB) and Its Relation to KYC?

The Ultimate Guide to Know Your Business (KYB) and How it Relates to Know Your Customer (KYC) We live in an increasingly globalized world where companies like yours can provide service, receive payments, send payouts, and more to consumers and corporate clients domestically and worldwide. While that's undoubtedly benefited businesses in countless ways, it's also created an ever-rising threat of fraud. One recent survey from the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) found that a staggeri

Simran Handa 2 min read

How Payouts APIs Improve the Freelance Creative Experience

Discover the transformative impact of Payouts APIs on freelance creatives, streamlining payments and enhancing the overall work experience.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Blog

Supporting Your Growing Business With a Payouts API

Need to simplify and scale payouts to support growth? Discover how integrating a payouts API can automate vendor, employee, and customer payments securely.

Simran Handa 2 min read
Blog

Boosting Efficiency with Payouts API for Vacation Rentals & Property Owners

Elevate your vacation rental business! Explore the benefits of Payouts API - faster, secure transactions for property owners. Streamline success now!

Simran Handa 2 min read
Payouts

Payouts API vs. Traditional Payment Methods

What is the Advantage of Using a Payouts API vs Traditional Payment Methods? Businesses in every industry handle countless transactions every month. Regardless of your company's size, your accounts payable needs are likely substantial. Mass payouts can be a nightmare, whether you're sending payouts to local influencers, global freelancers, or thousands of marketplace sellers. It's one of those facets of business that many leaders believe is unavoidable, with few options for improvement. Tradit

Simran Handa 2 min read
Payouts

How to Avoid Payout Failures

Avoiding Payout Failures: A Comprehensive Guide to Optimizing Payouts If your business is responsible for sending payouts en masse, ensuring every payment goes smoothly is important. Whether you're sending funds to gig workers, marketplace sellers, or contractors in another country, reliable payment systems can help you avoid chaos while keeping recipients happy. No matter what type of business you run, efficient online payments keep things running smoothly. Using a payouts API is a game-chang

Simran Handa 2 min read

5 Best Practices for Global Contractor Payment Compliance

Learn best practices for ensuring compliance when paying global contractors, from tax laws to payment methods and record-keeping.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

What to Know About Compensation in the Construction Industry

How do you attract top workers? Understand construction compensation, including hourly, project-based pay, and efficient global payouts keep you competitive.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Changelog

Changelog - Aug 26

Need cleaner accounting? Our latest changelog adds Quickbooks classes support and User IP tracking for better fraud protection. Read on to discover more.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Changelog

Changelog - Aug 9

What's new with the Dots Payouts API? The new changelog includes CSV idempotency keys to avoid double payouts, new app compliance features, and tax table fixes.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

What to Know About Gig Worker Classification

Navigating Gig Worker Classification: A Guide for Businesses An Overview Classifying gig workers accurately is essential for businesses. This guide provides insights into the factors influencing gig worker classification, the implications for both businesses and workers, and best practices for ensuring compliance. Check local, state, and federal laws for the most current information. What Factors Influence How Workers Are Classified? 1. Control and Independence One of the primary factors

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Class Action

The Role of Payouts APIs in Transforming Class Action Settlements

How Payouts APIs are Changing the Class Action Landscape Class action lawsuits are notoriously challenging. Not only do they often take years to litigate, but they're also more complex due to the number of plaintiffs involved. Lead plaintiffs represent an entire group of affected individuals, called class members. Larger class action lawsuits can have millions of individuals who submit claims. So when it comes time to distribute settlements, administrators have a seemingly impossible task ahea

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

What to Know About Compensation in the Construction Industry

How can you simplify paying your crew? Learn how a payouts API handles construction industry compensation efficiently and securely. Read on to know more.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

Best Practices for Integrating Payouts APIs into Mobile Apps

How to Integrate Payouts API with Mobile Apps Managing payouts for potentially thousands of mobile application users can be expensive and time-intensive. Improving operational workflows and establishing a more efficient way of sending mass payments is key to reducing costs and improving the bottom line. However, companies that operate marketplace sites, send funds to international gig workers, run affiliate programs, etc., must also provide a user-friendly gateway for payment recipients. Mobil

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

RTP vs FedNow: What's the Difference?

The Difference Between RTP and FedNow The rise of gig work and side hustles has paved the way to brand-new ways people can earn money, but it's also highlighted a glaring shortcoming in how people receive money: Lengthy payment processing times. As more and more people explore nontraditional ways to earn an income, the demand for instant payments continues to climb. Everyone, from independent contractors to marketplace sellers, wants ways to get paid on their time. Thankfully, the financial la

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Case Studies

Connecting the Dots: Groovetime

Groovetime uses the Dots API to push payments to creators who choreograph for dance challenge campaigns sponsored by record labels and artists.

Sahil Hasan 2 min read
Gig Economy

What to Know About the IRS Common Law Employee Test

Do you work with independent contractors? Navigate the IRS Common Law Employee Test, understand the key factors, and avoid misclassification penalties.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

What is the Difference Between a Contingent Worker and Contractor?

Are you working with freelancers and contract employees? Learn their differences and discover how you can pay them efficiently through global payouts.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payouts

Supporting Your Growing Business With a Payouts API

How to Support Your Business Payouts API Supporting your business with a Payouts API can be a transformative step towards efficiency, scalability, and enhanced customer satisfaction. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the nuances of leveraging a Payouts API and how to select the right payouts API provider. Get Started with Dots Today A Brief Overview A Payouts API, in its essence, is a powerful tool that facilitates the seamless transfer of funds from one entity to another. Whethe

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payment Processing

What is a Merchant Account?

The Ultimate Guide to Merchant Accounts Navigating the complex world of financial transactions in the business landscape requires a fundamental understanding of merchant accounts. As a business owner, having a reliable and secure means to accept payments is paramount to success. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the intricacies of merchant accounts, from their definition and types to providers, functionality, benefits, associated fees, and tips for choosing the right provider for your

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payment Processing

Strategies for Reducing Credit Card Processing Costs

Are you paying too much on credit card fees? Reduce credit card processing costs and reallocate financial resources in growing your business. Here’s how.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

How to Ensure Your Credit Card Processing is Secure

How can you secure credit card processing? Our guide shares how you can leverage tokenization, implement PCI DSS compliance, and more. Read on to know more.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

How to Automate Your Accounting Process

Tired of slow, manual accounting tasks? Learn how to automate your accounting process for enhanced efficiency, real-time reporting, and better data accuracy.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

The Risks of Manual Payouts and Why Automation is the Solution

Is your business exposed to risks from manual payments? Find out why automated payouts are the best way to secure your finances and boost efficiency.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payouts

The Impact of Automated Payouts on Employee Retention and Satisfaction

Is your team unhappy with traditional payouts? Learn how automated payouts boost employee retention through speed, flexibility, and financial wellness.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

Navigating the Complex World of Credit Card Processing Regulations

Credit Card Processing Rules and Regulations: What to Know Understanding credit card processing rules and regulations is crucial for businesses that handle payment transactions. Compliance with these standards not only ensures a secure and trustworthy payment environment for customers but also protects businesses from legal repercussions. In this blog post, we'll provide an overview of the key credit card processing rules and regulations, covering essential aspects such as PCI DSS, GDPR, AML, K

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

Understanding Form 1099-K

Form 1099-K: A Comprehensive Guide These days, people are finding unique ways to make money. Thanks to technology, opening up a business from home or making extra money as a side hustle is easier than ever. The gig economy is booming and shows no signs of slowing down. As a result, more people earn an income outside standard nine-to-five jobs. While that benefits individuals and small businesses, it can create confusion when tax season rolls around. If you're a small business owner or part of

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

Tips for Automating Your Payment Processing

Automation continues to change nearly every industry. As technology improves and organizations invest in digital transformation, businesses of all sizes are finding new ways to make standard operations more efficient than before. When most people think of automation, they picture high-tech machines simplifying industrial workflows. However, automation software can be a game-changer for many modern businesses both online and offline. The best example is a payments automation platform. Your compa

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Blog

The Ultimate Guide to Merchant Accounts

Navigating the complex world of financial transactions in the business landscape requires a fundamental understanding of merchant accounts. As a business owner, having a reliable and secure means to accept payments is paramount to success. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the intricacies of merchant accounts, from their definition and types to providers, functionality, benefits, associated fees, and tips for choosing the right provider for your business. Get Started with Dots Today

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

Filing Form 1099-MISC: What You Need to Know

Businesses have a mountain of paperwork to file when preparing their taxes. While employee tax obligations are relatively straightforward, what if you work with freelancers and independent contractors? Self-employed individuals aren't full-time staff employees, so they're exempt from income tax withholding. Because you're not their official employer, you don't have to pay for Medicare and the Social Security Administration taxes. Contractors take care of that with self-employment taxes. But jus

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read

Documents You Need When Hiring an Independent Contractor

Independent contractors have a lot to offer businesses, big and small. They can help companies meet long- and short-term goals while giving organizations a cost-effective solution for bringing in new talent. More and more businesses are turning to contractors to fulfill roles they may not need on a full-time employee basis. For example, contractors often work on specific projects or cover seasonal staffing issues. With independent contractors around the world offering their skills, it's also a

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payouts

What is the Difference Between Real-Time Payments (RTP) and Automated Clearing House (ACH)?

Modern banking is more efficient and versatile than ever before. These days, you have numerous options for sending and receiving money. With a payouts API like Dots, you're no longer limited to just one rail when you need to send payments to contractors, marketplace sellers, affiliates, etc. While traditional debit cards and mobile payment services are widely used, electronic money transfer protocols reign supreme. Businesses looking to pay contractors often choose to make ACH or RTP payments.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
1099s

Remaining Tax Compliant When Employing 1099 Workers

If you’re a business that employs freelancers and independent contractors, it’s essential to stay tax compliant. Improperly classifying employees or failing to file the correct tax documents can lead to hefty fines and penalties. To stay compliant, you need to understand your obligations as an employer and ensure you’re following the relevant state and federal laws for 1099 workers. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with a guide to staying tax compliant when paying your contractors. If you’r

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Payment Processing

How Your E-commerce Business Can Benefit From Multiple Payment Options

If you’re an e-commerce business, it makes sense to make the checkout process as simple and seamless as possible for your customers. This means making the process intuitive, but it also means offering multiple payment gateways. Online businesses can benefit from multiple payment options in numerous ways. Whether you want to improve the customer experience or increase revenue, multiple payment options may be your solution. In this blog post, we’ll be taking a closer look at these benefits and tal

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
An Online Business Owner’s Guide to Different Payment Methods - Dots
Payment Processing

An Online Business Owner’s Guide to Different Payment Methods

There are more digital payment methods available to consumers than ever. If you’re an online business owner, it benefits you to offer multiple payment methods to your customers. It gives them more flexibility and options with how they pay, creating less friction in the checkout process. Less friction means more conversions and more revenue and for you. While it can sometimes be complex to implement these payment methods into your current payment infrastructure, the positive impact is worth the e

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Protect Your E-commerce Business From Online Fraud - Dots
Fraud

How to Protect Your E-commerce Business From Online Fraud

Online fraud is a major challenge for e-commerce businesses. It can cost you money and put your customers’ sensitive data at risk. E-commerce businesses owners need to be proactive to prevent online frauds and take the necessary precautions to protect their customers. In this blog, we’ll be diving into the different types of online fraud and how you can reduce your risk. Read on to learn more or click below to schedule a demo with the Dots payment API. Book a Demo with Dots Common Tactics Sc

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
The Ultimate Guide to E-commerce Payment Processing - Dots
Payment Processing

The Ultimate Guide to E-commerce Payment Processing

E-commerce business owners can increase sales and conversions with a streamlined and versatile payment process. If you’re looking to improve your payment processes for your business, this guide can help. In this ultimate guide to e-commerce payment processing, we’ll give you all the information you need to improve your payment infrastructure. We’ll be going over the different types of payment processing, security, international payments, the most popular payment processors and more. By the end o

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Steps for Onboarding a 1099 Contractor - Dots
1099s

Steps for Onboarding a 1099 Contractor

Are you a business that needs to onboard 1099 contractors? This can be a tricky process, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this blog, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to successfully onboard 1099 contractors as efficiently and effectively as possible. Onboarding requires proper compliance, understanding of 1099 contractors and more, but we’ll cover everything you need to know. Ready to learn more? Read on or schedule a demo with Dots to automate compliance and tax reporti

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What is an IBAN and How Do They Work? - Dots
Payouts

What is an International Bank Account Number and How Do They Work?

If you’ve transferred money internationally, you may have heard of IBANs. IBANs, or International Bank Account Numbers, are used worldwide for international and sometimes domestic transactions. But what exactly are these numbers and how do they work? In this post, we’ll be discussing everything you need to know about IBANs. Read on to learn more or schedule a demo with Dots to learn how you can improve your international payout process. Book a Demo with Dots A Quick Overview An IBAN (Intern

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
TeachMe.To Website Screenshot.
Case Studies

Connecting the Dots: TeachMe.To

With Dots, processing payments is 2 to 3 times quicker than with Stripe. This task used to take half of a day when I was using Stripe, and now it normally takes about an hour each day. It’s a meaningful change for us to reclaim that bandwidth. Zach Schmid, Head of Operations, TeachMe.To TeachMe.To is a rapidly growing coaching marketplace that matches students with their perfect coach. TeachMe.To provides their instructors with a business-in-a-box solution, providing access to customer

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
The Digitalization of Global Payments - Dots
Global Payments

The Shift Towards Digital Global Payments

The world has drastically shifted toward digital payments over the last decades. As the years have passed, digital payment technology has only become more flexible, secure, and cost-effective. This shift has made it much easier for businesses of all sizes to go global, accepting payments from all around the world and scaling like never before. Some of the benefits of digital global payments are immediately obvious – they allow companies to reach more customers. Some of the benefits are more sub

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Everything E-commerce Business Owners Need to Know About Form 1099-MISC - Dots
1099s

Everything E-commerce Business Owners Need to Know About Form 1099-MISC

If you’re an e-commerce business owner, you need to know about Form 1099-MISC. More importantly, you also need to be aware of the differences between 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. While you may have used 1099-MISC in the past for certain payouts, you’ll likely need to file 1099-NEC forms instead depending on your business. Taxes can be complicated and dealing with these forms is never an enjoyable process, but it’s important to understand how to file these properly. We’ve put together an ultimate gui

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Distribute eSports Prize Payments - Dots
Esports

How to Distribute eSports Prize Payments

Organizing a video game tournament is already a time-consuming and resource-intensive task. There are anti-cheat measures to consider, roster management, and much more. But perhaps one of the most difficult factors to manage is distributing eSports prize payments. Handling entry fees and payouts for entrants is an essential part of the process, but it can become complex quickly. It’s a lot of responsibility for an organizer to handle these payouts and it can quickly become overwhelming.There ar

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Automatically Pay International Contractors - Dots
Contractors

Ways to Pay International Employees and Foreign Contractors With an API

Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to broaden your business horizons and operate on a more global scale. The days of being limited to independent contractors and freelancers in your area are over. Collaborators with the specific skills and unique perspectives you want are only a few clicks away. But one obstacle still prevents many companies from tapping into the international workforce: processing payments. Paying international contractors can get complicated faster than it takes for

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Ways to Quickly Pay Your Contractors - Dots
Contractors

How to Easily Pay Your Freelancers and Independent Contractors

Business owners need to pay freelancers and independent contractors differently than they pay their employees. Creating a separate process for paying non-employees can be a hassle, especially if you work with a lot of contractors. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Dots provides a hassle-free and frictionless way to pay out your independent contractors and freelancers, no matter where they are. Wondering what ways there are to pay these non-employees? You have several options, with

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What to Know About Staying Compliant With 1099 Workers - Dots
1099s

Compliance for Independent Contractors and 1099 Workers: What to Know

Confused about 1099 compliance? Get the full guide on properly classifying contractors, the 3 IRS criteria, and how to file W-9 and 1099-NEC forms.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Screenshot of the Collabstr website.
Case Studies

Connecting the Dots: Collabstr

Starting out, our biggest limitation was what we were previously using–Stripe Connect. We kept running into roadblock after roadblock. Initially, it was fine, as we were just using it for basic use cases, but once we needed more flexibility, that's when we were banging our heads against the wall. Since integrating with Dots, we've been able to increase our signup rates exponentially. More specifically, Dots integration has increased our creator signup conversion rate by 31% for a few reason

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What Does the INFORM Consumer Act Mean for Marketplaces? - Dots
Marketplace

What Marketplaces Need to Know About the INFORM Consumer Act

A new law is fighting online fraud. Is your marketplace ready for the INFORM Consumers Act? Read our guide and know how to stay compliant and avoid huge fines.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Streamline Your Payment Infrastructure - Dots
Payment Processing

Tips for Streamlining Your Payment Processes

Every business can benefit from streamlining its payment infrastructure. However, restructuring your payment processes and workflows can be difficult and time-consuming. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the Dots API, you can make your payment processes more efficient and save time while also making sure your payout infrastructure is more secure and reliable. Not only can businesses reap huge rewards by streamlining financial transactions, but it can also greatly simplify your customer an

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Logs on a truck in a lumber yard.
Case Studies

Connecting the Dots: Forward Forestry

Struggling with traditional payouts? Learn how Dots modernized Forward Forestry’s payments with instant ACH payouts, seamless contractor onboarding, and more.

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What is a W-8BEN Form?
Compliance

What Is Form W-8BEN?

A Brief Overview Many employers have international workforces, allowing them to get skilled employees from around the globe. Not only does this open up the talent pool, but it can also help you enter new markets and grow your business. W-8BEN Forms are a critical part of hiring foreign employees and contractors. These forms are important to make sure their country of residence is certified and in line with tax regulations. It’s important for both employers and employees to have their taxes pro

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How Do ACH Payments Work?
Payouts

What Are ACH Transactions And How Do They Work?

An Overview Banking is much faster and more efficient in the modern era. Rather than dealing with cash transactions or transactions through checks and cards, you can now transfer money electronically through ACH, also known as the Automated Clearing House The ACH network has been in operation for decades now, and it’s easily one of the safest and most convenient methods of transferring money. The ACH network can also be used internationally, making it easy to transfer money worldwide, all with

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What is the Difference Between Wire Transfers and ACH Payments?
Payouts

ACH Payments vs Wire Transfers: What’s the Difference?

An Overview Technology has made it much easier for individuals and businesses to exchange funds. Sending money online is more convenient and affordable than ever, with various methods to do so. Some of the most common methods are ACH payments and wire transfers. While the two methods seem similar, they do have multiple differences. Both methods allow you to send money directly from a bank account, but the method, cost, speed, and availability differ. In today’s guide, we’ll walk you through th

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Monetize Your Online Marketplace - Dots
Marketplace

Monetization Strategies For Your Online Marketplace

Implementing a Good Strategy Online marketplaces are a multibillion-dollar industry, with many businesses getting their piece of the pie. However, to get the biggest share possible you need to have the right monetization strategy in place. The question is, which monetization strategy should you use? The common strategies all have their pros and cons, and there is no “right” answer. The answer will depend on your user base, your industry and what the marketplace is used for. In this blog, we’ll

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Athletes on Vantage Sports.
Case Studies

Connecting The Dots: Vantage Sports

The biggest value for us has been organization and time. We've really been able to streamline the service and easily manage our high frequency of low volume transactions. We have a lot of coaches, who are our contractors and used Venmo to pay them out previously, which was free, but inconvenient to keep track of all their handles. And when some people didn't have Venmo, we needed to use CashApp, and when some people didn't have either, I needed to resort to something else. But Dots brought ev

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
The Important of Paying Your Contractors on Time - Dots
Payouts

Why Paying Your Contractors On Time is So Important

An Overview Many businesses outsource tasks to freelancers and contractors. This can help organizations get more work done and save money for specialized tasks that don’t require full-time employees. However, just because they don’t work at your company doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be paid in a timely manner. Some organizations will try to pay contractors in a way that is beneficial for their cash flow and accounts payable, but this often hurts contractors. You have to consider the way contract

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
The Best Global Payment Methods - Dots
Global Payments

The Best Methods for International Payments

An Overview Accepting payments is essential for any business and with globalization more widespread than ever, accepting international payments is becoming just as important. However, there are numerous different methods for sending and receiving global payments. These methods each come with their own set of pros and cons, and the right method often depends on the situation. If you’re a business that sends or receives international payments, you need to decide which payment methods to offer. W

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Who is Dots and How Do We Protect Your Privacy? - Dots
Blog

Dots Payouts API: What is it and How is Your Privacy Protected?

Security Is Our Top Priority The Dots payouts API makes it easy to send and receive payments on numerous payment platforms. Privacy and data security are top priorities for any business. With Dots, you can trust that our API makes sure customer and contractor data is safe, protected and compliant with the highest security and privacy standards. Learn more about the Dots API and how we protect the privacy of our users. Get Started with Dots Today A Brief Overview First, a brief overview of

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Case Studies

Connecting The Dots: Table22

Before Dots, we used a combination of different services – ACH transfers, a lot of Venmo and Cash App. Cash App was important for us, because we're trying to meet our contractors, delivery drivers, where they are and Cash App is the method of payment that many of them are used to. Transaction fees, in that case, were not insignificant with 3% per transaction at a minimum and it required a lot of time and energy to manually manage payments, largely on phones by relying on one or two different

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Changelog 05 - Dots
Changelog

Dots Update: Enjoy Instant Bank Transfers with RTP

Instant Bank Transfers with RTP Dots now supports and defaults to instant bank transfers over the Real Time Payments rail wherever possible. RTP is supported by most large financial institutions and has coverage over a majority of bank accounts. Instant bank transfers over RTP will be automatic for a payee once we have their SSN, Date of Birth, and address on file. ID Verification with Persona After many requests, we've added ID verification through Persona as an optional flow step that yo

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
What is the Cost of Influencer Marketing? - Dots
Blog

What Is the Cost of Influencer Marketing?

An Overview A few decades ago, the concept of influencer marketing was nonexistent. The closest thing we had to influencers before the mid-2000s was movie stars and musical artists, and getting their endorsements wasn’t cheap. That all changed when social media blew up. Now, popular content creators are getting the attention of millions of adoring fans worldwide — just by being themselves and producing easy-to-digest content on social media! There’s something inherently down-to-earth about peop

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Changelog 04 - Dots
Changelog

Dots API V2 Updates: User Management, Transfers, and Endpoints

Dots API V2 Our API recently turned a year old and in the past 12 months we have received a lot of great feedback from our customers. After a few months of design and development, we are happy to release V2 of the Dots API. V2 improvements focus on improving the user creation and connection process, introducing transfers, and standardizing our endpoints. Read the Docs User Creation Improvements In V1 of the API, we would return a verification_id when the user was first created. This id c

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How Long Do Global Wire Transfers Take? - Dots
Blog

How Long Do Global Wire Transfers Take?

Managing Your Payments Are there people outside of the United States you need to pay? With increasing numbers of companies working with global partners and contractors, international payments are more common than most realize. While there are many ways to perform these transactions, one of the most common methods is to do a wire transfer. Wire transfers let you move money from one bank to the next without taking out cash or writing a check. They’re pretty efficient when done domestically, but w

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
How to Pay International Contractors - Dots
Blog

Ways to Pay International Employees and Foreign Contractors With an API

Streamline Your Payments Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to broaden your business horizons and operate on a more global scale. The days of being limited to independent contractors and freelancers in your area are over. Collaborators with the specific skills and unique perspectives you want are only a few clicks away. But one obstacle still prevents many companies from tapping into the international workforce: processing payments. Paying international contractors can get complicat

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Comedian at a Don't Tell Comedy Show.
Blog

Connecting the Dots: Don't Tell Comedy

Before Dots, we had to pay a lump sum to every producer and make sure they would would divvy the comedians' payouts on their end. The process was super manual, untrackable and made collecting 1099 information really hard. Dots let us give money to comedians directly. We love Dots so much we're trying to add it to more stuff! They're incredibly responsive and add requested features quickly. Brett Kushner, Don't Tell Comedy COO Don't Tell Comedy has built a network of independent comedy

Sahil Hasan 2 min read
Screenshots of Dots Flows on a Phone Sized Screen.
Changelog

Dots Flows: Simplified Onboarding and Payout Setup

Flows Save months of development time by implementing Dots Flows. Flows handle complex tasks like onboarding, collecting tax information and saving payout information. Flows consist of various steps that can be chained together to create your desired flow. For example, onboard users by having them them fill out their SSN, address and date of birth, then have them connect their bank account through Plaid. Once onboarded, payouts can be made through the API or pre-authenticated flows with just t

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Dots Logo
Changelog

Dots Update: Custom Logo Support for Payout Links and iFrames

Custom Logo Support Payout Links and Payout iFrames can now be customized with your logo which can be uploaded on the Settings page. More customization options will be added in over the coming weeks. Fixes and Improvements * Fixed the dropdown button on all tables * Added EIN formatting validation to request access flow * Enabled RTP for certain payouts * Added tracking for RTP and certain ACH transfers * Improved sign up flow for existing users * Added multi-application support * I

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Screenshot of the Dots Payee Dashboard.
Changelog

Payout Requests Made Easy with the New Payee Dashboard

Payee Dashboard We're launching a new payee dashboard at my.dots.dev. Currently this new dashboard allows all of Dots' payees to view their transactions histories and create Payout Requests as detailed below. Soon, this dashboard will also allow the management of a payee's connected accounts and other profile settings. Payout Requests Payout Requests allow you to send a dedicated link to your contractors, employees and even interns allowing them to submit a request for payment. This can be

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Dots and YCombinator Logo
Blog

3 lessons from YC batch that are more applicable than ever

💵Dots was part of the YC S21 batch. We built a developer-friendly API that lets businesses pay their contractors through just a few lines of code. Dots' manages the entire process: information collection (KYC), payments through any rail (ACH, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, international, and many more to come), and even filing tax forms. Earlier this week, news broke of a Y Combinator letter sent out to all founders of YC companies. The contents of the letter went on to spark some debate on how much Y

Sahil Hasan 2 min read
Screenshot of the Dots Dashboard.
Changelog

Just Launched: Dashboard

Dots is excited to announce our new and improved Dashboard! While we push new features into production at Dots near daily, delighting our customers is truly our core KPI. So we've rolled out some highly requested features, all with a more beautiful experience. 📈Dashboard Features: - Insights into your payouts - Direct views into User and Transaction Data - Manual Payout Generator - API key and App Setting management - more to come :) Insights Our dashboard lets Dots' customers get valuable

Sahil Hasan 2 min read
Screenshot of a Dots Payout Link.
Blog

Just Launched: Payout Links

The new Payout Links feature allows for payment between two parties with just a few clicks and no code necessary. Simply exchange a link and you can enable payout quickly and seamlessly. This link can be generated through the Dots API or through a dashboard. Payments can be sent and received using Dots’ integrated ledger and wallet system. Customers can choose to send or withdraw funds in a multitude of ways (payouts to Venmo, Paypal, CashApp, and many more), easily accessible from the Dots App

Kartikye Mittal 2 min read
Screenshot of the Zappy website.
Blog

Connecting the Dots: Zappy

Implementing Dots even allowed our product to grow over 100% month over month!

Sahil Hasan 2 min read