The Dots Blog

UGC is only going to keep getting bigger because online marketing is not going away and everyone is on their phones. However, it may become harder to break in, not because the opportunity disappears, but because more people are already doing it. Here's how to stand out.

Every time a customer checks out on your site, the money lands in your account and you owe a percentage to the seller. A stripe connect alternative or any solid marketplace payment API divides that transaction automatically so you never touch a manual transfer form again. Most operators realize too late that standard processors only handle the buyer side, leaving you to settle up and pay vendors on your own. This guide covers how split payment architecture works, what compliance checks you need,

You've approved three creator deals this quarter and each one cost a totally different amount per thousand followers. That inconsistency isn't random. Influencer payment depends on content format, usage rights, exclusivity, and timing as much as audience size. Here's how to calculate what you should actually pay in 2026 without getting burned. TLDR: * Nano creators charge $10 to $100 per post; mid-tier rates hit $500 to $5k based on niche and engagement. * Stories drive 89% of payouts while

Paying freelancers in ten different countries means ten different banking requirements, currency conversions, and compliance checks. Most companies start with Stripe payout api setups and quickly hit walls around local payment methods or hidden FX spreads. We're showing you how global payout infrastructure actually works, from identity verification to final settlement, so you can cut friction and speed up transfers without absorbing unexpected costs. TLDR: * Global payouts route funds to cont

Everyone tells you to collect a W-9 before paying contractors, but nobody explains what happens if you skip it. When you're working out how to pay independent contractors online, missing paperwork creates backup withholding headaches and potential fines that exceed the original payment amount. We'll show you exactly which documents to request, how to structure payment terms, and which methods keep both you and your contractors happy. TLDR: * You must collect Form W-9 and verify TIN before pay

You need to send your W-9 to a new client today, but you're stuck on whether to check the LLC box or the Individual box. Your single-member LLC sits in a weird tax category where the IRS ignores your business structure for income reporting. That means the form requires a specific combination of boxes and names that isn't obvious at first glance. Let's break down each line so you can submit accurate paperwork and avoid payment delays. TLDR: * Single-member LLCs default to disregarded entity st

Contractors make up 36% of the U.S. workforce right now, so chances are you're paying at least a few. The problem? Handling payroll for 1099 employees isn't as simple as cutting a check. You need signed W-9s, you're tracking payment totals against that $600 IRS threshold, and you're filing different forms on tighter deadlines. Mess up the classification test and you'll face back taxes and penalties. Here's the complete process from onboarding to filing. TLDR: * 1099 contractors control their

Your current setup for expert network payments probably involves multiple platforms, manual tax workflows, and angry emails from consultants waiting days for their transfers. The right payment system should handle thousands of global payouts instantly while automating the compliance work that's currently crushing your team. We tested the top platforms against what actually matters for research panels: transfer speed, global reach, tax automation, and how many support tickets you'll need to handl

Are your global payments slowed down by high fees and manual processing? Streamline your ops and scale your business with global digital payments. Here’s how.

Does manual payout processing drain your team's resources and increase error rates? Discover how a payments api can bridge the efficiency gap.

Are manual accounting and high fees from global transactions slowing your business? Learn about agentic flow and how it can bridge the gap in your payment logic.

Struggling with the logistics of high-volume, low-value creator payments? Learn how to automate micro-payouts for global micro-influencers and nano-affiliates.

Worried about the double-click error? Learn how programmable safety and API metadata prevent costly double payout errors in global transactions.

Are rising credit card fees and payment delays stalling your business growth? Learn how the rise of pay by bank technology offers a faster, more cost-effective alternative for the creator economy.

You send a wire to your freelancer in Kenya, and three days later they're still asking when the money will arrive. Meanwhile, you're out $45 in transfer fees for a $500 payment. Global freelancer payouts using local payment methods eliminate that friction by connecting directly to mobile money networks and digital wallets your contractors actually use. We ranked the platforms that make this work across 100+ countries so you can stop throwing money at outdated banking systems. TLDR: * Local pa

Most mass payment platforms were designed for paying freelancers and vendors, not research participants who need instant access to incentives in their local currency. If you're still manually entering payout details for every respondent or limiting your studies to US-only participants because international payments are too complex, you need a system built for survey distribution. We ranked six platforms on the criteria that matter for research teams: payout speed, global rails, and how quickly y

Your grant program just approved funding for 150 organizations, and now you're staring at a spreadsheet of international bank details. Processing each wire manually means three-day settlement windows, currency markup fees, and constant email updates. Nonprofit payment platforms replace that process with automated disbursements that settle in seconds across 190 countries. Here's how the leading tools compare on speed, tax handling, and global reach. TLDR: * Modern grant platforms cut manual wo

You're manually verifying contractor details, tracking down tax forms, and double-checking sanctions lists before releasing payments. OFAC screening and automated tax tools consolidate all of that into a single system so you stop juggling portals and spreadsheets. We reviewed the leading platforms based on real-time compliance checks, IRS integration, and how quickly they approve payees. Our breakdown shows which solutions actually deliver on automation and which ones still require manual interv

Are you struggling to find qualified CPAs? Learn how global mass payments automation solves the 2026 accounting talent shortage and empowers lean finance teams.

Are manual month-end closes delaying your financial visibility? Learn how real-time reconciliation via API-driven ledgers eliminates the accounting lag.

Are stagnant pre-funded accounts draining your company's potential? Discover how just-in-time funding optimizes working capital and extends your runway.

What are adaptive payments and how can they reduce your overhead? Explore how dynamic routing chooses the best payment rail to lower costs and boost efficiency.

Are payout redirects hurting your contractor retention? Learn how a white label wallet integrates native payments to build trust and eliminate friction in your platform.

Does regional bank downtime cause your global payments to fail? Learn how intelligent payment routing bypasses last-mile failures to ensure reliable payments.

Sending global payments without automation costs you time and margin on every transaction. Vendor payment systems that support real multi-currency routing let you pay suppliers in their local currency, dodge conversion markups, and skip the regional banking mess. We ranked the solutions that actually deliver instant settlement across the rails your payees prefer. TLDR: * Automated AP systems cut manual data entry and speed multi-currency vendor payments * We ranked solutions on rail coverage

When was the last time you mailed a check to settle a claim? Probably never, because your claims processing workflow moved on. The problem is your payout system didn't. Most carriers are stuck with ACH rails that take 3-5 days while claimants expect instant deposits to their mobile wallets or debit cards. We tested six platforms to find which ones give you real-time settlement payments without piling on extra fees or forcing you to manage regional payment logic across dozens of countries. TLDR:

When your drivers can cash out instantly on DoorDash but have to wait until Friday for their pay, retention becomes an uphill battle. Instant payouts aren't a nice-to-have anymore; they're table stakes in delivery and ride-sharing. Below, you'll see which tools actually process gig economy payments fast enough to compete with competitors already offering same-day access to earnings. TLDR: * Instant payout systems send driver earnings in seconds using RTP and FedNow rails. * 60% of gig worker

Your marketplace needs to let sellers cash out instantly, your gig app wants to pay drivers daily, and your affiliate network is running commissions across 50 countries. Building that payment infrastructure yourself means months of bank onboarding, compliance workflows, and tax filing logic. We ranked the top embedded payout APIs on five criteria: how many countries they serve, whether they support real-time rails, how fast your team can go live, whether they handle KYC and 1099s automatically,

Your finance team just told you it took four days to process last month's creator payouts. Manual entry, currency conversion, compliance checks, and support tickets from creators asking where their money went all add up to hours you don't have. Influencer payments at scale require infrastructure that can handle 300 different payout methods across 190 countries, far beyond the handful of rails your current provider supports. If your creators can't get paid instantly through PIX, UPI, mobile money

Your phone already holds your boarding passes, event tickets, and loyalty cards. Digital wallet apps turned it into your payment method too, and now billions of people worldwide tap to pay instead of swiping plastic. The tech behind it goes deeper than convenience, with tokenization and encryption working invisibly every time you check out. We'll break down how these apps store your payment info, keep it secure, and why they're becoming the preferred way for businesses to send payouts. TLDR:

Everyone's talking about the rise of embedded payouts, but here's what actually changed. Five years ago, letting users pay contractors inside your vertical SaaS was a differentiator. Today, it's the baseline. If you can't pay people inside your product, you're losing deals to competitors who can. The shift happened fast because the payout side is harder than pay-ins. Different rails, compliance layers, tax filing, fraud checks, recipient support. That complexity is exactly why payouts are now in

Today, we’re excited to share that Dots has raised an $8.9 million Series A led by DCM, with participation from Y Combinator, bringing our total funding to over $14.8 million. Our work building the payout layer for modern platforms was also recently featured in Axios. Our journey started years ago on Kartikye’s couch - working on a micro-transactions platform for creators, a wild shift from our background of building AI moonshots inside of Google. We pivoted to building Dots because we saw that

Is batch processing delaying your global mass payments? Learn why US startups are switching to event-driven payments for instant, milestone-based disbursements.

Most companies choose payment rails by comparing posted fees. The hidden economics of payment speed tell a different story. When you pay 10,000 contractors on Friday via ACH, that's millions locked up until Tuesday while your support team fields three days of TLDR: * ACH fees look cheap at $0.20-$1.50, but 1-3 day settlement locks up working capital. * Instant rails cost $0.50-$3.00 but settle in under 30 seconds with <1% failure rates. * Payment delays cost small businesses $17,500 yearly

You're digging into Trolley reviews because your payout operation hit a wall. Either you're stuck in a 4-6 week bank onboarding queue when you need to go live next week, your FX markups are eating 2-3.5% on every cross-border payment, or your payees keep asking why they can't receive funds instantly through UPI, PIX, or RTP like they do everywhere else. Below, we'll break down what Trolley handles well, where the friction shows up, and which alternatives actually solve for speed, transparent pri

When your customer's engineer copies an API key and sends their first test payout in under 10 minutes, you just compressed your sales cycle. API-first payment platforms that focus on developer experience (clear errors with retry guidance, SDKs that catch bugs at compile time, webhooks that fire the moment a transaction settles, sandboxes that mirror production) turn integration from a multi-week project into a same-day win. The alternative costs you deals: insufficient documentation wastes 40% o

Are your global payments slowed down by high fees and manual processing? Learn how global digital payments can streamline your international operations and scale your business.

Your writers, photographers, and musicians expect to see earnings land in their accounts the moment a licensing deal closes. Instead, you're stuck with content creator payments that batch overnight, charge hidden currency spreads, and leave you scrambling to collect tax forms every January. The platforms below connect to 300+ local payment rails, automate 1099 filing, and settle funds in real time so your creators get paid instantly, without extra fees eating into their royalties. TLDR: * Glo

Your biggest retention problem isn't your odds or your contest structure. It's the three-day wait between a player winning and actually seeing money in their account, because every hour that passes after they win is an hour they're wondering if your platform will actually pay. Real-time sports betting payments fix that trust gap by settling winnings before the next game starts, turning payout anxiety into the kind of instant gratification that drives repeat deposits and referrals. TLDR: * Rea

Your marketplace sells speed to buyers, but your sellers still wait days for their cut. That mismatch kills retention faster than any feature gap. Instant settlement through rails like RTP, FedNow, and PIX moves money in seconds, meeting the same-day expectations gig workers and freelancers now consider standard. We compared four platforms to show you which ones deliver real-time payouts without the fine print. TLDR: * Real-time payment rails settle in seconds via RTP, FedNow, PIX, and UPI: n

If you're still emailing W-9 forms, copying bank details into spreadsheets, and waiting days for ACH batches to clear, you're losing contractors to companies that pay instantly. The gap between verifying someone's identity and actually sending them money is where most onboarding processes fall apart. Contractor onboarding software with built-in payments closes that gap by running KYC checks and storing payment credentials in the same workflow, so funds are released the moment approval is granted

Learn how AI is transforming global payments through autonomous commerce and smart routing. Discover how Dots simplifies compliant payouts in 190+ countries.

Before you lock in Routable's pricing at $599/month, check if you're solving the right problem. If you process vendor invoices with approval chains and need deep ERP integrations, Routable delivers exactly what you need. But teams paying contractors, creators, or gig workers hit a wall fast: that three-month onboarding, those transaction fees on large payments, and zero coverage for instant rails like mobile money or digital wallets. Here's what Routable actually costs, where it works well, and

Your payment API should let affiliates pick how they get paid, not force everyone through slow bank transfers because that's all your integration supports. We checked six APIs for affiliate networks paying hundreds or thousands of publishers monthly, focusing on practical requirements: global reach across 150+ countries, instant payout rails like RTP and PIX, automated 1099 filing that doesn't charge per form, transparent FX rates, and white-label recipient experiences. Below is how each option

Most Tipalti alternatives comparisons skip the detail that actually matters: settlement speed. Tipalti routes payments through ACH and wires that take 1-5 days, which means your creators and contractors wait nearly a week to access their earnings. If your business model depends on instant payouts to keep users engaged, that delay becomes a retention problem. Here's how Tipalti stacks up against alternatives built for real-time rails, transparent FX pricing, and same-day implementation. TLDR:

You just lost a travel nurse to a competitor offering same-day pay while you're stuck explaining why she has to wait until next Tuesday for ACH to clear. Staffing payments determine who gets the best talent in healthcare, where speed beats everything else. When hospitals operate on 60-day billing cycles, but medical professionals expect weekly or instant settlement, your payment infrastructure becomes your competitive advantage or your biggest liability. We ranked the providers that can actually

When your sellers cash out on Friday afternoon, they expect funds to arrive before dinner, not the following Wednesday. Legacy payout systems route everything through slow ACH transfers and charge extra fees for anything faster. Marketplace seller payments built on real-time rails like RTP, FedNow, UPI, and PIX deliver funds in seconds with no speed surcharge, which keeps sellers active instead of switching to other platforms. We compared six APIs across payment speed, country coverage, transpar

You've built your payment acceptance on Stripe, so keeping payouts there seems logical until you calculate the 1% FX markup on every international transfer plus 1.5% for instant access. At 4,000 monthly payouts, those percentages eat more margin than a flat monthly fee with zero FX surcharges. Let's compare Stripe vs Dots on what actually impacts your bottom line: per-transaction costs that compound, geographic limitations that force you to reject talent, settlement speeds that affect contractor

You're weighing Dots versus Trolley because your current payout process isn't cutting it anymore. Maybe your contractors are asking why they can't get paid instantly, or you're expanding into regions where bank wires don't make sense. The real differences show up in settlement speed, local payment rail support, FX costs, and how fast your team can launch in new markets. We'll compare how each platform handles global coverage, pricing transparency, developer experience, and the infrastructure you

Building payments for gig workers means solving for speed and choice at the same time. 81% of your workers want instant access to their earnings, but they also want flexibility in how they receive funds. The problem with most payout APIs for gig economy platforms is that they excel at one dimension while failing at others: great global coverage but week-long settlement windows, or instant payouts that cost an extra 1.5% and cap you at ten transactions per day. We tested the top APIs across six c

You're weighing Tipalti against Dots, and the gap is wider than it looks. Tipalti was designed for mid-market finance teams managing the full accounts payable cycle like invoice approvals, vendor onboarding, procurement workflows, and batch payment runs. Dots is a developer API built to embed payouts into your product and get funds to gig workers, creators, or affiliates in real time. Where Tipalti takes 90 days to implement and routes payments through 50 rails, Dots goes live in under a week an

Everyone knows Stripe for taking payments, but when you flip the direction and need to send money out, the platform shows its limits pretty fast. Your first hint comes when you try to pay someone outside the 46 countries Stripe supports, or when you want instant settlement to more than 10 people per day, or when you realize the fees compound across FX conversion and cross-border surcharges. Let's look at what Stripe alternatives actually offer for companies that need to move money globally witho

If you're building contractor payments into your product, you need two things working together: money movement and tax compliance. Most platforms make you choose one vendor for payouts and another for 1099s, which doubles your integration work and creates gaps where penalties sneak in. The right contractor tax compliance API handles both through one integration. We tested which solutions actually deliver instant payments, automatic W-9 collection, real-time TIN validation, and e-filing without t

Your best affiliates won't stick around if they're waiting five days for ACH transfers while competing networks deliver commission payments instantly. Besides speed, you also need coverage for PIX in Brazil, UPI in India, and SEPA across Europe, plus automated KYC collection and 1099 filing that scales to thousands of payees without drowning your ops team. The platforms built for modern affiliate networks handle all of that out of the box, letting you pay anyone in minutes across 300 rails with

Here's how freelancers working inside today’s flexible work systems stitch together multiple income streams, and tell you where the future of work is heading.

Are payments and global onboarding vulnerable to deepfakes? Learn why identifying deepfake fraud is a priority and how advanced protocols bridge the trust gap.

Moving beyond manual spreadsheets, learn what payouts automation is and why it is essential for scale. Discover how APIs automate payouts and tax compliance.

Struggling with slow payouts? Discover what is the best verified payments API to balance speed and security for global contractors and gig economy platforms.

Automate global payouts and compliance. Learn why adopting an integrated payments API is the crucial long-term strategy to future-proof financial operations.

Streamline your platform operations by mastering how to integrate a payout API. This guide covers technical workflows, security, and global payment automation.

Discover why buying an online bank transfer api is a smarter choice than building. Save engineering time and reduce maintenance costs with Dots.

Streamline global operations and discover what are mass payouts solutions. Start revolutionizing contractor payments to ensure secure, scalable growth.

When a cross-border payment fails, the money doesn’t just instantly bounce back to your account. Here's what to do next.

Learn what’s the best way to pay contractors and keep your best talents. Save on resources and keep global payouts safe and secure. Here’s how.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 (

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

💵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

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

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

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