Single-cell transcriptomics provides insights into the importance of stochastic transcription and facilitates more complete transcriptome characterization. Many current methods require amplification of cDNA for the analysis of low copy-number transcripts, which introduces bias. These authors optimize the amplification of cDNA libraries that are immobilized on beads. Current protocols include a step that digests primers after cDNA amplification to avoid competition with the cDNA for amplification. However, this step also degrades low copy-number cDNA, which results in amplification bias. The new protocol removes this step and washes the beads instead, which allows amplification of low copy-number transcripts at high efficiency with less bias.