An experimental investigation was combined with a non-linear finite element analysis using an elastic–viscoplastic constitutive model to study the effect of ball shear speed on the shear forces of flip chip solder bumps. A solder composition used in this study was Sn–3mass%Ag–0.5mass%Cu. A low cost bumping process has been employed using electroless Ni and immersion Au followed by solder paste stencil printing. A thin layer of intermetallic compound, (Ni 1−x Cu x ) 3 Sn 4 , was formed by the reaction between the solder and electroless Ni with a thickness of about 1.4μm, while some discontinuous (Cu 1−y Ni y ) 6 Sn 5 particles were also formed at the interface. The compositions of the resulting compounds were identified using energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA). Shear tests were carried out over a shear speed range from 20 to 400μm/s at a shear ram height of 20μm. The shear force was observed to linearly increase with shear speed and reach the maximum value at the fastest shear speed in both experimental and computational results. The optimum shear speeds for the shear test of solder bumped flip chip were recommended to be not exceeding 200μm/s. The failure mechanisms were discussed in terms of von Mises stresses and plastic strain energy density distributions.