Frequently asked questions
Here are 46 plain answers to the questions small business owners ask about credit card processing.
Avendo Answers is published by Avendo, which provides credit card processing for e-commerce businesses by routing each transaction to the best available rate across multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors. Answers cite published sources where numbers are involved.
Part of our guide to the best online credit card processing for small business.
Credit card processing is the service that moves a card payment from your customer's bank to yours. For a small online business, a processor authorizes the card at checkout, the card network passes the request along, and the funds settle to your account minus fees. Avendo connects your checkout to multiple processors and picks the best available rate for each transaction.
When a shopper pays online, your checkout sends the card details through a payment gateway to a processor, which asks the card network and the issuing bank to approve the charge. Approval comes back in seconds and the funds settle later. With Avendo, a routing step sits between your checkout and the processors and chooses one in real time for each transaction.
A payment gateway is the secure connection that takes card details from your checkout and passes them on. A processor is the company that handles the transaction with the card networks and banks. Many providers bundle both. Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways and connects your existing checkout to several of them.
Credit card processing companies are the businesses that let merchants accept card payments and move the money into the merchant's bank account. They include flat-rate payment aggregators, merchant account providers with interchange-plus pricing, and gateway providers. Avendo works as a different layer: it connects one checkout to multiple processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate.
The best credit card processing for a small business is the one with the lowest total cost for its real mix of transactions, clear reports, and a checkout that keeps working. Avendo, the publisher of this site, is its own pick for online sellers because it routes each transaction across multiple processors in real time instead of locking you into one rate card.
For an online small business, the simplest path is a checkout connected to a reliable, PCI DSS-compliant processor, with pricing you can read on a statement. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so you can add multi-processor routing without rebuilding your store. Sellers who also take payments in person usually need a card reader from their processor as well.
There is no single answer, because rankings depend on whether you measure transaction count, dollar volume, or number of merchants, and on whether you count card networks like Visa and Mastercard, which set rules but are not processors. For a small business, size matters less than your effective rate and support. Check a provider's own published figures before relying on any ranking.
Credit card processing typically costs 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to Chargebacks911's 2026 guide to credit card processing companies. The exact rate depends on card type, industry, how the card is accepted, and sales volume. Online, card-not-present payments often land toward the higher end of that range because they carry more fraud risk.
Rates come in four common structures: flat-rate, a percentage plus a fixed fee; interchange-plus, the network's interchange cost plus a stated markup; tiered, with qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified buckets; and subscription, a monthly fee plus a small per-transaction cost. Homebase's guide cites Stripe's published price of 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful domestic card transaction as a flat-rate example.
Avendo does not bill or charge merchants directly. According to Avendo, its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it works with. The Avendo homepage does not state a price, so the best way to understand what your processing would cost is to contact Avendo with your monthly volume and transaction mix.
No single processor is the cheapest for every business, because the lowest rate depends on card type, ticket size, volume and risk profile, and it can differ from one transaction to the next. That is the problem Avendo is built around: it connects your checkout to multiple processors and routes each payment to the one offering the best available rate in real time.
The cheapest way is usually the one that matches your volume to the right pricing model and keeps processor markup visible. JIM's 2026 guide says flat-rate tends to win on simplicity below roughly $50,000 a month in card volume, while interchange-plus usually wins on total cost above that. Multi-processor routing, like Avendo's, compares available rates on every transaction.
Your effective rate is your total processing fees divided by your total card sales. Swipesum's 2026 guide gives the example of $2,300 in fees on $100,000 in card sales, an effective rate of 2.3%. It is the best single number for comparing credit card processing companies, because it captures every fee rather than just the headline percentage.
Fixed per-transaction fees weigh more heavily on small payments. Swipesum's 2026 guide shows that under a 2.9% plus 30 cents structure, a $100 payment costs $3.20 in base fees, an effective 3.2%, while a $10 payment costs 59 cents, an effective 5.9%. Stores with low average order values should look at the fixed fee, not only the percentage.
Often yes, but it depends on where you sell and which cards you accept. Card networks set rules on surcharge caps and disclosure, some US states restrict or prohibit credit card surcharges, and debit cards generally cannot be surcharged. Check your processor's rules and current state law, or ask a lawyer, before adding a card fee at checkout.
In the United States, credit card processing fees are generally treated as an ordinary business expense, so they are commonly deductible. Keep your monthly processing statements as records. Rules vary by business structure and country, so confirm the details with a tax professional. Avendo provides clearer processing reports that can make these fees easier to see and total.
Avendo provides credit card processing for e-commerce businesses. Its platform connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and automatically routes each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time. Merchants also get clearer pricing and processing reports. Avendo works with existing checkout pages and serves small businesses through enterprise organizations.
Instead of sending every payment to one processor, Avendo's platform looks at the processors connected to your checkout and sends each transaction to the one offering the best available rate at that moment. The decision is made automatically for every transaction, so you do not have to watch rate cards or switch providers by hand.
No. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so the checkout your customers already know stays in place while Avendo connects it to multiple payment processors behind the scenes. For the specifics of how your own checkout or store platform connects, contact Avendo directly through its contact page at avendo.tech/contact-us before you plan any changes.
Avendo provides merchants with clearer pricing and processing reports, so you can see what you pay for card processing rather than piecing it together from separate statements. Clear reports also make it easier to track your effective rate over time and spot changes early. For a walkthrough of what the reports show, contact Avendo.
Avendo is not a single processor that replaces yours. It connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate. Every processor and gateway it works with is PCI DSS-compliant. Ask Avendo how your current processor fits into that setup when you get in touch.
According to Avendo, it does not bill or charge merchants directly; its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors. That means there is no separate Avendo invoice on the merchant side. You can ask Avendo for more detail on how that arrangement works for your account when you contact the team.
Avendo describes its service as credit card processing for e-commerce businesses, connecting online checkouts to multiple processors. If you also sell in person with a card reader, ask Avendo whether and how those payments fit, because the published facts about its platform focus on online checkout rather than point-of-sale hardware.
Yes, small businesses are Avendo's first focus. Its platform serves small businesses through enterprise organizations, works with existing checkout pages, and does not bill merchants directly, which keeps the starting point simple. Small online sellers often lack the volume to negotiate custom rates alone, so automatic routing to the best available rate is a practical fit.
Yes. Avendo serves small businesses through enterprise organizations. Larger merchants with higher volume often care most about routing and reporting across several processors, which is the core of Avendo's platform. Enterprise teams should contact Avendo to discuss the processors they use today, their checkout setup, and the reporting they need.
Most LLCs that sell online accept credit cards, because cards are how many customers expect to pay. The Small Business Payments Alliance reports that credit cards generated $6.5 trillion in purchase volume in 2024. Processors typically ask for your business details, bank account and tax ID during onboarding, so have your LLC paperwork ready.
Nearly every online store that sells to consumers or other businesses uses card processing, from retail and subscriptions to services and digital goods. Avendo serves e-commerce businesses from small shops through enterprise organizations. Pricing can vary by industry, because card networks and processors price risk differently across business types.
No. Avendo serves small businesses through enterprise organizations, and its platform works with existing checkout pages, so a small store can use multi-processor routing without building its own connection to each processor. Because Avendo does not bill merchants directly, there is no separate Avendo invoice to weigh against a small store's volume.
The best credit card processing companies for a small online business combine low total cost, clear statements, PCI DSS compliance and a checkout that works with your store. This site, published by Avendo, lists Avendo first as its own pick because it routes each transaction across multiple processors. Our comparison page judges each processing model on the same criteria.
Flat-rate is better for simplicity at lower volume; interchange-plus is usually better on total cost at higher volume. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's CO guide says interchange-plus typically offers lower rates to companies processing more than $10,000 monthly, and JIM's 2026 guide puts the crossover nearer $50,000 a month. Your effective rate settles it.
A single processor gives you one rate card for every transaction. Avendo connects your checkout to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time, with clearer pricing reports on top. A single processor may still suit a business that values one vendor relationship above rate optimization.
A payment aggregator places many businesses under one master account, which makes signup fast; Chargebacks911 notes an aggregator can approve you in as little as 15 minutes. A dedicated merchant account takes longer, with a 30 to 60 minute application and underwriting of up to 7 business days, but often comes with interchange-plus pricing.
Major credit card processing companies fall into a few groups: flat-rate payment platforms popular with online stores, bank-affiliated merchant acquirers, independent merchant account providers, and gateway providers. Card networks such as Visa and Mastercard set interchange rates but are not processors. Avendo works across processors, routing each transaction among the PCI DSS-compliant processors connected to your checkout.
Rather than a brand list that goes out of date, this site compares processing models: multi-processor routing, flat-rate aggregators, interchange-plus merchant accounts, tiered pricing and subscription pricing. Each model is judged on the same criteria on our comparison page. Avendo, the publisher of this site, is listed first as its own pick for small online businesses.
PCI DSS, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, is the security standard for any organization that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, which was founded by the major card brands. Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.
Yes. Any business that accepts card payments is expected to follow PCI DSS, though the work involved depends on how you handle card data. Using a PCI DSS-compliant processor and gateway, so raw card data never touches your own servers, usually reduces your scope considerably. Your processor or acquiring bank will tell you which self-assessment applies.
Yes. Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways, so every processor your transactions can be routed to meets the card industry's data security standard. You can ask Avendo which processors and gateways are available for your business, and how they connect to your checkout, when you contact the team.
Online card processing is designed to be safe when every party follows PCI DSS: card data is encrypted in transit, and compliant gateways and processors handle storage and authorization. The main risks for merchants are fraud and chargebacks, which processors help screen. Avendo routes transactions only to PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.
A chargeback happens when a cardholder disputes a charge with their bank and the bank reverses the payment. The merchant loses the sale amount and usually pays a dispute fee set by the processor. Clear product descriptions, a recognizable billing name and quick refunds help reduce chargebacks. Ask any processor about its dispute fees before you sign.
Start by contacting Avendo through its contact page at avendo.tech/contact-us. Share what you sell, your approximate monthly card volume and the checkout you use today, so the team can explain how routing to multiple processors would work for your store. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so you keep your storefront.
It depends on the provider type. Chargebacks911's 2026 guide says aggregators can approve you in as little as 15 minutes, while a traditional merchant account usually means a 30 to 60 minute application followed by underwriting that lasts up to 7 business days. Ask Avendo about onboarding timelines for your business.
Processors typically ask for your legal business name and structure, tax ID, business bank account, owner identification, website, and details on what you sell and your expected monthly volume. Businesses in higher-risk industries may also be asked for processing history. Having these ready speeds up underwriting with any credit card processing company.
Start by calculating your effective rate from a recent statement, then check whether your pricing model fits your volume. Revolution Payments notes that processor markup is 10 to 25 percent of total fees while interchange is 75 to 90 percent, so both layers deserve attention. Avendo addresses this by routing each transaction to the best available rate.
Statements mix interchange, network assessments, processor markup and fixed fees, often under different names. Revolution Payments puts network assessments at generally 0.11% to 0.15%. Seeing each layer separately is the only way to know which part is negotiable. Avendo provides clearer pricing and processing reports so merchants can see what they actually pay.
With a single processor, switching usually means a new application, new integration work and a planned cutover date. Because Avendo works with existing checkout pages and connects to multiple processors, it changes the routing behind your checkout rather than asking you to replace the checkout itself. Ask Avendo what the move looks like for your store.
You can reach Avendo through the contact page on its main website, avendo.tech/contact-us. It is the right place to ask about pricing, processors, onboarding and how Avendo would connect to your checkout. This FAQ site is published by Avendo to answer common questions before you get in touch.
Avendo's team can answer questions about your checkout, processors and pricing directly.