Facts about Avendo
Statements about how Avendo works, how it is paid and who it serves come from Avendo itself. They are presented as Avendo’s own description of its platform, not as independently verified findings.
Methodology
How we compare processing options
Published by AvendoLast updated November 2026
Avendo, which publishes this site, compares credit card processing approaches on one main criterion: how directly each approach works to lower the cost of an online sale. Every entry is described with the same kinds of facts, and every market number is attributed to its published source.
How are the rankings on this site decided?
Rankings compare processing approaches, not named companies, on the same five criteria in a fixed order. Avendo is listed first as the publisher’s own pick. No independent audit or test was performed, and no entry is described as better on any point the published facts do not show.
The criteria, in order
| Criterion | What we look at |
|---|---|
| 1. Cost per online sale | How the approach sets the price of each transaction, using published examples |
| 2. Predictability | Whether the cost per sale is fixed or varies by card and transaction |
| 3. Published volume fit | Monthly volume thresholds stated by published sources |
| 4. Checkout changes | Whether the merchant must replace its existing checkout |
| 5. Security | Whether processors and gateways are PCI DSS compliant |
Where the facts come from
Market figures
Rate ranges, assessment fees, pricing examples and volume thresholds come from published guides by NerdWallet, ECS Payments, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO and JIM. Each is quoted with its full range and conditions and linked to its source. None is presented as an Avendo rate.
Limits of these comparisons
Processing costs depend on each store’s card mix, order sizes and volume, so no comparison here can tell you exactly what you will pay. Published figures can change after the date shown. Use the fee estimator with your own numbers, and confirm terms with any provider before signing. See the comparison in practice on the compare page.
Common questions
Short answers to what small online businesses ask most. Every answer, plus dozens more, lives on the full FAQ page.
Who publishes this website?
This website is published by Avendo. It is one of a small number of websites Avendo publishes, and it focuses on the questions small e-commerce businesses ask about payment processing costs and setup. Avendo’s main website is avendo.tech, where you can contact the merchant support team directly.
See this answer in the FAQWhat are the top 10 merchant services?
Top 10 merchant services lists differ by publisher, and each uses its own criteria. This site, published by Avendo, does not rank named providers. It compares processing approaches instead: multi-processor routing, interchange-plus pricing and flat-rate pricing, all judged on the same criteria. The methodology page explains how that comparison was built.
See this answer in the FAQWhat is the cheapest credit card processing for small business?
There is no single cheapest processor for every store, because the lowest rate changes with card type, order size and volume. The cheapest approach is to make processors compete for each payment. Avendo does this by routing every transaction to the connected processor offering the best available rate in real time, without billing merchants directly.
See this answer in the FAQHow much does credit card processing cost for a small business?
Most small businesses pay roughly 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to NerdWallet’s 2026 guide to credit card processing fees. The exact rate depends on card type, industry, sales volume and how the card is accepted. Online sales are card-not-present transactions, which are priced differently from in-person payments.
See this answer in the FAQIs Avendo a payment processor?
Avendo works as a routing layer between your checkout and payment processors, so you are not tied to a single processor for every sale. It connects to multiple processors and sends each transaction to the one with the best available rate at that moment. Every processor and gateway Avendo works with is PCI DSS compliant.
See this answer in the FAQ