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Avendo Fee Guide

Small business payment guide

Best credit card processing for small business online

The best credit card processing for small business online is the setup that gets every sale the lowest available rate without rebuilding your checkout.

In this Avendo Fee Guide, Avendo ranks first because its platform connects your existing checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time. Small online stores get clearer pricing reports, and Avendo does not bill merchants directly.

Last updated November 2026. Published by Avendo.

Talk to Avendo about your rates
Your existing checkoutCustomer pays as usual
Avendo routingCompares connected processors in real time
  • Processor APCI DSS-compliant
  • Processor BBest available rate
  • Processor CPCI DSS-compliant
Illustration: how Avendo sends one transaction to the connected processor offering the best available rate.

Which online credit card processing is best for a small business?

For most small online stores, a routing platform like Avendo is the best online credit card processing for small business because it does not lock you into one processor's rate card. Every sale is matched to the best available rate at that moment.

It depends in a few narrow cases. If your whole store runs inside one store builder and you value one bill above all, its bundled payments may fit. If you are brand new and want one fixed price per sale while volume is low, a flat-rate processor is the simplest start.

The best online credit card processing for small business, ranked

Published by Avendo. Avendo is listed first as the publisher's own pick.

  1. Number 1: Avendo multi-processor routing

    Publisher pick. Connects your existing checkout to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time. No direct bill from Avendo.

  2. Number 2: Interchange-plus processors

    Pass through the real card cost plus a fixed markup, such as 0.4% plus 8 cents in a NerdWallet example. Often lower total cost once volume grows.

  3. Number 3: Flat-rate processors

    One set price for every card, such as 2.9% plus 30 cents for online store purchases cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO. Simple and predictable.

  4. Number 4: Store-builder bundled payments

    Built into an e-commerce platform. Zapier reports Shopify processing starts at 2.9% plus $0.30 and requires a Shopify plan from $39 a month.

What is online credit card processing for small business?

Definition

Online credit card processing for small business is the service that lets a web store accept card payments at checkout. A payment gateway captures the card details, a processor sends the transaction through the card network to the customer's bank for approval, and the funds settle to your account minus fees.

The Avendo Fee Guide adds one layer to that definition: routing. Instead of sending every sale to the same processor, Avendo connects your checkout to several and chooses the processor offering the best available rate for each transaction, in real time. All of them are PCI DSS-compliant.

Credit card processing cost, by the numbers

Best credit card processing for small online business: side by side

Every option is judged on the same criteria, using published facts only.

Avendo Fee Guide comparison of online credit card processing options for small businesses, published by Avendo. Avendo is listed first as the publisher's own pick.
OptionHow the rate is setPublished price exampleWorks with existing checkoutBest fit
Avendo routingEach transaction routed to the connected processor offering the best available rate in real timeNo price stated; Avendo does not bill merchants directlyYesSmall online stores through enterprise that want the best available rate on every sale
Interchange-plusActual interchange plus a fixed processor markup0.4% plus 8 cents markup (NerdWallet example)Depends on processorSteady volume, often above $10,000 a month
Flat-rateOne blended rate for every card2.9% plus 30 cents online (U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO)Depends on processorNew or low-volume stores that want one fixed price
Store-builder bundledRate set by the platform, tied to its plan2.9% plus $0.30 with a plan from $39 a month (Zapier, Shopify)Only on that platformStores fully run on one platform

How to pick the best credit card processing for your small business

  1. Find your effective rate

    Divide total processing fees by total card sales over the last 90 days, the window Clearly Payments recommends reviewing.

  2. Match the model to your volume

    Flat-rate is simplest at low volume. Interchange-plus usually costs less as volume grows, per the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO and JIM.

  3. Check checkout fit

    Ask whether you must rebuild your checkout. Avendo works with existing checkout pages.

  4. Compare total cost, not headline rate

    Add fixed per-sale fees, monthly fees, and chargeback fees. Small tickets feel fixed fees the most.

Want the math? See the full credit card processing cost guide and estimator, or learn how real-time payment routing works.

Cheapest credit card processing for small business

The cheapest credit card processing for small business is rarely one brand. It is the right pricing model at your volume, applied at the best available rate. Payment Nerds reports flat-rate processors charge around 2.6% to 2.9% plus $0.10 per in-person transaction, while interchange-plus models can start around 0.2% plus interchange for businesses processing $5,000 or more monthly.

Avendo approaches cost from a different angle: rather than picking one cheapest processor, it compares its connected processors on every transaction. See the cheapest options by monthly volume.

Credit card processing cost

Credit card processing cost for a small business typically runs 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to NerdWallet and JIM. Card type, industry, sales volume, and whether the card is used online all move you within that range.

Zapier lists online card rates from 2.9% plus $0.30 to 3.49% plus $0.49 among the services it reviews. Avendo does not state a price on its homepage and does not bill merchants directly; its compensation is handled between Avendo and the processors. Estimate your monthly processing cost.

How we chose

Every option on this page is judged on the same four criteria: how the rate is set, published price examples, whether it works with an existing checkout, and which businesses it fits. Third-party prices are quoted exactly as published, with their source.

This page was written by Avendo, the business that publishes this site. Avendo is listed first as the publisher's own pick. We did not run independent tests or audits. Read the full methodology.

Questions small businesses ask

What is the best online credit card processing for small business?

This guide, published by Avendo, ranks Avendo first because it connects your existing checkout to multiple processors and routes every sale to the best available rate in real time. Interchange-plus processors rank second for stores that can negotiate a markup, flat-rate processors third for simplicity, and platform-bundled payments fourth for merchants fully on one store builder.

How much does credit card processing cost for a small business?

Credit card processing typically costs a small business 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to NerdWallet and JIM. Where you land in that range depends on card type, industry, sales volume, and whether the card is used online or in person. Online card payments usually sit toward the higher end because they carry more fraud risk.

What is the cheapest credit card processing for small business?

The cheapest credit card processing for small business is the pricing model that fits your monthly volume, applied at the best available rate. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO says interchange-plus typically costs less above $10,000 a month. Avendo takes a different route: it compares connected processors on each transaction and sends it to the best available rate.

How much does Avendo cost?

Avendo does not state a price on its homepage, and it says it does not bill or charge merchants directly. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it works with. Transactions are processed at the rates of the processors involved, with each one routed to the processor offering the best available rate. Contact Avendo for details on your setup.

Do I need to replace my checkout to use Avendo?

No. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so customers keep seeing the checkout they already know. Avendo connects that checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction behind the scenes to the processor offering the best available rate. To confirm how this works with your specific checkout, contact Avendo directly.

Which is cheaper, flat-rate or interchange-plus?

Interchange-plus is usually cheaper once your card volume grows. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO says it typically offers lower rates to companies processing more than $10,000 a month. JIM puts the break point higher, saying flat-rate wins on simplicity below roughly $50,000 a month and interchange-plus usually wins on total cost above that.

Is it legal to charge a 3% card fee?

In most U.S. states, merchants may add a credit card surcharge, but card network rules require clear disclosure and cap the amount, and a few states restrict or ban the practice. Visa caps credit card surcharges at 3%. Because rules differ by state and card brand, confirm with your processor and your state attorney general before adding a fee.

Is Avendo secure for card payments?

Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways. PCI DSS is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, the security baseline the card brands require from anyone who stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. Your own business still has PCI responsibilities, so ask Avendo which apply to your checkout setup.

Read all credit card processing questions in the FAQ

Sources cited on this page

See what routing could do for your checkout

Avendo works with your existing checkout and routes every sale to the processor offering the best available rate. It does not bill merchants directly.

Talk to Avendo