By the numbers
Small businesses typically pay 1.5% to 3.5% of every card sale in processing fees.
The Avendo Fee Guide collects the most useful published statistics on processing costs in one place, each with its source. Together they show why the pricing model, your volume, and the rate on each individual transaction all shape what you pay.
Last updated November 2026. Published by Avendo.
1.5% to 3.5%
Typical credit card processing fee as a share of each transaction.
Source: NerdWallet
1.5% to 3.5%
Per-transaction range small businesses pay, depending on card type, industry, and how the card is accepted.
Source: JIM
2.6% + 10 cents
Example flat rate that combines interchange, assessments, and markup.
Source: NerdWallet
0.4% + 8 cents
Example consistent markup charged by interchange-plus processors.
Source: NerdWallet
2.9% + 30 cents
Example flat cost of purchases through an online store, no matter what.
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO
$10,000 a month
Volume above which interchange-plus typically offers lower rates.
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO
$50,000 a month
Rough crossover: below it flat-rate wins on simplicity; above it interchange-plus usually wins on total cost.
Source: JIM
0.2% + interchange
Where interchange-plus models often start; can be significantly cheaper at $5,000 or more monthly.
Source: Payment Nerds
$2,000 a year
Saved by cutting the effective rate by 0.20% on $1,000,000 of yearly card volume.
Source: Clearly Payments
90 days
Recommended review window for computing your processing figures before changing anything.
Source: Clearly Payments
The spread between 1.5% and 3.5% is large. On $20,000 of monthly card sales, it is the difference between $300 and $700 a month in fees. Where you land depends on pricing model, volume, card mix, and how each transaction is handled.
Avendo works on the last of those: it routes each transaction to the connected processor offering the best available rate in real time. Read how routing works or return to the best credit card processing for small business online guide.
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.
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.
Your effective rate is your total processing fees divided by your total card sales, shown as a percentage. It captures every fee, not just the headline rate. Clearly Payments shows why it matters: for a business doing $1,000,000 a year in card volume, cutting the effective rate by 0.20% saves $2,000 per year.
Start by working out your effective rate over the last 90 days, the period Clearly Payments recommends reviewing. Then check whether your pricing model fits your volume, ask for the processor markup in writing, and remove fees you do not need. Avendo adds one more lever by routing each transaction to the connected processor offering the best available rate.
Fees usually rise for one of a few reasons: more customers paying with rewards or corporate cards, a shift toward online sales, smaller average tickets that make fixed fees weigh more, a processor markup increase, or new account fees. Compare your effective rate month to month to see which change is driving the increase.
Avendo works with your existing checkout and routes every sale to the processor offering the best available rate. It does not bill merchants directly.
