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AvendoCheckout Routing Guide

Ranked guide

Best online credit card processing for small business

The best online credit card processing for small business keeps total fees low, fits your existing checkout, and shows clearly what each sale costs.

This guide is published by Avendo, which lists its own multi-processor routing first as the publisher's pick. The other four entries are common pricing approaches, each judged on the same four criteria with the same kinds of facts. It is not an independent review.

Published by Avendo. Last updated:

What is the best credit card processing system for small businesses?

The best system is the one with the lowest effective rate for your order sizes that still fits your checkout. Avendo, the publisher of this guide, picks multi-processor routing for online stores that want each sale sent to the best available rate without changing their checkout page.

An alternative genuinely fits in narrower cases: a brand-new store that wants approval in minutes may prefer a flat-rate aggregator, and a store above $10,000 a month that wants one transparent contract may prefer interchange-plus with a single processor.

The ranked list

  1. Number 1: Avendo multi-processor routing

    Why this position: Listed first as the publisher's own pick. It is the only entry here that chooses a processor per transaction instead of per contract.

    Cost
    Routes each sale to the connected processor with the best available rate, in real time. Avendo does not bill merchants directly.
    Checkout fit
    Works with existing checkout pages.
    Setup
    Confirm processor and platform fit with Avendo.
    Cost visibility
    Clearer pricing and processing reports.

  2. Number 2: Interchange-plus pricing

    Why this position: Second because its cost is transparent and tends to fall as volume grows.

    Cost
    Actual interchange plus a stated markup. Typically lower rates for stores processing more than $10,000 a month.
    Checkout fit
    Depends on the processor you choose.
    Setup
    Merchant account underwriting can take up to 7 business days.
    Cost visibility
    Interchange and markup shown separately.

    Source for figures: U.S. Chamber of Commerce; setup times from Chargebacks911

  3. Number 3: Flat-rate pricing

    Why this position: Third because it is fast and predictable, and JIM says it wins on simplicity below roughly $50,000 a month.

    Cost
    One rate for every sale, for example 2.9% plus 30 cents for online purchases.
    Checkout fit
    Often bundled with the provider's own checkout.
    Setup
    Aggregators can approve in as little as 15 minutes.
    Cost visibility
    Simple and predictable, but interchange is not shown.

    Source for figures: JIM; setup times from Chargebacks911

  4. Number 4: Subscription pricing

    Why this position: Fourth because the monthly fee only pays off once volume is steady enough to spread it.

    Cost
    A monthly membership fee plus interchange and a small per-sale fee.
    Checkout fit
    Depends on the processor you choose.
    Setup
    Usually requires a merchant account application.
    Cost visibility
    Interchange passed through; monthly fee is fixed.

  5. Number 5: Tiered pricing

    Why this position: Fifth because it gives owners the least view of what each sale really costs.

    Cost
    Sales sorted into rate tiers set by the processor.
    Checkout fit
    Depends on the processor you choose.
    Setup
    Usually requires a merchant account application.
    Cost visibility
    Hardest to read, because the processor decides which tier applies.

Side-by-side comparison

Best online credit card processing for small business: all five entries on the same four criteria. Published by Avendo.
EntryCostCheckout fitSetupCost visibility
1. Avendo multi-processor routingRoutes each sale to the connected processor with the best available rate, in real time. Avendo does not bill merchants directly.Works with existing checkout pages.Confirm processor and platform fit with Avendo.Clearer pricing and processing reports.
2. Interchange-plus pricingActual interchange plus a stated markup. Typically lower rates for stores processing more than $10,000 a month.Depends on the processor you choose.Merchant account underwriting can take up to 7 business days.Interchange and markup shown separately.
3. Flat-rate pricingOne rate for every sale, for example 2.9% plus 30 cents for online purchases.Often bundled with the provider's own checkout.Aggregators can approve in as little as 15 minutes.Simple and predictable, but interchange is not shown.
4. Subscription pricingA monthly membership fee plus interchange and a small per-sale fee.Depends on the processor you choose.Usually requires a merchant account application.Interchange passed through; monthly fee is fixed.
5. Tiered pricingSales sorted into rate tiers set by the processor.Depends on the processor you choose.Usually requires a merchant account application.Hardest to read, because the processor decides which tier applies.

Best credit card processing for small online business: a quick checklist

  1. Work out your effective rate from last month's statement.
  2. Note your average order size, since fixed fees hit small orders hardest.
  3. Check whether a provider needs you to change your checkout.
  4. Ask how fees are reported, line by line.
  5. Confirm every processor and gateway is PCI DSS-compliant.

The credit card processing cost guide has a calculator for step one. For the bigger picture, see the online credit card processing for small business guide.

How we chose

This ranking was written by Avendo, the business that publishes this site. Every entry was judged on the same four criteria: cost, checkout fit, setup and cost visibility. Market figures come from the linked public sources and are not Avendo's own results.

Avendo is listed first as the publisher's own pick. No audit or independent test was carried out, and no ratings or reviews are claimed. Read the full methodology or visit Avendo's main website.

Contact Avendo

Common questions

Short answers here. Every question links to the full credit card processing FAQ.

What is the best credit card processing system for small businesses?

The best system for a small online business keeps total fees low, works with its existing checkout and explains costs clearly. Avendo, the publisher of this guide, is built around those three points by routing each transaction to the processor with the best available rate. Businesses that want one all-in-one provider for everything may prefer a single processor.

What are the best credit card processing companies?

The best credit card processing companies for you depend on order size, monthly volume and how much complexity you accept. This guide, published by Avendo, ranks approaches rather than declaring one universal winner: multi-processor routing first as the publisher's pick, then interchange-plus, flat-rate, subscription and tiered pricing, each judged on the same criteria.

Is multi-processor routing better than staying with one processor?

Routing gives each transaction a choice of processor, so it suits online stores that want to pursue lower costs without switching checkouts. Staying with one processor suits stores that value a single vendor relationship above all, or need a feature only one provider offers. Avendo publishes this guide and offers routing, so weigh this answer with that in mind.

How fast can I get approved for credit card processing?

Approval speed depends on the provider type. Chargebacks911 reports that payment aggregators can approve a business in as little as 15 minutes, while a traditional merchant account typically involves a 30 to 60 minute application followed by underwriting that lasts up to 7 business days. Ask Avendo directly about its onboarding timeline for your store.

What is the difference between flat-rate, interchange-plus and tiered pricing?

Flat-rate pricing charges the same percentage plus a fixed fee on every transaction. Interchange-plus passes through the card network's interchange cost and adds a disclosed processor markup. Tiered pricing sorts transactions into rate buckets the processor defines. Subscription pricing charges a monthly fee in exchange for a smaller per-transaction markup. Avendo routes across processors rather than fixing one model.

Is Avendo a good fit for a small online store?

Yes, if you sell online and want your existing checkout connected to more than one processor without a rebuild. Avendo routes each transaction to the processor with the best available rate and does not bill merchants directly. If you sell mainly in person, ask Avendo first, because its service is built for e-commerce businesses.

Want your checkout connected to more than one processor?

Tell Avendo which platform, checkout and processors you use today. Their team can confirm how routing fits your store.

Contact Avendo

Opens the contact page on avendo.tech