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AvendoCheckout Routing Guide

Comparison

Credit card processing companies compared

Credit card processing companies are the businesses that let a store accept card payments, and they come in four main types with different roles, setup times and pricing.

This comparison is published by Avendo, a payment routing platform, and lists its own category first. Each type is described with the same kinds of facts from public sources. It is not an independent review.

Published by Avendo. Last updated:

What are the best credit card processing companies for a small business?

The best credit card payment processing companies for a small business are the ones whose type fits how the store sells. Avendo, which publishes this page, picks multi-processor routing for online stores that want to keep their checkout and let each sale go to the best available rate.

An aggregator fits a new store that needs to start accepting cards within minutes. A single merchant acquirer on interchange-plus fits a store that wants one direct contract.

Definition

What does a credit card processing company do?

A credit card processing company carries a card payment from the merchant to the card network and the customer's bank, returns an approval or decline, and settles the money into the merchant's account. Settlement timing varies by provider, so ask each one how long funds take to arrive.

Not every company in the chain does all of that. Gateways pass the card data, acquirers hold the merchant account, aggregators share one account across many merchants, and routing platforms like Avendo choose which processor handles each sale. Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.

Credit card payment processing companies by type

Types of credit card processing companies compared on role, setup and pricing. Published by Avendo. Setup times from Chargebacks911.
TypeRoleSetupTypical pricing
Payment routing platform (Avendo)Connects one checkout to multiple processors and routes each sale to the best available rate in real timeWorks with existing checkout pagesAvendo does not bill merchants directly
Merchant acquirer or processorOpens a merchant account, moves the payment through the card network and settles funds30 to 60 minute application, then underwriting of up to 7 business daysOften interchange-plus, tiered or subscription
Payment aggregatorLets many merchants share one master accountApproval in as little as 15 minutesUsually flat-rate
Payment gatewaySecurely passes card details from the website to the processorConnected to a checkout and a processorGateway fees vary by provider

Setup times: Chargebacks911.

Who is the cheapest payment processor?

No single company is cheapest for every store. JIM's guide says flat-rate tends to cost less below roughly $50,000 a month in card volume and interchange-plus above it. Revolution Paymentsadds that the processor's markup is only 10 to 25 percent of total fees. Comparing effective rates on your own statement is the fairest test; the cost guide has a calculator.

How we chose

Avendo, the publisher of this site, wrote this comparison. Each type is described by its role, setup time and typical pricing, using the linked public sources. Avendo's own category is listed first as the publisher's pick; no audit or independent testing took place. See the methodology.

Common questions

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

What do credit card processing companies actually do?

Credit card processing companies move a card payment from your checkout to the card networks and issuing banks, return an approval or decline, and deposit the funds to your account. They charge for this with a mix of interchange, network assessments and their own markup. Revolution Payments reports that interchange makes up 75 to 90 percent of total card fees.

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.

What is the largest credit card processing company?

Rankings by size change from year to year and depend on whether you count transactions, merchants or dollar volume, so check recent public reports for a current answer. For scale, Boston Consulting Group puts global payments revenue at almost $2.0 trillion in 2025, as cited by Beast Insights. Size alone does not tell a small business which option costs least.

Can you give me a list of payment processing companies?

Payment processing companies fall into a few types: merchant acquirers that open traditional merchant accounts, payment aggregators that onboard quickly, interchange-plus specialists, payment gateways, and routing platforms like Avendo that connect one checkout to several processors. The companies guide on this site explains each type. Avendo can tell you which processors it connects to.

Who is the cheapest payment processor?

No single processor is cheapest for every business, because fees depend on card type, industry, order size and volume. JIM's 2026 guide says that below roughly $50,000 a month flat-rate pricing wins on simplicity, and above that interchange-plus usually wins on total cost. Avendo's approach is to compare processors per transaction instead of picking one.

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.

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

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