Costs and rates
Published by AvendoLast updated November 2026
Credit card processing typically costs a small business 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to NerdWallet. Where your store lands in that range depends on card type, industry, sales volume, pricing model and whether the card is present, and online sales are card-not-present.
Expect roughly 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction, per NerdWallet and JIM’s 2026 guides. Online stores should watch the fixed per-transaction fee too, because it weighs more on small orders. Avendo, which publishes this guide, does not bill merchants directly; you pay the fee of the processor each payment is routed to.
Paid to the bank that issued the customer’s card and usually the largest part of the fee. Interchange is set by the card networks and varies by card type, so debit, credit, rewards and business cards can each cost a different amount to accept.
Small percentages kept by the card networks. ECS Payments lists the Visa assessment fee at 0.11%, Mastercard at 0.095% and Discover at 0.0925%. Processors pass these through on every transaction.
The processor’s own markup, plus any per-item charges. Depending on the provider, these may include authorization fees, batch fees for settling a day’s sales, return transaction fees and PIN debit fees.
| Pricing model | How it works | Published example | Tends to suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate | Interchange, assessments and markup combined into one set amount | 2.6% plus 10 cents (NerdWallet); 2.9% plus 30 cents for online store purchases at one provider (CO) | Below roughly $50,000 a month, when simplicity matters most (JIM) |
| Interchange-plus | Actual interchange passed through, plus a consistent markup | 0.4% plus 8 cents markup (NerdWallet) | Over $10,000 a month (CO); above roughly $50,000 a month on total cost (JIM) |
| Multi-processor routing (Avendo) | Each transaction routed to the connected processor with the best available rate | Avendo does not publish a rate and does not bill merchants directly | Online stores that want lower cost per sale without changing checkout |
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Assumptions
Fees = sales multiplied by the percentage rate, plus orders multiplied by the fixed fee. Effective rate = fees divided by sales. Monthly, batch, chargeback and other fees are not included. This is an estimate for comparison only, not a quote and not financial advice.
Read more about the cheapest credit card processing for small business or go back to the best credit card processing for small business online.
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 FAQAvendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it routes transactions to. Your processing cost is the fee from the processor that handles each payment, and Avendo’s routing is designed to send each payment to the best available rate.
See this answer in the FAQInterchange fees are the share of each card payment paid to the bank that issued the customer’s card. They are usually the largest part of a processing fee and are set by the card networks rather than by your processor. NerdWallet notes that flat-rate providers fold interchange, assessments and their markup into one combined rate.
See this answer in the FAQAssessment fees are small percentages the card networks charge on each transaction. ECS Payments lists the Visa assessment fee at 0.11%, Mastercard at 0.095% and Discover at 0.0925%. Processors pass these through, and they sit alongside interchange and the processor’s own markup in your total cost per sale.
See this answer in the FAQFlat-rate pricing combines every fee into one set amount, such as 2.6% plus 10 cents in NerdWallet’s example. Interchange-plus passes the actual interchange cost through and adds a consistent markup, for example 0.4% plus 8 cents. Flat-rate is simpler to predict, while interchange-plus can cost less as monthly volume grows.
See this answer in the FAQBeyond the percentage rate, statements can include per-transaction authorization fees, batch fees for settling a day’s payments, fees on returned transactions and PIN debit fees. Not every provider charges all of these. Compare your effective rate, meaning total fees divided by total card sales, to see the real cost of each provider.
See this answer in the FAQOften, yes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO publication notes that companies processing over $10,000 a month or negotiating interchange-plus pricing may pay lower processing fees. JIM’s 2026 guide says flat-rate usually wins on simplicity below roughly $50,000 in monthly card volume, while interchange-plus usually wins on total cost above that.
See this answer in the FAQIt depends on where you sell and which card networks you accept. Credit card surcharges are governed by card network rules and by state law, some states restrict them, and surcharges generally cannot be added to debit card payments. Check your card network rules and your state’s law, or ask a lawyer, before adding a card fee.
See this answer in the FAQBring a recent statement and ask Avendo how routing would apply to your card mix.
