FAQLast updated: November 3, 2026Published by Avendo
Most questions about credit card processing rates and fees come down to three things: what the fee is made of, how to calculate it, and how to lower it.
The Avendo Fee Field Guide answers 44 of the questions merchants ask most, grouped by topic. Market figures are credited to NerdWallet, CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Stored and Clearly Payments. Answers about Avendo use only what Avendo states about its own service.
The most common question is how much processing costs: typically 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction plus a flat fee, per NerdWallet. The next is how to calculate it, which the payment processing fee calculator does from your own figures.
A credit card processing fee is the amount a business pays each time it accepts a card payment. It usually combines interchange paid to the card-issuing bank, assessment fees paid to the card network, and a markup kept by the processor. NerdWallet reports the total typically lands between 1.5% and 3.5% of each transaction.
A card payment moves from your checkout to a payment processor, which sends it through the card network to the customer's bank for approval. The approval travels back along the same route in seconds, and the funds settle to your account later. Each party along the route takes a share, which is why the fee has several parts.
Interchange is the part of the fee paid to the bank that issued your customer's card. CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that interchange fees range from 1% to 3% and are nonnegotiable. In the UK, Stored reports interchange is capped at 0.2% for consumer debit cards and 0.3% for consumer credit cards.
An assessment fee is the charge card networks such as Visa and Mastercard add to each transaction. CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports base assessment costs ranging from 0.13% to 0.15% of each transaction. For the UK, Stored describes scheme fees of approximately 0.02% to 0.2% charged on top of interchange.
The markup is the part of the fee your payment processor keeps for handling the transaction. Unlike interchange, the markup is set by the processor, so it is the piece that differs most between providers. NerdWallet gives 0.4% plus 8 cents as an example of a consistent interchange-plus markup.
Your effective rate is your total processing fees divided by your total card sales, shown as a percentage. It folds percentage fees, per-transaction fees and monthly fees into one number, which makes it the fairest way to compare two offers. The calculator on this site's home page works it out from your own figures.
Typical credit card processing rates and fees range from 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, usually plus a flat per-transaction fee, according to both NerdWallet and CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Where you land depends on the pricing model, the card type, and whether the payment is taken online or in person.
Most small businesses pay between 1.5% and 3.5% of card sales, per NerdWallet, plus any per-transaction and monthly fees. As a worked example, $10,000 a month in sales at a flat 2.6% plus 10 cents, with a $40 average sale, costs $285 a month, or $3,420 a year. Use the calculator with your own statement figures.
No single provider is cheapest for every business, because the rate you pay depends on your card mix, average sale and sales channel. A flat rate can suit small, simple volumes, while interchange-plus can cost less as volume grows. Avendo routes each online transaction to the connected processor offering the best available rate at that moment.
Whether you can add a 3% card surcharge depends on where you trade and on card network rules, and the answer differs between countries and, in the US, between states. Some places ban surcharges or cap them at your actual cost of acceptance. Confirm with your payment processor and current local rules before adding one at checkout.
You cannot remove processing fees entirely if you accept cards, but you can lower them. Compare your effective rate against other offers, pick a pricing model that fits your volume, cut unused monthly fees, and send each payment to the lowest-cost route. Clearly Payments shows that cutting your effective rate by 0.20% saves $2,000 a year on $1,000,000 in card volume.
No major card type is free for the merchant to accept, because interchange and network fees apply to every card transaction. Debit cards usually cost less than credit cards: in the UK, Stored reports interchange caps of 0.2% for consumer debit and 0.3% for consumer credit. Premium and business cards often cost the merchant more.
Card processing always carries interchange and network fees, so truly free processing for the merchant is rare. Avendo does not bill or charge merchants directly; its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it works with. The processor that handles each transaction still applies its processing rate, which Avendo's routing aims to keep at the best available level.
Avendo does not publish a price on its homepage because it does not bill or charge merchants directly. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and payment processors, and your processing fees come from the processor that handles each transaction. To see what routing could mean for your volume, contact Avendo through the contact page at avendo.tech.
The flat per-transaction fee covers the fixed cost of handling each payment, whatever its size. NerdWallet's flat-rate example is 2.6% plus 10 cents. That fixed part hits small sales hardest: 10 cents is 1% of a $10 sale but only 0.1% of a $100 sale, so a low average ticket raises your effective rate.
Multiply your monthly card sales by the percentage rate, then add the per-transaction fee multiplied by your number of transactions, then add any fixed monthly fees. Divide the total by your card sales for your effective rate. For example, $10,000 at 2.6% plus 10 cents across 250 sales is $260 plus $25, or $285.
Divide your monthly card sales by your average sale amount. A business taking $10,000 a month with an average sale of $40 processes about 250 transactions. Your processor's monthly statement or dashboard usually lists the exact count, which gives a more accurate estimate when your sale sizes vary widely.
You need four figures: total card sales for the month, number of transactions, total fees charged, and any fixed monthly or account fees. Dividing total fees by total sales gives your current effective rate. Clearly Payments suggests computing these for the last 90 days before you change anything, so one unusual month does not skew the picture.
A fee calculator gives an estimate, not a quote. It applies the rate you enter evenly to every sale, while real statements vary by card type, sales channel and refunds. Use your actual effective rate from recent statements for the closest match, and treat the result as a planning figure rather than a financial decision.
Multiply your estimated monthly fees by 12. At $285 a month, yearly fees come to $3,420. If your sales are seasonal, add up each month separately instead. Small rate changes compound at volume: Clearly Payments shows that a 0.20% lower effective rate saves $2,000 a year on $1,000,000 in card volume.
Add the per-transaction fee to the amount you want to receive, then divide by one minus your percentage rate. To net $100 at 2.6% plus 10 cents, that is $100.10 divided by 0.974, or about $102.77. Check local surcharge rules before showing a separate card fee, since some places restrict them.
Avendo provides credit card processing for e-commerce businesses. Its platform connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and automatically routes each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time. Merchants also get clearer pricing and processing reports, so they can see what card acceptance costs them.
Multi-processor routing means one checkout is connected to several payment processors, and software decides which processor handles each transaction. Avendo makes that decision in real time based on the best available rate. A single-processor setup sends every payment to the same provider at the same contracted pricing, whatever the card or amount.
No. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, connecting them to multiple payment processors behind the scenes. That lets an online business keep the checkout its customers already know. For the steps involved with your specific store platform, contact Avendo through the contact page on avendo.tech.
Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways. PCI DSS is the card industry's data security standard, maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, and it sets requirements for handling cardholder data. Ask Avendo directly how compliance responsibilities are shared for your particular setup.
Avendo gives merchants clearer pricing and processing reports, so the cost of card acceptance is easier to read than a typical statement. Seeing fees clearly helps you track your effective rate over time, which is the number this site's calculator estimates. Contact Avendo for examples of what its reports include.
Avendo's stated focus is credit card processing for e-commerce businesses, connecting online checkouts to multiple processors. This guide does not have information about card machines or in-person terminals from Avendo. If you also take payments in person, ask Avendo through its contact page whether your setup fits.
Yes. Avendo serves small businesses through enterprise organizations, and small online businesses are its first priority. Because it works with existing checkout pages and does not bill merchants directly, a small store can look at routing without rebuilding its site. The calculator here helps small businesses size their current fees first.
The best online credit card processing for a small business is the option with the lowest effective rate for its own card mix, plus clear reporting and a compliant checkout. Compare offers using one effective rate per provider. Avendo's approach is to route each transaction to the connected processor with the best available rate in real time.
Yes. Avendo serves businesses from small businesses to enterprise organizations. Larger card volumes make small rate differences matter more: Clearly Payments shows a 0.20% cut in effective rate is worth $2,000 a year on $1,000,000 in volume. Enterprise teams can contact Avendo to discuss routing across processors.
Businesses with many small sales often pay the highest effective rates, because the flat per-transaction fee is a bigger share of a small ticket. Clearly Payments singles out any business with lots of sub-$50 tickets. Run the calculator with your real average sale to see how much the per-transaction fee adds to your costs.
Interchange-plus pricing tends to make sense once card volume is steady and large enough that a lower markup outweighs the simplicity of a flat rate. It passes through interchange at cost and adds a consistent markup, such as NerdWallet's example of 0.4% plus 8 cents. Compare both models in the calculator using your own numbers.
Neither is better for everyone. Flat-rate pricing, such as NerdWallet's example of 2.6% plus 10 cents, is predictable and simple for low or irregular volume. Interchange-plus, such as 0.4% plus 8 cents on top of interchange, is more transparent and often cheaper at higher volume. Compare your effective rate under each.
Stored reports that Square charges 1.75% per in-person transaction in the UK, the same as Zettle by PayPal, while SumUp charges 1.69%. Those are UK in-person rates as published by Stored; online and other-country rates differ. Check Square's own pricing page for the current rate in your country and sales channel.
This guide does not have a sourced figure for Square's EFTPOS fees, which apply in Australia. The only Square rate cited here is the UK in-person rate of 1.75% reported by Stored. For Australian EFTPOS pricing, check Square's Australian pricing page directly, since rates vary by country and card type.
Debit card fees are usually lower than credit card fees. In the UK, Stored reports interchange caps of 0.2% for consumer debit cards and 0.3% for consumer credit cards. Your processor's markup and scheme fees are added on top, so check how your statement separates the two card types.
A single payment processor handles every transaction at its own contracted pricing. Avendo connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time. A single processor can still suit a business that wants one provider relationship and one contract.
Yes. Stored reports UK card payment fees typically range from 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction, depending on the provider, the type of card, and whether payment is taken in person or online. Online payments often carry different pricing from card machine payments, so compare rates for the channel you actually use.
Start by contacting Avendo through the contact page at avendo.tech/contact-us. It helps to have your last few processing statements ready, including total card sales, transaction count and total fees, so you can compare your current effective rate. Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so you do not need a new site to begin.
Check your effective rate for the last 90 days, any contract terms or early termination fees, how the new option connects to your checkout, and whether its processors are PCI DSS compliant. Compare offers on the same effective rate basis. Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.
Processing fees usually rise when your card mix shifts toward premium or business cards, your average sale drops, more payments come in online, or your provider changes its pricing. Compare your effective rate month by month to spot the change. Your statement's line items show whether interchange, network fees or the processor markup moved.
Processing statements are often hard to read because they list interchange categories, network fees, markups and monthly charges as many separate line items. The quickest check is total fees divided by total card sales, which gives your effective rate. Avendo provides merchants with clearer pricing and processing reports to make this easier.
You can often negotiate the processor markup and monthly fees, but not interchange: CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce notes that interchange fees are nonnegotiable. Bring your effective rate and volume figures to any conversation, and compare offers on the same basis so a lower headline rate does not hide higher fixed fees.
It depends on your processor. Some processors keep part or all of the original fee when you refund a payment, while others return it. Check your provider's terms or statement to see how refunds are handled, and include refunded volume when you work out your true effective rate.
Avendo's team can talk through your statements and checkout setup.
