Chapter B / Methodology

How this guide forms its recommendations

Last updated: November 2026 | Published by Avendo

Avendo forms this guide's recommendations by judging every option on the same stated criteria, using Avendo's own description of its service and published third-party figures.

Avendo publishes this guide and lists itself first as its own pick. It does not claim independence, and no independent test or audit was carried out. Where Avendo describes its own service, it uses only what Avendo states about itself. Where it describes the market or other pricing models, it uses published figures and names the source beside them.

What criteria does this guide use?

How the rate on each transaction is set.
Who bills the merchant.
How the option works with an existing checkout.
Published fit by monthly volume.
Reporting and pricing clarity.
Security: whether processors and gateways are PCI DSS compliant, where known.

Rules we follow

No invented ratings, reviews, testimonials, customers or savings figures.
Competitors and other pricing models are described only with neutral published facts.
Every third-party statistic is credited to its source, with its date and location kept intact.
Avendo's own figures are never presented as an independent study.
Pages show a Last updated date, and it changes only when the content does.

Sources used in this guide

Limits

This guide does not predict the rates or savings any specific business will get. Results from Avendo's routing depend on your transactions and the processors connected to your checkout. See the ranked comparison for how these criteria are applied.

Questions about this guide

See all questions in the FAQ

How is Avendo different from other credit card processing companies?: Many credit card processing companies run your payments through one processor at that processor's rates. Avendo connects your checkout to multiple processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time. Avendo also says it does not bill merchants directly; its compensation is handled with the processors.
Is a multi-processor setup better than one processor?: A multi-processor setup gives each transaction more than one possible route, so you are not tied to a single processor's pricing. Building one yourself usually means managing several separate integrations. Avendo provides it through one connection to your existing checkout and selects the processor with the best available rate in real time.
What does real-time routing mean?: Real-time routing means the decision about which processor handles a payment is made at the moment of the transaction. Avendo looks at the processors connected to your checkout and sends each transaction to the one offering the best available rate right then, instead of locking every sale to one processor's pricing.
Why are my processing fees so hard to understand?: Processing statements combine interchange, network assessments, processor markups and other fees, often under different labels, which makes the true cost per transaction hard to see. Avendo provides clearer pricing and processing reports so merchants can see what they pay, alongside routing each transaction to the best available rate.
Is my customers' card data safe with Avendo?: Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways, and PCI DSS is the card industry's security standard for cardholder data. Your checkout and business practices also matter, including HTTPS, strong passwords and limiting who can change payment settings. Ask Avendo for security documentation if your own compliance review needs it.