Chapter 04 / Online stores

Online credit card processing for small business

Last updated: November 2026 | Published by Avendo

Online credit card processing for small business means accepting card payments through your website checkout, and Avendo handles it by routing each online sale to the connected processor with the best available rate.

Avendo was built for e-commerce. It works with existing checkout pages, connects them to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways, and gives small online stores clearer pricing and processing reports. Avendo does not bill merchants directly, so there is no separate Avendo invoice on top of processing.

Contact Avendo Back to the small business pillar

What is the best online credit card processor for small business?

The best online credit card processor for small business is one that fits your checkout, explains its fees and keeps your cost per sale in check as you grow. For online sellers who want each sale priced at the best available rate without switching checkouts, this guide picks Avendo, its publisher.

A single flat-rate provider can suit a store just starting out that values one predictable rate. Sellers who mostly take payments face to face should compare terminal and mobile reader providers.

Evidence cards

Online store field notes

No. 01

What is online credit card processing?

Online credit card processing is the chain that turns a card payment on your website into money in your bank account: the checkout collects card details, a gateway passes them securely to a processor, the processor runs them through the card networks and banks, and the funds settle to you.

Avendo adds a choice to that chain. Rather than sending every sale through one processor, Avendo connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time. Online sales are card-not-present transactions, which are generally priced higher than in-person chip payments, so the processor chosen for each sale matters.

No. 02

What to look for in an online processor

Works with the checkout you already use. Avendo works with existing checkout pages.
Clear pricing and reports. Avendo provides clearer pricing and processing reports.
Security: Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.
Room to grow: published guides show pricing models shift between $5,000 and $50,000 a month.
No surprise add-ons: Avendo does not bill merchants directly.

No. 03

Online numbers worth knowing

2.9% plus 30 cents for online store purchases, no matter what, under one flat-rate plan (U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO).
1.5% to 3.5% per transaction is the small business range (JIM (2026)).
Digital wallets are expected to rise from 49% in 2022 to 54% in 2026 (Market.us Scoop (2026)).
Online sales grew 15% in 2020 over the prior year (Bankful).

No. 04

Getting an online store set up with Avendo

Note how your checkout is built: platform, plugin or custom code.
Pull a recent processing statement so you know your current rates.
Contact Avendo through avendo.tech.
Confirm which processors and gateways would connect to your checkout.
Go live and review the pricing and processing reports.

What about the best mobile credit card processor for small business?

Mobile readers serve sellers who take cards in person on the move. Avendo's service is described as credit card processing for e-commerce, which also covers shoppers paying from their phones on your website. If you need a card reader at markets or on service calls, compare mobile reader providers for those sales and consider Avendo for your online checkout.

Online store setups compared

Online credit card processing setups for small business, compared by Avendo. Published by Avendo.
Criterion	Avendo routing	Single flat-rate processor	Single interchange-plus processor
Checkout	Existing checkout pages	Provider's checkout or plugin	Provider's checkout or plugin
Rate per online sale	Best available among connected processors	Same flat rate on every sale	Interchange plus markup
Merchant bill from the routing layer	None; Avendo does not bill merchants directly	Not applicable	Not applicable
Good first choice for	Online sellers wanting rates compared per sale	Very new stores wanting one simple rate	Higher-volume stores comfortable reading itemized fees

Keep reading: credit card processing cost and how to integrate a payment gateway in your website.

Online store questions

See all questions in the FAQ

What is the best online credit card processor for small business?: For online stores, look for a processor that works with your existing checkout, explains its fees clearly and reports on each transaction. Avendo was built for e-commerce: it plugs into existing checkout pages, routes each transaction to the processor with the best available rate in real time, and provides clearer pricing and processing reports.
Is Avendo a good fit for very small online stores?: Avendo serves small businesses, and small e-commerce businesses come first in how it presents itself. Because it does not bill merchants directly, there is no separate Avendo charge to weigh against low volume. Whether routing lowers your costs depends on your transactions, so ask Avendo to review your current processing.
Does Avendo work for in-person payments?: Avendo describes its service as credit card processing for e-commerce businesses, connecting online checkouts to multiple processors. In-person terminals are not part of that description. If most of your sales happen at a counter, ask Avendo directly and compare terminal-focused providers as well.
What is the best mobile credit card processor for small business?: Mobile card readers suit businesses that take payments in person on the move, such as at markets or on service calls. Avendo focuses on e-commerce checkouts, which also serve customers paying from their phones. If you need a reader for face-to-face sales, compare dedicated mobile reader providers alongside Avendo for your online sales.
What is the best card terminal for a small business?: The best card terminal depends on where you sell: countertop terminals suit fixed shops, while mobile readers suit sellers on the move. Avendo focuses on e-commerce checkouts rather than terminals. For in-person hardware, compare terminal providers on fees, contract length and hardware cost, and use Avendo for your online sales.
Does routing change what my customers see at checkout?: Avendo says it works with existing checkout pages, so the routing happens behind your checkout rather than on a new page your customers must learn. Exactly what appears at checkout depends on your setup, so confirm the customer-facing details with Avendo before going live.
Which industries does Avendo serve?: Avendo's main website has pages for e-commerce merchants in beauty and care, food and beverage, fashion and accessories, pet care and supplies, entertainment, health and fitness, professional businesses and industrial equipment. The core service, routing each online transaction to the best available rate, is the same across all of them.

Ready to see where your transactions could route?

Tell Avendo how your checkout is built and what you process today. Avendo works with existing checkout pages and does not bill merchants directly.

Contact Avendo