FAQ
Smart transaction routing FAQ
Last updated: November 2026
This FAQ answers 42 common questions about smart transaction routing, payment gateway routing, processing costs, and how Avendo works.
Answers come from Avendo's own description of its service and from cited published sources. Where a detail is not published, the answer says so and explains how to confirm it with Avendo. For the full explanation, read the smart transaction routing guide.
On this page
What is smart transaction routing?
Smart transaction routing is the practice of sending each card payment to the processor best suited to it at that moment, instead of sending every payment to one fixed processor. Avendo applies it to cost: its platform connects your checkout to multiple payment processors and routes each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time.
What smart transaction routing is
What is payment gateway routing?
Payment gateway routing is the logic that decides which gateway or processor receives a transaction after a customer clicks pay. Simple setups have one fixed route. A smart routing payment gateway evaluates several connected processors and picks one per transaction. Avendo picks the processor with the best available rate and works only with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways.
Is smart routing the same as payment orchestration?
Not exactly. Payment orchestration usually describes a broad layer that manages many providers, payment methods, and workflows, while smart routing is the decision step inside it that chooses where each payment goes. Avendo focuses on that routing decision for card processing, choosing among connected processors by best available rate, and adds clearer pricing and processing reports for merchants.
How is smart routing different from using a single processor?
With a single processor, every transaction pays that processor’s price, whatever the card or the moment. With smart routing, several processors are connected and each transaction can go to a different one. Avendo uses this to send each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time, instead of tying a merchant to one rate card.
What does real time mean in transaction routing?
Real time means the routing decision is made for each transaction at the moment it is submitted, not set once in a contract or a monthly configuration. In Avendo’s case, the platform looks at the connected processors for every transaction and sends it to the one offering the best available rate at that moment.
What are payment routing decisions usually based on?
Across the industry, routing decisions are commonly based on processing cost, card type, issuer country, currency, and processor performance. Financial IT gives a rules example: UK-issued debit over £100 goes to acquirer A, then B. Avendo’s stated routing goal is cost: each transaction goes to the processor offering the best available rate in real time.
Pricing and cost
How much does Avendo cost?
Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it routes to. Avendo’s homepage does not publish a price, so to confirm how this applies to your volume and card mix, contact Avendo through the contact page on avendo.tech.
How does Avendo make money if it does not charge merchants?
Avendo states that its compensation is handled between Avendo and payment processors, not billed to the merchant. Merchants pay processing costs through the processors their transactions are routed to, and Avendo is compensated on the processor side. For the specifics of your arrangement, ask Avendo’s team during onboarding.
What is the typical credit card processing cost?
Costs vary by processor, card type, and pricing model. As a market reference, Beast Insights reports that US merchants paid a record $198.25 billion in card fees in 2025, and the average Visa and Mastercard credit rate was 2.36%. Your own effective rate depends on your card mix and which processor handles each transaction.
What are typical rates for credit card processing?
Published market data puts the average Visa and Mastercard credit rate at 2.36% in 2025, according to Beast Insights. Actual rates differ by processor, card brand, card type, and whether the card is present. Because rates differ across processors, routing each transaction to the one with the best available rate is how Avendo aims to lower cost.
Can smart routing really lower credit card processing costs?
It can when processors price the same transaction differently. With several processors connected, sending each transaction to the one with the best available rate avoids paying one processor’s price on every sale. That is Avendo’s model. How much you save depends on your volume, card mix, and processor pricing, so no fixed saving is promised here.
What is the cheapest credit card processing for a small business?
There is no single cheapest processor for every business, because pricing varies by card type, ticket size, and volume. A routing approach compares connected processors per transaction instead of betting on one. Avendo routes each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time and does not bill merchants directly.
Are there setup fees with Avendo?
Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly, and its homepage does not list setup fees or a price. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and payment processors. To confirm whether any processor-side fees apply to your account, ask Avendo during your application through its contact page.
What makes credit card processing fees go up or down?
Across the industry, fees tend to rise with premium rewards and corporate cards, card-not-present sales, cross-border cards, and chargebacks, and fall with debit cards and steadier volume. These are general patterns, not Avendo price lists. Which processor handles a transaction also matters, which is why Avendo routes each one by best available rate.
How it works
How does Avendo route transactions?
Avendo connects your checkout to multiple payment processors. When a customer pays, the platform compares the connected processors and routes that transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time. Merchants then see the results in clearer pricing and processing reports, so they can understand what each transaction cost.
Does Avendo replace my checkout page?
No. Avendo works with existing checkout pages. Your customers keep the checkout they already use, and Avendo connects that checkout to multiple processors behind the scenes. The exact connection method for your e-commerce platform or custom checkout is confirmed with Avendo during onboarding.
Which payment processors does Avendo connect to?
Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant payment processors and gateways. It does not publish a full processor list on its homepage. For the processors available to your business type and region, contact Avendo through the contact page on avendo.tech.
What reports does Avendo provide?
Avendo provides merchants with clearer pricing and processing reports. The aim is to show what processing actually costs across the processors your transactions were routed to, so pricing is easier to follow than on a single processor statement. Existing merchants reach their reports by signing in to the Avendo merchant dashboard.
Does smart routing slow down checkout?
Routing is a decision made while the payment is processed, not an extra screen for your customer. Avendo routes each transaction in real time inside your existing checkout flow. Avendo does not publish latency figures on its homepage, so if checkout speed is critical for your store, ask Avendo about expected timing for your setup.
What happens if a payment is declined?
A decline returns to your checkout as it would with any processor, and the customer can retry or use another card. Industry data shows a second processor can help: Beast Insights cites Primer data that an instant retry on a different processor recovers about 20% of declines, versus 2% on the same merchant account. Ask Avendo how declines work in your setup.
Is customer card data safe with smart routing?
Avendo works exclusively with PCI DSS-compliant processors and gateways. PCI DSS is the card industry security standard for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. Every processor in an Avendo routing setup is held to that standard. You can read the standard itself on the PCI Security Standards Council website.
Who it is for
Is Avendo good for small businesses?
Small businesses are Avendo’s first focus. Avendo serves small businesses through enterprise organizations, works with existing checkout pages, and does not bill merchants directly. For a small online store, that means access to multi-processor routing without building payment infrastructure or adding a separate monthly bill from Avendo.
What is the best online credit card processing for a small business?
The best option depends on your card mix, ticket size, and how much time you want to spend managing processors. If your goal is lower processing cost without switching checkout, a routing service like Avendo, which sends each transaction to the processor with the best available rate, is worth comparing against a single-processor plan.
Do I need a developer to use Avendo?
Avendo works with existing checkout pages, so many small businesses do not need to rebuild anything. Whether a developer is needed depends on how your checkout is built: hosted e-commerce platforms usually need less work than fully custom checkouts. Avendo confirms the steps for your setup during onboarding.
Can enterprise organizations use Avendo?
Yes. Avendo serves businesses from small online stores through enterprise organizations. Larger merchants process more transactions, so small rate differences between processors add up faster across their volume. Enterprise teams should contact Avendo to discuss processor connections and reporting needs.
Is Avendo only for e-commerce?
Avendo provides credit card processing for e-commerce businesses, and its routing connects online checkouts to multiple processors. Its main site also has pages for industries including beauty and care, food and beverage, fashion, pet care, health and fitness, entertainment, and industrial equipment. For in-person payment needs, confirm with Avendo directly.
What should platform partners know about Avendo?
Platforms that run checkouts for many merchants should know that Avendo works with existing checkout pages, connects to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors, and does not bill merchants directly. Partnership terms are not published on Avendo’s homepage, so platforms should contact Avendo to discuss integration and commercial details.
Compared to alternatives
Is smart routing better than a single payment processor?
For cost, it can be when processors price transactions differently, because each payment can go to the cheapest available route. A single processor is simpler and fits merchants who value one relationship over possible savings, or whose volume is too small for rate gaps to matter. Avendo is built for merchants who want routing without extra complexity.
What is the difference between rules-based and machine learning routing?
Rules-based routing follows conditions a person writes, such as card country or amount thresholds. Machine learning routing predicts a route from past transaction outcomes. Financial IT reports that after Twilio switched providers its authorization rate rose 10%, with roughly 1% credited to a machine-learning retry tool. Avendo describes its routing as choosing the best available rate in real time.
Should I use a payment orchestration platform or a routing service?
Orchestration platforms suit teams that want to manage many providers, payment methods, and workflows themselves, often with engineering support. A routing service like Avendo suits merchants who mainly want each card transaction sent to the processor with the best available rate, through their existing checkout, without building or maintaining that layer.
How does Avendo compare to other credit card processing companies?
Many credit card processing companies are a single processor with their own rate card. Avendo works differently: it connects your checkout to multiple processors and routes each transaction to the one with the best available rate in real time, and it does not bill merchants directly. Compare effective rates, reporting, and checkout fit when choosing.
Can I keep my current processor with Avendo?
Possibly. Avendo connects checkouts to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors, and whether your current processor can be one of them depends on the connections Avendo has available. Ask Avendo during your application whether your existing processor can be part of your routing setup.
Getting started
How do I sign up for Avendo?
Start with the registration or contact page on avendo.tech. Avendo describes a simplified credit card processing application with fast onboarding. After you apply, Avendo confirms how your existing checkout will connect to its processors and sets up access to the merchant dashboard.
How long does it take to start routing transactions?
Avendo describes its application as offering fast onboarding but does not publish a fixed timeline. Timing generally depends on processor underwriting and on how your checkout connects. Ask Avendo for an estimate based on your platform and business type when you apply.
What information do I need to apply for card processing?
Card processing applications generally ask for business registration details, owner information, a bank account for payouts, and recent processing history if you have it, because processors use them for underwriting. This is general industry practice. Avendo’s application page lists its specific requirements, and its team can help through the contact page.
Where do I log in to Avendo?
Existing merchants sign in through the Avendo merchant dashboard on avendo.tech. The dashboard is where pricing and processing reports are available. If you cannot reach your account, contact Avendo’s merchant support team through the contact page.
Who do I contact with questions about smart routing?
Contact Avendo through its contact page at avendo.tech/contact-us. Avendo’s team can answer questions about how routing applies to your checkout, which processors are available, and how its compensation works with processors.
Problems and troubleshooting
Why are my credit card processing fees so high?
High fees usually come from a costly card mix, card-not-present pricing, cross-border sales, or a processor rate card that does not fit your business. Being tied to one processor means paying its price on every sale. Reviewing an itemized processing report is the first step, and Avendo’s reports are designed to make pricing clearer.
Why do some payments get declined at one processor but not another?
Processors and their acquiring banks differ in risk models, issuer relationships, and regional coverage, so outcomes vary. Beast Insights cites Spreedly’s 2023 data showing decline rates ranging from 2.8% to 98% across 106 US-dollar gateways. That spread is one reason merchants connect more than one processor.
What happens if a payment processor has an outage?
With a single processor, an outage usually stops card payments until it recovers. Multi-processor setups can, in principle, route around a provider that is unavailable. Avendo connects checkouts to multiple processors, but it does not describe outage handling on its homepage, so confirm how your setup behaves with Avendo before going live.
Will switching to smart routing disrupt my store?
Because Avendo works with existing checkout pages, customers keep the same checkout experience, and the main change happens behind the scenes in how transactions reach processors. Plan the switch for a quieter sales period, run a few test transactions, and confirm the go-live steps with Avendo during onboarding.
How do I check whether routing is saving me money?
Compare your effective rate, meaning total processing fees divided by total card sales, before and after routing over a similar period and card mix. Avendo provides clearer pricing and processing reports that show what each transaction cost, which makes this comparison easier to run month by month.