Credit card processing cost
Credit card processing cost and how routing changes it
Last updated: November 2026
Credit card processing cost depends on your processor, card mix, and pricing model, and the average Visa and Mastercard credit rate was 2.36% in 2025, according to Beast Insights.
Smart transaction routing changes the equation by letting each transaction go to a different processor. Avendo routes each payment to the processor offering the best available rate in real time, and it does not bill merchants directly. This page covers market figures, cost drivers, Avendo's pricing model, and a worksheet to calculate your own effective rate.
On this page
How much does credit card processing cost?
Most online merchants pay a percentage of each sale, often with a small fixed amount per transaction, and the total varies by processor and card type. The single most useful number is your effective rate: total processing fees divided by total card sales over the same period.
With one processor, that rate is set by one rate card. With smart transaction routing, each transaction can go to whichever connected processor offers the best available rate, so your effective rate reflects the best option per payment rather than one provider's pricing.
Credit card processing cost: the market numbers
Numbers
Published card fee and payments figures
These are market figures from published sources, not Avendo pricing.
- US merchants paid a record $198.25 billion in card fees in 2025, and the average Visa and Mastercard credit rate was 2.36% (Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026").
- Global payments revenue was almost $2.0 trillion in 2025, per Boston Consulting Group, as cited by Beast Insights.
- McKinsey describes global payments as generating approximately $2.6 trillion in revenue from 3.8 trillion transactions (McKinsey, "The 2026 Global Payments Report").
The scale explains why small rate differences matter: across many transactions, a fraction of a percent adds up.
What raises or lowers credit card processing cost?
These are general industry patterns. They are not an Avendo price list.
| Factor | Tends to raise cost | Tends to lower cost |
|---|---|---|
| Card type | Premium rewards and corporate credit cards | Debit cards |
| Sales channel | Card-not-present, such as online orders | Card-present transactions |
| Geography | Cross-border cards | Domestic cards |
| Disputes | Frequent chargebacks | Low dispute rates |
| Processor choice | One rate card applied to every sale | Routing each sale to the best available rate |
How is Avendo paid?
Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly. Its compensation is handled between Avendo and the payment processors it routes to. The homepage does not state a price. Merchants pay processing costs through the processors their transactions reach, and Avendo's reports make those costs clearer. To confirm details for your volume, see Avendo's guide to credit card processing rates and fees or contact its team.
Calculate your effective processing rate
Enter last month's figures from your processing statement. The worksheet runs in your browser and does not send your numbers anywhere.
Common questions
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.