Last updated November 2026

Card processing by the numbers

Retailers pay an average of 2.3% on each credit card transaction, and US merchants paid a record $198.25 billion in card fees in 2025.

The Avendo Onboarding Hub collects published statistics on card use, fees, and processor approvals for small e-commerce merchants. Each figure is quoted as published with its source. None are Avendo's own results; they explain why routing across multiple processors is worth considering.

Card use

How much do customers pay by credit card?

Cards are how most retail spending happens, which is why a working card checkout matters for any online store.

Card use statistics with sources
Figure	What it measures	Source
608 million	Open general purpose card accounts in the US by year-end 2024, a 35% increase since 2018.Source: Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"	Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"
$6.5 trillion	Credit card purchase volume in 2024. Industry estimates suggest nearly three-quarters of nationwide retail sales come from credit card transactions.Source: Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"	Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"
$4 to $20	Bank of America estimate of what a business check can cost, counting the check, shipping, and staff time to write, mail, collect, and reconcile it.Source: Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"	Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"

Fees

How much do merchants pay in card fees?

Fees average a little over 2% per credit transaction, and most of that is interchange rather than processor markup.

Fees statistics with sources
Figure	What it measures	Source
2.3%	Average retailers pay on each credit card transaction to issuers, networks, and acquirers.Source: Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"	Small Business Payments Alliance, "Generating Value: The Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards"
2.36%	Average Visa and Mastercard credit rate in 2025.Source: Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"	Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"
$198.25 billion	Record card fees paid by US merchants in 2025.Source: Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"	Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"
75% to 90%	Share of total credit card processing fees that comes from interchange, a component often left unexamined.Source: Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"	Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"
10% to 25%	Share of total credit card processing fees that is the processor markup, where most negotiation happens.Source: Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"	Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"
0.11% to 0.15%	Typical card network assessment, generally non-negotiable but not always flat.Source: Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"	Revolution Payments, "Credit Card Processing Fees in 2026"

Approvals

Does the processor you choose change approvals?

Published data shows wide differences between gateways, which is part of the case for having more than one processor.

Approvals statistics with sources
Figure	What it measures	Source
2.8% to 98%	Range of decline rates across 106 US-dollar gateways in Spreedly 2023 data, showing that the processor you pick moves approvals.Source: Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"	Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"
20% vs 2%	Share of declines recovered by an instant retry on a different processor, compared with a retry on the same merchant account (Primer).Source: Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"	Beast Insights, "Payment Processing Statistics 2026"

What these numbers mean for a small online store

Three things stand out. Card payments are the norm, so accepting them is not optional for e-commerce. Fees are a meaningful cost, and most of each fee is interchange, which a single processor relationship does little to change. And processors differ, both in pricing and in outcomes such as declines.

Avendo's response is to connect your existing checkout to multiple PCI DSS-compliant processors and route each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time, with clearer reports on what you paid.

Sources

Start your registration Contact Avendo

New here? Read the Avendo credit card processing application guide for the full picture, from routing to registration.

Common questions

All questions in the FAQ

How much does credit card processing cost?: Retailers pay an average of 2.3% on each credit card transaction, according to the Small Business Payments Alliance. Beast Insights reports the average Visa and Mastercard credit rate was 2.36% in 2025. Your own cost depends on card types, transaction size, and the processor that handles each sale, which is the variable Avendo routing is built around.
What makes up the rates for credit card processing?: Rates have three main parts: interchange paid to card issuers, network assessments, and the processor markup. Revolution Payments reports interchange is 75 to 90 percent of total fees, the markup is 10 to 25 percent, and assessments are generally 0.11% to 0.15%. Different processors can price the same transaction differently, which is why per-transaction routing matters.
Why are my credit card processing fees so high?: Fees are high across the market: Beast Insights reports US merchants paid a record $198.25 billion in card fees in 2025. Most of each fee is interchange, which Revolution Payments puts at 75 to 90 percent of the total. Avendo routes each sale to the connected processor with the best available rate and reports pricing more clearly.
Why connect a checkout to more than one processor?: Because processors differ on price and on outcomes. Beast Insights cites Spreedly 2023 data showing decline rates from 2.8% to 98% across 106 US-dollar gateways, and Primer figures showing an instant retry on a different processor recovers about 20% of declines versus 2% on the same account. Avendo uses multiple processors to route each sale by best available rate.
Is accepting credit cards worth the fees compared with checks?: For most online stores, yes. Checks are not practical for e-commerce, and Bank of America estimates a business check can cost $4 to $20 once staff time is counted, per the Small Business Payments Alliance. The same source reports $6.5 trillion in credit card purchase volume in 2024. Card acceptance is what online customers expect.