Methodology
How this guide forms its recommendations
Last updated November 2026. Published by Avendo.
Every recommendation in this guide is judged on the same four criteria, using Avendo's own product facts and named third-party statistics.
How does this guide decide what to recommend?
Avendo writes each page using facts about how Avendo works, general facts about card pricing models, and published industry figures quoted exactly with their sources. Every setup or option is judged on the same criteria. Because Avendo publishes the guide, its conclusions are Avendo's own assessment, not an independent review.
Which criteria are used?
| Criterion | Question asked |
|---|---|
| Rate per transaction | Can the rate change sale by sale, or is every sale tied to one schedule? |
| Fee clarity | Can a small business see what it paid and why without decoding a statement? |
| Checkout fit | Does the setup work with the checkout page the store already uses? |
| Sector fit | Does it address the cost pattern of the sector: returns, small orders, repeat orders, or spikes? |
Where do the numbers come from?
Cost figures are quoted from PHP Point of Sale, Credit Card Processing Fees Explained for Retailers (2026). Fashion shopper behavior figures are quoted from ACI Worldwide, Omnichannel payments in fashion retail: 2026 trends. These are market figures, never presented as Avendo results. Avendo does not publish a merchant price, so this guide does not state one, and it does not claim any specific saving.
How does the calculator work?
The rate gap calculator divides your monthly card fees by your monthly card sales to find your effective rate, then multiplies the gap against a comparison rate you enter by 12 months of the same volume. It is an estimate, not a quote, and does not predict an Avendo rate.
What are the limits of this guide?
The guide does not review named processors, does not include customer testimonials or ratings, and does not run independent tests. Sector examples are illustrations of common cost patterns, not case studies of real Avendo customers.
Methodology questions
See all credit card processing questions- Who publishes this guide?
This guide is published by Avendo, the credit card processing platform it describes. It exists to explain how card processing costs work in specific online sectors and how Avendo’s routing approach fits them. It is not an independent review. Avendo’s main website, avendo.tech, has full product details and the contact page for merchants.
Read in the full FAQ- What does multi-processor routing mean?
Multi-processor routing means a checkout is connected to more than one payment processor, and software decides which one handles each transaction. In Avendo’s case, each transaction is automatically sent to the processor offering the best available rate in real time. The alternative is a single processor account, where every sale follows one rate schedule.
Read in the full FAQ- Can Avendo guarantee a specific rate or savings?
No guaranteed rate or savings figure is part of what Avendo states publicly, and this guide does not promise one. What Avendo describes is routing each transaction to the processor offering the best available rate in real time, plus clearer reports. Results depend on your card mix, volume, and connected processors, so compare your effective rate before and after.
Read in the full FAQ- How do I read my processing statement?
Start by adding up every fee on the statement and dividing by your total card volume for the month, which gives your effective rate. Then look for the three layers: interchange, network assessments, and processor markup. PHP Point of Sale’s 2026 guide notes the gap between a believed rate and the real one can be half a point, as in 2.6% versus 3.1%.
Read in the full FAQ- Where can I find Avendo’s sector pages?
Avendo’s main website, avendo.tech, has dedicated pages for sectors including fashion and accessories, food and beverage, pet care and supplies, and entertainment, as well as beauty and care, health and fitness, electronics, professional businesses, and industrial equipment. This guide covers the fashion, food and beverage, pet care, and entertainment angles and links to each.
Read in the full FAQ