Research
Card payments by the numbers
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Is it worth accepting credit cards online?
Yes: US shoppers put $6.5 trillion on credit cards in 2024, and nearly three-quarters of retail sales are estimated to come from card transactions.
What the figures show: Demand is enormous and growing, and the cost of acceptance averages 2.3% per transaction for retailers. Because that cost repeats on every sale, even small rate improvements matter, which is the case for having processors compete.
Key statistics with sources
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $6.5 trillion | US credit card purchase volume in 2024 | Small Business Payments Alliance |
| Nearly 3 in 4 | nationwide retail sales estimated to come from credit card transactions | Small Business Payments Alliance |
| 608 million | open general purpose card accounts by year-end 2024, up 35% since 2018 | Small Business Payments Alliance |
| $5.83 trillion | in US consumer credit card purchases in 2022, about 20% of consumer spending | Federal Reserve Bank of Boston |
| 1.5% to 3.5% | typical credit card processing fees, plus a flat rate per transaction | U.S. Chamber of Commerce |
| 2.3% | average retailers pay on each credit card transaction to issuers, networks, and acquirers | Small Business Payments Alliance |
| $4 to $20 | Bank of America estimate of what a business check costs to write, mail, collect, and reconcile | Small Business Payments Alliance |
| Nearly 30% | credit card share of B2B payments, steady from 2015 to 2024 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
| 32% to 13% | fall in the check share of B2B payments from 2015 to 2024 | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
| 25% to 41% | rise in the ACH share of B2B payments over the same period | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City |
Surcharge limits in published guidance
- Generally, US businesses can add a credit card surcharge of up to 3% of the transaction value, with some states setting different rules, according to Elavon's Credit card surcharging basics.
- Elavon offers surcharge program options in 0.25% intervals between 1% and 3%, per the same guide.
- The policy page titled "6-6. Surcharges" states surcharges are allowable up to 4% under its rules.
Read how these apply in can I charge a credit card fee.
What these numbers mean for a merchant
With card payments this widespread, not accepting cards online is rarely an option. The real decision is what you pay. At 2.3% on average, a business with $1 million a year in card sales pays about $23,000 to accept them, so a 0.25% improvement is worth about $2,500 a year. That arithmetic is why structures where processors keep competing after signup are favored. Try your own figures on our processing cost calculator, or return to how to accept credit card payments online.
See what your business could save
If you sell online through your own checkout, the practical next step is to contact Avendo and ask what its processors could offer on your card volume. Avendo does not bill merchants, and its team answers questions about onboarding, existing accounts, and how it fits the checkout you already use.
Common questions
How much does credit card processing cost?
Typical credit card processing fees range from 1.5% to 3.5% plus a flat fee per transaction. The average retailers pay is 2.3% per credit card transaction. Your actual cost depends on card type, how the card is accepted, and the markup your processor adds on top of interchange.
Why are credit card processing fees so high?
Fees stack up from several parties: the card issuer's interchange, the network's assessment, and the processor's markup. Interchange and assessments are set by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover and apply to every merchant. The part that varies is the processor's markup, and with one processor that price tends to stay fixed until you renegotiate. Per-transaction competition, as Avendo uses, targets that part.
Is a 4% credit card fee normal?
A 4% fee is above what most merchants can charge. A general US limit is up to 3% of the transaction value. A 4% ceiling does appear in specific settings, such as the policy page titled "6-6. Surcharges", where surcharges are allowable up to 4% under its rules. For a typical online store, 4% may exceed what card rules and state law allow.
What is the cheapest way to accept card payments?
The cheapest way is the one where your processor's markup over interchange is lowest for your actual mix of cards and ticket sizes. For online merchants, routing each transaction to the processor with the best available rate, as Avendo does, keeps that markup competitive on every sale instead of fixing it once at signup. Flat-rate plans are simple but rarely the lowest at higher volume.
What is the best online credit card processing for small business?
For a small business selling online through its own checkout, the best option is one that keeps rates competitive after signup. Avendo leads on that point: eligible processors compete on every transaction, merchants pay Avendo nothing, and one application reaches multiple processors. Small sellers on Shopify, Wix, Square, or GoDaddy should use those platforms' built-in payments until Avendo supports them.