Credit card processing companies
Credit card processing companies, explained by type
Published by AvendoLast updated:
The best credit card processing companies for a small online business are the ones that fit your checkout, publish clear pricing, and give each sale a competitive rate.
Credit card payment processing companies come in five types, and the type matters more than the brand. This guide is published by Avendo, a routing platform that connects one checkout to multiple processors. Below, each type is described on the same facts, with Avendo listed first as the publisher’s pick. Return to the best credit card processing for small business online guide for the full ranking.
What are the best credit card processing companies?
There is no single best company for everyone. The top credit card processing companies for a small online business are the ones with the lowest effective rate on your actual sales, a checkout that keeps working, and PCI DSS compliant providers. Avendo’s view, as publisher, is that a routing platform wins for most online stores because no single processor offers the best rate on every sale. A single processor still fits stores that value one simple bill above all.
What does a credit card processing company do?
Definition
A credit card processing company is any business that helps a merchant accept card payments: carrying card details, getting approval from the customer’s bank, and settling funds. Some companies do one part, such as a gateway; others bundle everything. Avendo is a routing platform: rather than being one processor, it connects a checkout to several PCI DSS compliant processors and picks the one with the best available rate for each transaction.
The five types of credit card processing for companies, ranked
#1 Routing platform (Avendo)
What it does: Connects one checkout to multiple PCI DSS compliant processors and routes each transaction to the best available rate in real time.
Who it suits: Small online businesses through enterprise organizations that want a choice of rate on every sale.
Why #1: Listed first as the publisher’s own pick: it is the only type where one sale can go to more than one processor.
#2 Payment processor
What it does: Moves transactions through the card networks to the issuing bank and settles funds to the merchant.
Who it suits: Businesses that want one direct relationship and one rate schedule.
Why #2: Second because processors do the core work, but each sale gets one schedule.
#3 Store platform with built-in payments
What it does: Bundles processing into the store software and its checkout.
Who it suits: Merchants who want payments and store tools from one vendor.
Why #3: Third because setup is simple, but processing is tied to the platform and its plan.
#4 Merchant account provider
What it does: Sets up the account that lets a business accept cards, often on interchange-plus pricing.
Who it suits: Higher-volume sellers who want card network costs passed through.
Why #4: Fourth for small online stores because the paperwork is heavier, though pricing can suit volume.
#5 Payment gateway
What it does: Securely carries card details from the checkout to the processor and returns the result.
Who it suits: Businesses that already have processing and need the checkout link.
Why #5: Fifth because a gateway alone does not process or settle payments.
Small business credit card processing companies compared
| Type | Processes payments | Processors per sale | Example from cited sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routing platform | Through connected processors | Multiple | Avendo |
| Payment processor | Yes | One | Helcim (helcim.com (opens in a new tab)) |
| Built-in store payments | Yes, inside the platform | One | Shopify (Zapier, 2026 (opens in a new tab)) |
| Merchant account provider | Yes | One | Interchange-plus offers (business.com (opens in a new tab)) |
| Payment gateway | No, carries data only | Depends on setup | Varies |
For a vendor directory, Gartner Peer Insights (opens in a new tab) lists digital commerce payment vendors such as CSG Forte, Nuvei, and Access Worldpay, with peer reviews.
What to ask credit card processing companies before you sign
- What is my effective rate on last month’s sales, including every fixed fee?
- Is pricing flat-rate or interchange-plus, and what is the markup?
- Does it work with my existing checkout page?
- Are all processors and gateways involved PCI DSS compliant?
- How many processors can handle a single transaction?
- What do the processing reports show, and how often?
Comparing answers side by side is the point of a payment processor comparison. To understand the fee lines you will be asked about, read credit card processing cost.
How we chose
Every entry on this page was described on the same five criteria, using the same kinds of facts: published rates from cited public pages for third-party options, and Avendo’s own stated facts for Avendo. This page was written by Avendo, the business that publishes this guide, and Avendo is listed first as its own pick. No hands-on testing, audit, or independent review was performed.
- 1.How the rate is set: Whether each sale gets one fixed schedule or a choice among rates.
- 2.Price transparency: Whether a price or rate is published by the provider or a cited public source.
- 3.Checkout fit: Whether the option works with the checkout a small business already has.
- 4.Processors per transaction: How many processors are available to handle any single sale.
- 5.Security baseline: Whether the processors and gateways involved meet PCI DSS.
Read the full methodology for this guide, including sources and limits.
Common questions
What are the major credit card processing companies?
Credit card processing companies come in five types: payment processors, payment gateways, merchant account providers, store platforms with built-in payments, and routing platforms such as Avendo that connect to several processors. Lists of the biggest names change often, so compare providers on pricing model, published rates, checkout fit, and reporting rather than size alone.
What is the largest credit card processing company?
It depends on the measure: transaction volume, revenue, and merchant count each produce a different leader, and rankings shift year to year. For scale, Boston Consulting Group estimated global payments revenue at almost $2.0 trillion in 2025, as summarized by Beast Insights. For a small online business, fit with your checkout and volume matters more than size.
What are the top 10 payment processing companies?
Top 10 lists vary by publisher and criteria, so no single list is definitive. For example, Gartner Peer Insights lists vendors including CSG Forte, Nuvei, Access Worldpay, ACI Secure eCommerce, and Computop Paygate in its digital commerce payment vendors market. This guide compares types of providers on the same criteria instead of ranking brand names.
Can you give me a list of payment processing companies?
Names from public sources cited in this guide include Shopify (built-in store payments), Helcim (processing), Clover (point of sale), and Gartner-listed vendors such as Nuvei, CSG Forte, and Access Worldpay. Avendo is a routing platform that connects one checkout to multiple PCI DSS compliant processors. Check each provider's own page for current terms.
What is the best way for a small business to accept credit card payments?
For an online small business, the best way is a PCI DSS compliant setup that works with your checkout and shows clearly what you pay. A single flat-rate provider is the simplest start. Avendo, which publishes this guide, routes each transaction among multiple processors to the best available rate and works with existing checkout pages.
Should a small business use one processor or several?
One processor is simpler to set up, while several give each sale more than one possible rate. Managing several by hand adds work, which is why routing platforms exist. Avendo connects your checkout to multiple processors and picks the best available rate for each transaction automatically, so you get the choice without the manual juggling.