Braintree (PayPal Enterprise Payments)
Payment Processor
TL;DR
Braintree offers a wide array of services: online and mobile payment acceptance (cards, digital wallets, PayPal, Venmo), developer SDKs and APIs for multiple languages, tokenization, vaulting of customer payment methods, recurring billing and subscription support, global currency and merchant account support, integrations with major ecommerce platforms. Its feature set is strong and comprehensive for merchants that need more than “plug & play” minimal setups. Braintree is praised for its strong developer tools, wide payment method support, and scalability for growing online businesses. It offers transparent pricing and flexibility without long-term contracts, making it appealing for mid- to large-volume merchants. However, it may be less ideal for very small or POS-only businesses due to setup complexity and potential extra costs like international surcharges. Some users also report challenges with funding delays, underwriting, and limited built-in invoicing or marketplace features. Braintree was acquired by payPal on September 26, 2013.
About
Braintree is a full-featured, globally-capable payment gateway solution (online + mobile) backed by PayPal, offering robust APIs, developer tooling, and enterprise-class features for merchants. Primarily deals in mobile and web payment systems.
Products & Services
No products or services information available.
Platform Ratings
g2
90 reviews
Reviewer Notes
Many merchants highlight reliability and robustness of Braintree for online & mobile payments. The breadth of payment-method support and developer tooling is frequently praised. Reviewers also praise smooth transactions and strong security. Customer support /service responsiveness is a common complaint. Others complain that the interface isn't intuitive. A number of merchants complain unfavorable experiences with chargeback issues.
Pricing Details
- Online processing rate: ~ 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction (U.S. standard cards/digital wallets)
- Venmo (U.S.) rate: ~ 3.49% + $0.49 for Venmo payments.
- ACH/direct debit: ~ 0.75% per transaction (max cap ~$5 in U.S.)
- International / non-U.S. issued cards / non-USD currency: typically an additional +1% surcharge.
- Monthly fees: For many standard online merchants Braintree publishes $0 monthly fee (for processing) though in some contexts a $49/month gateway fee + $0.10/transaction model is cited for specialized use cases.
- Setup fee: Public sources indicate no explicit setup fee for standard account.
- PCI fee: I did not find a publicly posted flat PCI-compliance fee for Braintree (they cover the gateway side; merchant still must handle their PCI obligations).
- Chargeback fee: ~$15 per chargeback for U.S. card transactions.
Processing Rates
Online
2.59% + $0.49 per transaction
International
typically an additional +1% surcharge
Fees
Monthly
$0 monthly fee (for processing) though in some contexts a $49/month gateway fee + $0.10/transaction model is cited for specialized use cases
Setup
Public sources indicate no explicit setup fee for standard account
Early Termination
Likely no early termination penalty
Payouts
Standard Time
Most gateways/acquirers, settlement typically occurs after batch submission and depending on acquiring bank (often 1–2 business days for online payments)
Expedited Time
Varies by acquiring bank and agreement
Minimum Amount
Not clearly published
Contract Terms
Length
Public sources indicate month-to-month terms for many merchants
Security & Compliance
PCI Compliance
PCI Level 1 certified (highest level)
Data Encryption
Encrypted transmission of payment data
Tokenization
Supported
Accepted Payment Types
Credit Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- JCB
- UnionPay
Digital Wallets
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Bank Transfers
- ACH/direct debit supported in U.S. (0.75% fee)
Alternative Methods
- Venmo (in U.S.)
- Other wallets/international methods depending on region
Integrations
E-commerce
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- BigCommerce
Accounting
- QuickBooks (through dedicated connectors like PayTraQer, Snyder, or Tray.ai)
- Xero (through dedicated connectors like PayTraQer, Snyder, or Tray.ai)
- Zoho Books (through dedicated connectors like PayTraQer, Snyder, or Tray.ai)
- Sage 300 (through dedicated connectors like PayTraQer, Snyder, or Tray.ai)
CRM
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Zoho CRM
- Bitrix24
Special Features
Subscription Management
Supported
Invoicing
Supported
Virtual Terminal
Supported
Recurring Billing
Supported
Multi-Currency
Supported
Top Competitors
Competitor 1
No comparison available
Competitor 2
No comparison available
Competitor 3
No comparison available
Support & Contact
Submission Form
Support Types
kb
Quality Assessment
Many merchants report that for technical integration and developer support Braintree is solid (thanks to good documentation and SDKs). Some merchant complaints relate to funding/underwriting/merchant account issues (which are often more about the acquiring bank than just the gateway). Overall the support quality is good but not perfect, especially for non-standard merchant use-cases.