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Braintree

Braintree is a payment processing platform, owned by PayPal, that lets businesses accept credit and debit cards, PayPal, Venmo, and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay through one integration. Standard pricing is 2.89% plus $0.29 per transaction for cards, with different rates for Venmo, ACH and qualified charities.

By PayPalPay as you goSince 2007Payments

Facts checked on against the sources listed at the end of this page.

Pricing
Pay as you goPaid from 2.89% + $0.29 per transaction (standard card rate)
Open source
NoProprietary
npm downloads a week
222kup 11% on the week before

A good fit for

  • Businesses that want to accept PayPal and Venmo alongside standard card payments through one integration
  • Merchants who want a single SDK covering web and mobile payment acceptance
  • Qualified nonprofits looking for a discounted processing rate
  • International businesses needing multi-currency payment support

Not a good fit for

  • Very small or early-stage businesses that might prefer a simpler processor like Stripe with a larger third-party ecosystem
  • Merchants who don't need PayPal or Venmo acceptance and just want the lowest possible flat card rate
  • Businesses wanting extensive built-in subscription management features beyond basic recurring billing

Braintree pricing

Standard card processing is 2.89% plus $0.29 per transaction. Venmo transactions are 3.49% plus $0.49. ACH bank transfers are 0.75% of the transaction, capped at $5. Qualified 501(c)(3) charities get a discounted rate of 2.19% plus $0.29 per transaction. Larger-volume businesses can negotiate custom pricing directly with Braintree.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Standard (cards)2.89% + $0.29 per transactionCredit and debit card processing, PayPal and digital wallet acceptance.
Venmo3.49% + $0.49 per transactionVenmo checkout acceptance.
ACH0.75% per transaction, capped at $5US bank transfer payments.
Qualified charity2.19% + $0.29 per transactionDiscounted rate for eligible 501(c)(3) organizations.

Prices in USD, checked on 27 September 2026. Current prices on braintreepayments.com.

Main features

Unified payment integration
Accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and digital wallets through a single SDK and API.
Recurring billing
Built-in support for subscription and recurring payment plans.
Fraud protection
Tools for detecting and blocking fraudulent transactions.
Multi-currency support
Accept payments in multiple currencies for international selling.
Venmo checkout
Accept Venmo as a payment method, unique among major processors due to PayPal ownership.

About Braintree

Braintree provides a single integration for accepting a wide range of payment methods, including major credit and debit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay and various local payment methods, aimed at businesses that want one processor rather than stitching together separate integrations for each method.

As a PayPal-owned company, Braintree gives merchants native access to PayPal and Venmo checkout alongside standard card processing, which is a key differentiator from card-only processors.

Braintree also offers recurring billing, fraud protection tools (through PayPal's fraud tools), and multi-currency support for businesses selling internationally, with custom pricing available for larger-volume merchants who negotiate rates directly.

Made by
PayPal
Free plan
No free tier, but no monthly or setup fees on the standard plan
Available on
Web, iOS, Android, REST and GraphQL APIs, SDKs for major frameworks

Usage and activity

Weekly npm downloads of braintree, last 12 months.

50k100k150k200k250kOctDecJanMarMayJulOct7 October 2025: 124,746 downloads a week14 October 2025: 133,786 downloads a week21 October 2025: 148,305 downloads a week28 October 2025: 145,860 downloads a week4 November 2025: 162,716 downloads a week11 November 2025: 155,741 downloads a week18 November 2025: 152,665 downloads a week25 November 2025: 155,576 downloads a week2 December 2025: 122,536 downloads a week9 December 2025: 149,665 downloads a week16 December 2025: 149,701 downloads a week23 December 2025: 116,269 downloads a week30 December 2025: 64,045 downloads a week6 January 2026: 100,685 downloads a week13 January 2026: 144,830 downloads a week20 January 2026: 146,614 downloads a week27 January 2026: 150,525 downloads a week3 February 2026: 159,336 downloads a week10 February 2026: 153,305 downloads a week17 February 2026: 147,832 downloads a week24 February 2026: 138,780 downloads a week3 March 2026: 157,586 downloads a week10 March 2026: 150,232 downloads a week17 March 2026: 182,350 downloads a week24 March 2026: 154,350 downloads a week31 March 2026: 157,525 downloads a week7 April 2026: 128,745 downloads a week14 April 2026: 169,232 downloads a week21 April 2026: 165,809 downloads a week28 April 2026: 178,132 downloads a week5 May 2026: 157,086 downloads a week12 May 2026: 179,268 downloads a week19 May 2026: 190,024 downloads a week26 May 2026: 159,674 downloads a week2 June 2026: 172,231 downloads a week16 June 2026: 193,427 downloads a week23 June 2026: 189,588 downloads a week30 June 2026: 188,866 downloads a week7 July 2026: 191,484 downloads a week21 July 2026: 211,249 downloads a week28 July 2026: 203,545 downloads a week4 August 2026: 224,927 downloads a week11 August 2026: 240,715 downloads a week25 August 2026: 209,647 downloads a week1 September 2026: 223,706 downloads a week27 September 2026: 201,104 downloads a week4 October 2026: 222,435 downloads a week

Braintree alternatives

All 14 alternatives to Braintree, side by side

Questions about Braintree

Who owns Braintree?

Braintree is owned by PayPal, which is why it offers native PayPal and Venmo checkout alongside card processing.

How much does Braintree charge per transaction?

Standard card processing is 2.89% plus $0.29 per transaction; Venmo is 3.49% plus $0.49, and ACH is 0.75% capped at $5.

Does Braintree have monthly fees?

No, there are no monthly or setup fees on the standard pay-as-you-go plan.

Can nonprofits get a discount?

Yes, qualified 501(c)(3) charities can get a reduced rate of 2.19% plus $0.29 per transaction.

Sources and links

Work on Braintree? Claim this listing. Something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction. Stats come from the public GitHub and npm APIs and update every day.

Braintree: pricing, features and alternatives (2026) | ScratchDB