Is Braintree the Right Payment Processor for Your Online Business?

Braintree is a merchant account provider based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2007, Braintree markets its services primarily to e-commerce merchants, subscription-based businesses, and merchants that key in all of their credit card transactions.

A PayPal Subsidiary

Braintree was purchased by PayPal in September 2013 for $800 million. The acquisition also included Venmo, Braintree’s mobile cash transfer service. Braintree uses First Data (now Fiserv) for its card processing network, but merchants appear to deal with Braintree exclusively for the service of their accounts.

Payment Processing

Braintree handles payment processing for a variety of business types, supporting all major debit and credit cards. Their services include online payments, recurring billing, data reporting and analytics, rewards programs, e-commerce solutions, and point-of-sale (POS) solutions. Braintree’s payment gateway enhances security by storing credit card data on its secured servers, ensuring PCI compliance. This system allows for easy recharging or refunding of cards without re-entering information and supports recurring charges for subscriptions and memberships. Braintree is recognized for its ability to handle multi-currency transactions, allowing U.S.-based merchants to accept payments in 134 local currencies and settle in 44 different currencies.

Mobile Payment Solutions

Acknowledging the rise of mobile commerce, Braintree offers secure mobile payment solutions, enabling businesses to process transactions via mobile devices.

Global Payment Services

For businesses with international operations, Braintree provides global payment services, allowing them to accept payments in over 130 currencies.

E-Commerce Solutions

Braintree offers a comprehensive range of e-commerce solutions, including secure online payment processing, which facilitates a smooth and safe online shopping experience for customers.

Subscription Billing Services

Braintree supports businesses with subscription-based models through its subscription billing services, enabling automatic recurring billing.

Marketplace Payments

Braintree offers marketplace payment solutions suitable for e-commerce platforms that connect multiple sellers with buyers.

Security Measures

Braintree prioritizes security by providing advanced measures such as data encryption and fraud protection tools.

Low-Moderate Complaint Total

Our search has uncovered over 50 Braintree reviews. A minority of these reviews label the company as a scam or a ripoff, primarily due to issues related to fund holds. Additionally, there are mentions of challenges with customer service. While fund holds can be frustrating for businesses, Braintree seems to adhere to typical industry practices for fraud prevention. For those encountering fund hold issues with Braintree, it may be beneficial to explore strategies for getting your processor to release your funds. We encourage sharing your Braintree experiences in the comments below.

Braintree Lawsuits

No significant class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints have been identified against Braintree. Clients seeking amicable solutions to their grievances are advised to report them to appropriate supervisory bodies.

PaymentPop Rating for Braintree Payments

Negative Feedback

How can you give them a good review? Horrible awful company to deal with. Absolutely ZERO customer service. I lost $1,000s and nobody willing to help. Cannot phone them and no email support. Bunch of thieves!!

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Braintree on the PaymentPop website.

Braintree Payments BBB Rating

The Better Business Bureau has combined Braintree’s account with that of PayPal, meaning most of the reviews on the account will reference the larger company. Previously, the BBB had assigned a “B-” rating based upon 16 complaints filed in the last 36 months. 11 of these 16 complaints were resolved by the company to the satisfaction of the merchant. The remaining 5 were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response. Braintree has a 1.14 out of 5 star rating based on 1,511 user reviews on the Better Business Bureau website.

What Merchants Say

In addition to those 16 complaints, the company also had 8 informal reviews posted to its BBB profile. Only 1 review was positive in nature, while the remaining 7 were all negative. The most review offers a disparaging take on the company’s services:

We’ve been using Braintree for 5 years but they have betrayed us for the last time. Their system is not secure, they charge ridiculous fees, customer service is terrible and they have made almost zero improvements to their system over the last five years.

It is difficult to pinpoint the basis of this business’ issue with Braintree. It should be noted that informal reviews are not authenticated by the BBB like complaints are. In any event, choosing a merchant service provider takes diligence on the part of any company. Researching the best available options for merchant accounts is important to finding the best fit for your business.

A “B” Performance Overall

Considering the company’s poor efforts at resolution, we agree with the BBB’s former rating.

Trustpilot Rating for Braintree

Braintree has a 1.1 out of 5 star rating based on 272 user reviews on Trustpilot.

Positive Feedback

Great customer service, good documentation, and a well built website for merchants to manage payments and transactions. I always get a response within a day of sending them a email and the people are very helpful and knowledgable. They also check in to make sure things are going well. I highly recommend them.

Negative Feedback

Braintree has ruined my life. Allowed hundreds of thousands of credit card fraud. Zero customer service. Cancelled our service. Holding onto thousands of dollars from us. And still getting credit card fraud complaints that lead back to us.

Do NOT use them. Please

Google Maps Rating for Braintree Payments

Braintree Payments has a 2.3 out of 5 star rating based on 28 user reviews on Google Maps.

Positive Feedback

Wonderful community partner. Great atmosphere. Looks like a great place to work.

Negative Feedback

Sales team not answering to new enquiries. For more than a month have received no human answer. Avoid!

Braintree’s Competitive Pricing Structure

Braintree maintains a straightforward pricing model, aligning with industry standards set by comparable providers like PayPal and Stripe. The company applies a universal charge of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction across all card types, notably without imposing any monthly, minimum, PCI compliance, or cancellation fees. Unique costs include a $15 chargeback fee for disputed transactions, a 1% fee for transactions in multiple currencies, and a specific $0.15 transaction fee for submissions to American Express.

Special Rates and Additional Fees

Braintree extends a discounted rate of 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction to non-profits. Charges for American Express transactions are set at 3.25% plus $0.30, and ACH payments incur a fee of 0.75%. Furthermore, Braintree offers tailored pricing solutions for enterprise-scale businesses, providing advanced services and interchange-plus pricing opportunities. For businesses seeking to integrate Braintree’s payment gateway with alternate processing services, fees are structured at $49 monthly, with an additional 10 cents per transaction and $10 for each extra merchant account.

Pricing Transparency

Braintree is recognized for its transparent pricing and terms, minimizing the risk of unforeseen expenses. Businesses are advised to assess Braintree’s offerings in relation to other market-leading merchant account services to ensure they secure the most advantageous terms.

For comprehensive comparisons and insights into merchant services, business owners are invited to explore our curated list of thetop merchant account providers.

No Deceptive Sales Tactics

Braintree does not appear to use any deceptive advertising, price quoting, or sales tactics. The company markets its services primarily online, with an in-house sales team, and through strategic partnerships, so there is very little risk of an independent reseller misrepresenting the company’s pricing.

Full Disclosure

We are currently unable to locate any negative Braintree reviews that mention the company’s sales team, and the company actively displays its full pricing and contract terms on its website. This transparency likens Braintree to some of the top-rated merchant account providers, so we therefore award the company an “A” in this category.

Braintree Payment Solutions emerges as a strong contender in credit card processing, primarily due to its transparent flat transaction fee and the removal of typical expenses like monthly fees, PCI compliance fees, setup fees, and cancellation fees. This streamlined pricing structure is coupled with an impressively low complaint rate, given the company’s scale and tenure in the industry. Overall, the service seems particularly well-suited for e-commerce businesses and those reliant on subscription or membership models, providing seamless and reliable solutions that align with their specific needs. Braintree distinguishes itself as an invaluable merchant account provider for eBook sales and web developers, offering versatile tools that cater to the diverse demands of modern digital commerce.