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Is Braintree the Right Payment Processor for Your Online Business?

Name: Braintree
Item: Braintree
Rating: 4
Author: Phillip Parker

Author: Phillip Parker

Updated: September 28, 2025

Maintained Since: November 3, 2011

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We take our role in providing guidance and education regarding the card payment industry very seriously. At our own expense, we have vigorously defended our right to continue expose unethical and predatory practices in the industry, successfully defeating every attempt to silence us. However, fending off frivolous lawsuits is costly. To sustain these efforts, one of the ways we generate revenue is through affiliate partnerships with ethical providers. This means that some of our outgoing links connect business owners to trustworthy, low-cost payment processors, which is what most of our readers seek. We see this revenue channel as a win-win-win for everyone involved. Business owners find good processors, processors get good clients, and we are able to continue to provide a valuable service to the small business community. We also recommend and link to many services that do not compensate us. Our priority is to guide you to the best solutions for your needs, regardless of potential revenue. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

All mentions of rate and fee costs are estimations based on publicly available information and client feedback. Actual costs may vary based on a variety of factors unique to your business.

Braintree

Rating

4/5

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Pros

Global payment support

Seamless integration options

Advanced fraud protection

No monthly fees

PayPal Integration

Cons

Complex pricing structure

Account stability issues

Limited merchant support

Chargeback fees

Higher transaction fees

Overview

UPDATE: Braintree Payments has been acquired by PayPal. In this review of Braintree Payment Solutions, we’ll give an overview of their credit card processing services. We’ll talk about the services they offer, like online payment processing, mobile payment options, and e-commerce features. We’ll also look at which businesses might benefit from these services. Plus, we’ll check client and customer reviews to show trends and concerns. We’ll go over the company’s pricing, contract terms, and specific services. By the end of this review, you’ll know if Braintree Payment Solutions is a good fit for your payment processing needs.

About Braintree

Screen Capture of Braintree Payments Homepage — Braintree Homepage

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.

Products & Merchant Services

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.

Customer Reviews & Sentiment

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.

Industry Scores & User Ratings

Online Ratings Summary
PaymentPop	1
BBB Rating	1.14
Trustpilot	1.1
Google Maps	2.3
Average Rating	1.51

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!

Processing Rates & Fees

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.

Employee Reviews & Sales Practices

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 Competitors

Compare Braintree to competitors that earned top marks.

Pricing

Bottom Line

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.

Read Actual User Reviews

See User Reviews Write a Review

All user reviews have been moved to our partner, PaymentPop.com

Contact Braintree

Contact & Customer Support
CEO	Bill Ready
Headquarters	222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 800, Chicago, Illinois 60654
General Support	(877) 511-5036
Additional Support Channels	Online Contact Form
Website	braintreepayments.com

About Us

CardPaymentOptions.com

Established 2009

My name is Phillip Parker, and I started this website back in 2009 as a simple blog to call out shady credit card processors that were taking advantage of small business owners. At the time, I had no idea this side project would grow into a leading voice pushing for transparency and integrity in the payment processing industry. I also didn't anticipate just how far some of these companies' owners would go to try to silence me.

I was recruited out of college for a sales role with a credit card processor. At the time, I didn't realize the “training” was really about tricking me... into selling business owners expensive processing with hidden fees and long-term service agreements. In my first few sales, I unknowingly cost friends and family thousands of dollars after they trusted me to switch their services. When it finally clicked that something was seriously wrong, I was furious. I quit immediately and made a promise to expose that company and any others operating the same way. That promise is what led to the creation of this website.

As I wrote about these processors, their tactics, and the people behind them, the articles started to spread among business owners. News organizations picked up the stories, readers shared them online, and traffic to the blog took off. Unsurprisingly, that also caught the attention of the companies and individuals I was exposing.

Over the last 17 years, I've received several anonymous death threats and defeated four lawsuits meant to intimidate me into taking my blog down. Their efforts to muzzle me only made my determination to expose them even stronger, leading me to work with state authorities to help shutdown some of the worst offenders.

I'm proud to say that of the millions of people who have read my work, thousands have taken the time to write and thank me for helping them narrowly avoid a very costly mistake. This blog has played a small role in pushing the industry toward more ethical practices - but there are still bad actors out there, which means the work isn't done.

If I can offer one piece of advice, it's this: get every promise in writing, and take the time to review contracts carefully. Tools like ChatGPT can help surface red flags and uncover expensive surprises buried in the fine print.

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I truly appreciate you being here, and I wish you every success with your business.

Our Research Methodology

Pricing & Fees

We analyze all costs including rate structures (interchange-plus, tiered, flat-rate, etc), monthly fees, equipment costs, early termination fees, and hidden charges. This data is gathered from service agreements, statements and client feedback.

Features & Technology

Evaluation of POS systems, e-commerce integrations, mobile capabilities, reporting tools, recurring billing..., and developer resources. When possible, we directly test services and hardware. Otherwise, we rely on client feedback and public information.

Customer Support

We evaluate availability across phone, email, chat, and social channels. Measuring hold times, night and weekend availability, and client feedback regarding effectiveness, professionalism, and resolution rates.

Contract Terms & Conditions

We review service agreements and equipment contracts for reasonability, transparency, and fairness. We focus on uncovering any predatory clauses, such as unjustified early termination fees, hidden costs, and unclear cancellation policies.

User Experience

We comb the internet and interview current and former clients to evaluate the overall user experience and identify any common pain points that may impact the user experience.

Sales & Marketing Practices

We evaluate sales tactics, marketing materials, and client feedback to determine the level of transparency and ethical nature of the provider's approach. Does the provider publicly disclose pricing? Do they use teaser rates? We score based on these and other factors.

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