Braintree pricing
Payment Processing APIs · by PayPal · June 2026 snapshot
Braintree costs 2.59% + $0.49 per online transaction. 2.59% + $0.49 per US transaction. Owned by PayPal; lets you accept cards, PayPal and Venmo through one integration with a lower percentage than standard PayPal Checkout. Free tier: No monthly fee; pay per transaction. It is best for businesses that want PayPal/Venmo acceptance but a card-style percentage rather than the wallet rate.
Source: Braintree. Data as of June 2026.
Braintree pricing at a glance
| Detail | Braintree |
|---|---|
| Category | Payment Processing APIs |
| Company | PayPal |
| Headline price | 2.59% + $0.49 per online transaction |
| Free tier | No monthly fee; pay per transaction. |
| Pricing model | 2.59% + $0.49 per US transaction. Owned by PayPal; lets you accept cards, PayPal and Venmo through one integration with a lower percentage than standard PayPal Checkout. |
Source: Braintree. Data as of June 2026.
Vendor pricing as of June 2026 — verify on the vendor pricing page.
What Braintree charges on a sale
Braintree's effective rate falls as the order value rises, because the
$0.49 fixed fee is a smaller share of a larger
charge. Formula: fee = 2.59% × amount + $0.49.
| Sale amount | Fee | You receive | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.75 | $9.25 | 7.5% |
| $20.00 | $1.01 | $18.99 | 5.05% |
| $50.00 | $1.78 | $48.22 | 3.56% |
| $100.00 | $3.08 | $96.92 | 3.08% |
| $500.00 | $13.44 | $486.56 | 2.69% |
Source: Braintree. Data as of June 2026.
Estimate — verify with the Braintree pricing page. Try other amounts in the payment fee calculator.
Pros and cons
- Lower percent than standard PayPal
- Cards + PayPal + Venmo in one integration
- No monthly fee
- Higher fixed fee ($0.49)
- Less polished API than Stripe
- Support tied to PayPal
How Braintree compares
See the full Payment Processing APIs comparison, or compare Braintree with other providers:
- Stripe — 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction
- Square — 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
- PayPal — 3.49% + $0.49 per standard online transaction
- Adyen — ~$0.13 processing fee + interchange + scheme fees (interchange++)
Frequently asked questions
How much does Braintree cost?
Braintree's headline price is 2.59% + $0.49 per online transaction. 2.59% + $0.49 per US transaction. Owned by PayPal; lets you accept cards, PayPal and Venmo through one integration with a lower percentage than standard PayPal Checkout. Free tier: No monthly fee; pay per transaction. Verify current pricing on the Braintree pricing page, as rates change.
Does Braintree have a free tier?
No monthly fee; pay per transaction.
What is Braintree best for?
Businesses that want PayPal/Venmo acceptance but a card-style percentage rather than the wallet rate. A PayPal-owned gateway with a lower percent than standard PayPal Checkout but a higher fixed fee ($0.49). Good middle ground for accepting both cards and PayPal.
Source
Pricing snapshot from the Braintree pricing page, captured in June 2026. Braintree and other names are trademarks of their respective owners. Pricing changes often — confirm on the vendor's page. See our methodology.
Last updated: 2026-06-18