Braintree review – A good choice for payment processing? Features, fees, pros and cons explained

Braintree, a division of PayPal, has emerged as a notable player in the field of payment processing. In this era of e-commerce and digitisation, businesses are continually seeking efficient, secure, and robust payment solutions. So, is Braintree a good choice? In this review, we explore the salient features, benefits, and drawbacks of Braintree, along with an in-depth look at its pricing, to help you understand if it’s the right fit for your business.

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Overview of Braintree – what’s on offer?

Braintree is a payment gateway provider that aims to streamline online payments for businesses. Founded in 2007 and acquired by PayPal in 2013, it operates globally, offering a comprehensive set of payment solutions encompassing credit cards and debit cards, digital wallets, PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies.

What sets Braintree apart is its customisable checkout experiences, robust security measures, and a high degree of scalability. Their platform offers a seamless integration process, enabling businesses to accept payments in over 130 currencies across more than 45 countries. Moreover, it caters to both mobile and web-based transactions, thereby addressing the requirements of diverse businesses.

The standout offering, however, is its robust developer tools, including APIs and SDKs, allowing businesses to design and tailor the payment experience to their needs. Braintree is PCI DSS compliant, ensuring security and data protection in transactions. It also provides fraud protection tools and real-time reporting features to help businesses monitor their transactions effectively.

Pros and cons of Braintree

Pros:

• Wide array of payment options: Acceptance of a broad range of payment methods, including cards, digital wallets, and cryptocurrencies, caters to a global customer base.
• Developer-friendly platform: Extensive SDKs and APIs allow businesses to customise the checkout process according to their needs.
• Robust security: Braintree’s compliance with PCI DSS and additional fraud protection tools ensure secure transactions.
• Global support: Operating in more than 45 countries and supporting over 130 currencies, Braintree is suitable for businesses looking to operate internationally.
• Integration with PayPal: As a PayPal service, Braintree seamlessly integrates with PayPal’s user base, thereby reaching a wider audience.

Cons:

• Complex pricing structure: While Braintree offers competitive rates, its pricing structure can be complex and may involve hidden costs.
• Customer service concerns: Some users have raised issues about the quality and responsiveness of customer service.
• Delayed funds settlement: There have been reports of slow funds transfer, which might impact business cash flow.
• Strict approval process: Businesses may face difficulty during the account setup due to Braintree’s stringent approval process.

Braintree products and services guide

Braintree’s suite of products and services is designed to facilitate smooth and secure online transactions for businesses. The services offered by Braintree include:

Braintree Direct

Ideal for businesses looking to accept a wide range of payment methods from around the globe. It provides support for mobile app payments, recurring billing, and marketplace payments.

Braintree Extend

This service provides secure sharing of payment data with trusted partners for improved customer experiences, without compromising data security.

Braintree Auth

It allows merchants to share access to their Braintree account with third-party providers for a unified transaction experience.

Braintree Marketplace

Aimed at platform businesses, it facilitates simple and secure payouts to your sellers or service providers.

Moreover, Braintree offers various data security and fraud tools. Their advanced fraud protection employs machine learning for identifying and preventing fraudulent transactions. Their data encryption and tokenisation ensure that cardholder data is secure, adhering to industry-leading PCI DSS compliance standards.

Braintree pricing, fees and charges explained

Braintree operates on an interchange-plus pricing model. For standard transactions, they charge 1.9% + £0.20 per transaction. However, for non-European cards, the fee goes up to 2.9% + £0.20. If the transaction involves currency conversion, an additional 1% fee is charged.

While there are no monthly fees, some services like the advanced fraud protection tool come with an additional cost. Chargebacks incur a £15 fee. It’s also noteworthy that Braintree waives the processing fee for the first £30,000 for eligible businesses.

However, businesses need to carefully read the terms and conditions to understand all the potential fees and charges, as some users have reported unexpected fees.

Alternatives to Braintree

While Braintree offers a wide range of services, it may not be the perfect fit for all businesses. Some noteworthy alternatives include:

• Stripe: Known for its developer-friendly tools and transparent pricing, Stripe is a global online payment processing platform similar to Braintree.
• Square: Square offers an array of services including point-of-sale (POS) systems, eCommerce solutions, and business management tools, making it suitable for both online and offline businesses.
• WorldPay: WorldPay provides an extensive suite of payment solutions and is known for its robust customer service.

Conclusion – Is Braintree a good choice?

So what is the verdict of our Braintree review?

Braintree is indeed a robust payment processing solution, particularly for businesses that need a high degree of customisation and are looking to operate on a global scale. Its range of products, including a multitude of payment options and robust security measures, certainly make it an appealing choice.

However, businesses need to consider the potentially complex and opaque pricing structure, along with some concerns around customer service and funds settlement delays. As with any business decision, it’s crucial to balance the potential benefits against the challenges and make a decision based on individual business needs.

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