Braintree Fee Calculator (2026)
PayPal Braintree charges 2.89% + 29¢ per card or digital-wallet transaction, 3.49% + 49¢ for Venmo, and 0.75% capped at $5 for ACH Direct Debit. Cards issued outside the US add 1%, and non-USD transactions add another 1%.
Enter your numbers above; results update as you type. Sales tax collected from the buyer is not included unless the platform charges a fee on it and the calculator has a tax field.
Braintree fees at a glance
| Fee | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Braintree transaction fee | 1.5%–3.49% by Payment method + $0.10–$0.49 by Payment method | transaction amount; Payment method: Card or digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay), Venmo, PayPal Checkout, ACH Direct Debit (same day). Standard published rate; custom flat and interchange-plus pricing is available by volume. |
| ACH Direct Debit fee | 0.75%, max $5.00 | transaction amount; Payment method: ACH Direct Debit (standard). 0.75% of the payment, capped at $5.00 per transaction. |
| International card surcharge | 0%–1% by Payment method | transaction amount; only when “Card issued outside the US” is on. Additional 1% for cards issued outside the United States. |
| Non-USD currency surcharge | 0%–1% by Payment method | transaction amount; only when “Transaction not in USD” is on. Additional 1% when the transaction is in a currency other than USD. |
Worked example
A $100 card payment through Braintree costs 2.89% ($2.89) plus 29¢, so Braintree keeps $3.18 and you receive $96.82. After the $40 the product cost you, profit is $56.82.
How Braintree fees work
Braintree is PayPal's developer-focused processor. It is the engine behind checkout for many apps, marketplaces and subscription businesses that want one integration for cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo. Unlike a standard PayPal business account, Braintree gives you a full merchant account and gateway, but there is still no monthly or setup fee on standard pricing.
The standard rate for cards and digital wallets is 2.89% + 29¢ per transaction. Venmo payments through Braintree cost 3.49% + 49¢, and PayPal payments are billed at PayPal's normal merchant rates, which is 3.49% + 49¢ for PayPal Checkout. ACH Direct Debit is 0.75%, capped at $5.00 per transaction, or 1.5% + 10¢ if you want same-day processing.
Two 1% surcharges can apply to card payments: one when the card was issued outside the US, and one when the transaction is in a currency other than USD. Chargebacks cost $15. Verified 501(c)(3) charities pay 2.19% + 29¢ on cards, and established businesses with volume can ask for custom flat rates or interchange-plus pricing.
- Cards and digital wallets (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay): 2.89% + 29¢ per transaction. On $100 that is $3.18.
- Venmo: 3.49% + 49¢ per transaction.
- PayPal through Braintree: PayPal's merchant fees apply. PayPal Checkout is 3.49% + 49¢ per domestic transaction.
- ACH Direct Debit: 0.75% capped at $5.00 per transaction for standard processing, or 1.5% + 10¢ for same-day processing. ACH returns and disputes cost $5.00.
- International cards: an additional 1% on cards issued outside the United States. Non-USD currency: an additional 1% when the transaction is not in US dollars.
- American Express pass-through: if you hold your own Amex merchant agreement, Braintree charges 15¢ per Amex transaction with no percentage.
- Chargebacks: $15.00 each. Optional Chargeback Protection starts at 0.4% per transaction and Fraud Protection Lite costs 5¢ per inquiry.
Ways to keep more of each Braintree sale
- Push large B2B payments to ACH. The $5 cap means a $5,000 invoice costs $5 instead of $144.79 by card.
- Bill in USD. Presenting prices in another currency adds 1%, and a foreign-issued card adds another 1%.
- Once you are processing serious volume, ask Braintree about interchange-plus pricing; the fee page says custom flat rates and interchange-plus are available based on volume.
- Steer customers toward cards or wallets rather than Venmo or PayPal at checkout when you can; the difference is 0.6 points plus 20¢ on every order.
- If you already have an Amex agreement, use pass-through: 15¢ per Amex transaction is far less than 2.89% + 29¢.
Braintree fee FAQ
How much does Braintree take from $100?
$3.18 for a card or digital-wallet payment (2.89% + 29¢), leaving $96.82. A Venmo or PayPal payment costs $3.98.
Does Braintree charge a monthly fee?
No. Standard Braintree pricing lists no monthly, setup or gateway fees; you pay per transaction.
What is the Braintree rate for PayPal payments?
PayPal transactions through Braintree are charged at PayPal's merchant fees, which is 3.49% + 49¢ for PayPal Checkout in the US.
Is Braintree cheaper than Stripe?
Slightly, at published rates: 2.89% + 29¢ versus Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, about 2¢ less on a $100 sale. Braintree's international surcharge is 1% versus Stripe's 1.5%.
How much is Braintree's ACH fee?
0.75% of the payment, capped at $5.00. Same-day ACH is 1.5% + 10¢.
What does Braintree charge for a chargeback?
$15.00 per chargeback. ACH returns or disputes cost $5.00.
Good to know
Recent fee changes
- 2026-05-07PayPal's Braintree fee page shows 'Last Updated: May 7, 2026'. Standard cards and digital wallets are listed at 2.89% + 29¢ in that version.
Sources
- PayPal Braintree Fees (US), last updated May 7, 2026 (accessed Sep 29, 2026)
- PayPal Merchant Fees (US), for PayPal transactions through Braintree (accessed Sep 29, 2026)
Rates are read from the pages above and re-checked on a schedule. If you find a rate that has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.