Braintree and Checkout.com are both enterprise-capable payment processors, but they differ sharply on pricing transparency and scale. Braintree, backed by…
Best for Braintree: Merchants that want to see an exact transaction rate without a sales call, that need mobile SDKs and a free sandbox for development, and that want single-touch checkout across cards, PayPal, Venmo, and digital wallets backed by PayPal's infrastructure.
Best for Checkout.com: Large or high-volume enterprises that need local acquiring in specific countries, AI-powered payment acceptance optimization (Boost), global money movement and payouts (Move), and support for 150+ processing currencies, and that are prepared to negotiate custom pricing.
At a Glance
Braintree
Checkout.com
Primary category
Payments
Payments
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Usage-based (per transaction)
Usage-based
Starting price
2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
0.95% + $0.20 per transaction (European cards)
Free plan
Not documented
Not documented
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Key Differences
Pricing transparency
Braintree: Braintree publishes its standard commercial rate (2.89% + $0.29) and a discounted charity rate (2.19% + $0.29) directly.
Checkout.com: Checkout.com publishes no price list; every merchant contacts sales for a tailored flat-rate or interchange++ quote.
Published rates let smaller merchants estimate cost without a sales process, while fully custom pricing suits enterprises that expect a negotiated deal anyway.
AI-powered payment optimization
Braintree: Braintree's facts do not document an AI-driven acceptance optimization feature.
AI-driven acceptance optimization can materially affect approval rates at high transaction volumes, which matters more as volume grows.
Scale and customer profile
Braintree: Braintree's documented positioning centers on PayPal-backed unified checkout usable via standard, self-serve pricing.
Checkout.com: Checkout.com processed $300BN in ecommerce payments in 2025 and serves enterprise merchants including Microsoft, Spotify, eBay, Uber, and Klarna across ecommerce, gaming, marketplaces, travel, fintech, and crypto.
The documented customer profile signals which platform is built around very large, high-volume merchants versus a broader range of merchant sizes.
Charity pricing model
Braintree: Braintree offers a discounted charity rate of 2.19% + $0.29 for verified 501(c)(3) organizations.
Checkout.com: Checkout.com offers free processing (no fee) for registered charities in supported countries.
A discounted rate still carries a per-transaction cost, while free processing removes transaction fees entirely for eligible nonprofits.
Developer sandbox
Braintree: Braintree offers a free developer sandbox environment for testing integrations before going live.
Checkout.com: A sandbox environment is not documented in Checkout.com's facts.
A documented, free sandbox lowers the friction for developers to prototype an integration before any account setup.
Feature-by-Feature
Pricing & Transparency
Feature
Braintree
Checkout.com
Published standard transaction rate
Available
Unavailable
Charity / nonprofit pricing
Available
Available
Self-serve signup without a sales call
Available
Unavailable
Payments & Risk
Feature
Braintree
Checkout.com
Fraud and risk management
Available
Available
AI-powered payment acceptance optimization
Not documented
Available
Global money movement / payouts
Not documented
Available
Local in-country acquiring
Not documented
Available
Developer & Currency Support
Feature
Braintree
Checkout.com
Mobile SDKs
Available
Not documented
Free developer sandbox
Available
Not documented
Multi-currency support
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Braintree
Standard — 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Per transaction
Custom/Enterprise — Custom (interchange-plus or flat rate) Negotiated
Checkout.com
Standard (European cards) — 0.95% + $0.20 per transaction Per transaction
Standard (non-European cards) — 2.90% + $0.20 per transaction Per transaction
Enterprise — Custom (interchange + markup) Custom
Pros & Cons
Braintree
Pros
Single integration for cards, PayPal, Venmo, and major digital wallets
Backed by PayPal's scale, infrastructure, and fraud protection
Native mobile SDKs for iOS and Android
High-volume merchants can negotiate custom rates
Cons
Standard blended pricing isn't the cheapest option at high volume vs. negotiated interchange-plus
$15 chargeback fee per disputed transaction
Requires an approval/underwriting process before going live
Support responsiveness can vary depending on account size
Checkout.com
Pros
Direct card network membership across Visa, Mastercard, and other networks in many markets
Interchange++ pricing offers more fee transparency than blended-rate processors
Single API covering payments, issuing, identity verification, and fraud prevention
Built for global, multi-currency, high-volume enterprise operations
Cons
Enterprise pricing is not fully public and requires a sales conversation for an accurate quote
Primarily designed for larger merchants; may be more than smaller businesses need
Integration and onboarding can be more involved than plug-and-play payment providers
Standard flat-rate pricing for non-European cards is higher than some competitors
Use Cases
Choose Braintree: Merchants that want to see an exact transaction rate without a sales call, that need mobile SDKs and a free sandbox for development, and that want single-touch checkout across cards, PayPal, Venmo, and digital wallets backed by PayPal's infrastructure.
Choose Checkout.com: Large or high-volume enterprises that need local acquiring in specific countries, AI-powered payment acceptance optimization (Boost), global money movement and payouts (Move), and support for 150+ processing currencies, and that are prepared to negotiate custom pricing.
Need both: A multi-region enterprise might use Braintree for smaller-volume or self-serve card/wallet/Venmo processing where the published standard rate applies, while routing its highest-volume or specific-country flows through Checkout.com's negotiated flat-rate or interchange++ pricing and local acquiring — the two are documented at different points on the volume/negotiation spectrum rather than as interchangeable substitutes.
Braintree
E-commerce checkout — Online retailers use Braintree to accept cards, PayPal, and digital wallets through one integrated checkout.
Marketplace and platform payments — Platforms and marketplaces use Braintree to split and route payments to multiple sellers or service providers.
Subscription billing — SaaS and subscription businesses use Braintree's recurring billing and Vault to manage stored payment methods and renewals.
Checkout.com
Global enterprise ecommerce — Large online retailers use Checkout.com to accept payments across multiple currencies and card networks worldwide.
Marketplaces and platforms — Multi-sided marketplaces use Checkout.com's payments and payouts APIs to collect from buyers and disburse to sellers.
Fraud and risk management — Merchants use Fraud Detection Pro and Intelligent Acceptance to reduce chargebacks while maximizing approval rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Braintree's standard transaction fees?
2.89% + $0.29 for cards and digital wallets, 3.49% + $0.49 for Venmo, and 0.75% (capped at $5) for standard ACH Direct Debit.
How much does Checkout.com cost?
There is no published price list; pricing is tailored per business via flat-rate or interchange++ fee models after contacting sales.
Does Braintree offer nonprofit pricing?
Yes. Verified 501(c)(3) organizations get a reduced rate of 2.19% + $0.29 on cards and digital wallets.
Is Checkout.com free for charities?
Yes. Registered charities in supported countries can process payments at no cost.
Who uses Checkout.com?
Enterprise merchants in ecommerce, gaming, marketplaces, travel, fintech, and crypto, including Microsoft, Spotify, eBay, Uber, and Klarna.
Does Braintree offer a free trial or sandbox?
Braintree offers a free sandbox environment for testing with no obligation to apply for an account.