Stripe and Braintree are the two flat-rate developer-led gateways with published rates. The headline percentage favours Braintree by 31 basis points (2.59% vs 2.90%), but the fixed fee favours Stripe by 19 cents ($0.30 vs $0.49). The break-even basket is around $60: below that, Stripe is cheaper; above, Braintree is cheaper.
2.9% + $0.30 online card.
ACH 0.8% capped $5.
$15 chargeback (two-tier from 17 Jun 2025).
Radar fraud screening $0.05/screen.
2.59% + $0.49 standard cards.
ACH 0.75% capped $5; same-day ACH 1.5% + $0.10.
Venmo: 3.49% + $0.49.
$15 chargeback. Native PayPal-as-method routing.
Illustrative example, not a real company. Both at $100K monthly volume; one at $40 average ticket (2,500 tx), one at $120 average ticket (833 tx).
At $40 AOV Stripe wins by ~$165/month. At $120 AOV Braintree wins by ~$152/month. The cross-over is around $60 AOV regardless of total volume.
| Feature | Stripe | Braintree |
|---|---|---|
| Published flat-rate | Yes | Yes |
| Native PayPal-as-method | No | Yes |
| Native Venmo-as-method | No | Yes |
| Same-day ACH published | Yes | Yes |
| Documentation depth | Yes | Partial |
| Charity rate published | Partial | Yes |
| Native subscription billing | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-border surcharge structure | Yes | Yes |