What problems does Braintree solve that Stripe doesn't?
Both Stripe and Braintree are priced at 2.9% + $0.30/transaction. If you're doing any notable amount of volume, you can do much better...closer to 2%.
PaypalPro used to automatically give you lower rates, down to 2.2% + $0.30, at volumes well below what Stripe requires to "contact sales" and get a discount. Last year, they eliminated that, and went to the 2.9% + $0.30.
It seems you have to get your own merchant account, and use something like authorize.net now to get decent pricing.
Here's a screenshot of what it used to be: http://i.imgur.com/QQ7LVot.png
Still useful, though, as it gives a good indicator of how low you might get if you get your own merchant account.
"Processing more than $80,000 per month? Send us an email at sales@stripe.com"[1]
[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20140228105853/https://stripe.co...
I will never accept PayPal for the rest of my life.