Braintree is an API-key integration for swiped or keyed card entry: copy the Merchant ID, Public Key and Private Key from the Braintree Control Panel into the location. It supports refunds, voids, tips and online invoice payments, but not a countertop EMV pin pad.

Braintree (a PayPal company) connects to PHP Point Of Sale with three API values and no local software. Card entry is swiped or keyed — a MagTek 21040108 USB swipe reader is the recommended swiper — so this integration suits stores that key in cards, take payments over the phone, or collect on invoices online. It does not drive a countertop EMV chip-and-tap pin pad; if chip and contactless at the counter are what you need, use PHP POS Payments or another EMV integration from choosing a payment processor.

Get your API keys from Braintree

1. Apply for a merchant account at braintreepayments.com if you do not have one.
2. Sign in to the Braintree Control Panel.
3. Click Account, then My User.
4. Click API Keys, Tokenization Keys, Encryption Keys.
5. Generate an API key if you do not already have one, then open it and copy three values:
   • Public Key
   • Private Key
   • Merchant ID (shown when you click into the API key)

Configure the location

1. Go to Locations and click Edit next to the location that will take cards.
2. In the Integrations section, check Enable Credit Card Processing.
3. Set Credit Card Processor to Braintree.
4. Paste the three values into Merchant ID, Public Key and Private Key.
5. Click Submit.

That is the whole setup — there is no terminal to initialize. Because processing is configured per location, a multi-store business can use a different Braintree account (or a different processor entirely) at each location; see setting up credit card processing.

Editing locations requires the Locations module permission on your employee account — see permissions and templates. Integrated processing also requires the POS to be served over HTTPS.

Taking a payment

1. Ring up the sale and choose the Credit Card payment type.
2. Swipe the card through the MagTek reader, or type the card number, expiration date and CVV.
3. Braintree approves the charge and the payment attaches to the sale.

The integration supports the full back-office card flow: voids of a sale's payment, refunds back to the customer's card on a return, and tips added after the charge. Because it is browser-based with no local listener, it also powers online payments without a login — customers can pay an emailed invoice or a suspended-sale payment link by card. See taking card payments and invoices and billing.

Settings reference

• Enable Credit Card Processing — master switch, off by default.
• Credit Card Processor — set to Braintree.
• Merchant ID — from the Braintree API key detail page.
• Public Key — from the Braintree Control Panel.
• Private Key — from the Braintree Control Panel; treat it like a password.

Common questions

Does Braintree work with a chip reader or tap-to-pay terminal? No. This integration is swipe or keyed entry only. For EMV chip and contactless at the counter, use PHP POS Payments or another EMV processor.

Which card reader should I buy? The MagTek 21040108 USB swipe reader is the recommended model — it types the swipe into the card fields like a keyboard, so nothing extra needs to be installed.

Payments fail with an authentication or authorization error. Re-copy the three values from the Braintree Control Panel — the usual causes are a truncated Private Key, keys from the sandbox environment instead of production, or values pasted into the wrong fields.

Can customers pay invoices online through Braintree? Yes. With Braintree enabled on the location, emailed invoices and payment links can be paid by card in the browser without logging in. See invoices and billing.

Can I refund to the card? Yes — run the return or void from the original sale and the money goes back to the same card through Braintree. See taking card payments.

Can different locations use different Braintree accounts? Yes. The keys live on each location, so every store can have its own merchant account.