Payment Processor Analysis
Braintree vs Stripe vs Cybersource for MVHP, EPP, HeatNGlo. Annual baseline, savings projections, decision criteria, and negotiation guidance.
Executive summary
MVHP is currently on Braintree at a 2.40-2.65% effective rate across brands. Annual processing fees total ~$191K/yr on ~$8M annual volume. Switching to a more competitive processor (Stripe or Cybersource) with negotiated interchange-plus pricing plus Level 3 / CEDP data submission for B2B card volume can realistically save $28K-$45K/yr in fees, plus reconciliation labor savings of $5-15K/yr from better NetSuite integration. Total estimated annual benefit: $33K-$60K/yr.
Critical use case: over-authorize, settle for less. This is blocked on the Braintree-BC integration today and is needed for EPP's NetSuite-driven PO workflow. Stripe and Cybersource both support partial capture natively.
Recommended path: get written quotes from both Stripe and Cybersource, including specific Level 3 / CEDP support, NetSuite + Celigo integration depth, and effective rate projections for $8M/yr volume. Decide based on numbers, not pitch quality.
Current state baseline
By-account breakdown (annualized from Feb-Mar 2026 Braintree CSV, adjusted for seasonality)
| Account | Annual volume | Effective rate | Annual fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVHP main | $6.5M | 2.40% | $156K | B2C-heavy, mediocre rate for volume |
| EnergyPartsPlus | $950K | 2.65% | $25K | B2B PO traffic, missing Level 3 savings |
| HeatNGlo Parts | ~$400K | 2.56% | ~$10K | Smaller volume, similar profile to MVHP |
| Total | ~$8M | 2.43% | ~$191K | Blended across all brands |
Seasonality (per GA4 2025 data)
Stove/hearth business is heavily seasonal. Critical for processor migration timing.
| Season | % of annual revenue | Best/worst month |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Nov-Feb) | 62.1% | Nov $1.025M |
| Spring (Mar-May) | 16.4% | May $145K (worst) |
| Summer (Jun-Aug) | 10.4% | — |
| Fall (Sep-Oct) | 11.0% | — |
Peak-to-trough ratio: 7.1×. Migration should land in April-July window — after Q1 peak ends, before October ramp.
The blocking use case: over-auth, settle less
EPP's PO workflow runs in NetSuite directly (not via BC). Nicki built the NS flow but the charge step requires authorize-now-capture-less-later (partial capture). Braintree's API supports this in principle, but the BC-Braintree integration uses transaction.sale (auth+capture combined) by default and doesn't expose auth-only mode. To get partial capture on Braintree, custom integration is required.
Stripe and Cybersource both support partial capture natively as a first-class API feature. This alone is sufficient justification to move processors regardless of pricing.
Three-processor comparison
| Capability | Braintree (current) | Stripe | Cybersource |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial capture (over-auth, settle less) | Blocked via BC API supports it but BC integration doesn't expose it | Native payment_intent with capture_method: manual, capture(amount) | Native Auth/Capture with multi-capture supported |
| Auth window | 3-7 days typical | 7 days, extendable | 7-30 days depending on card brand |
| Level 3 / CEDP B2B savings | Limited | Available on enterprise tier with negotiation | Native built for B2B from day one |
| NetSuite + Celigo integration | Manual reconciliation, Caroline labor | Mature native Celigo SmartConnector | Available, more setup work |
| BC native integration | Yes, current setup | Yes, BC native + BC Enterprise supported | Yes, BC v2 integration available |
| ACH for B2B invoices | Limited | 0.8% capped at $5 huge for B2B | Available, varies by setup |
| Refund automation API | Standard | Best-in-class robust API | Strong, B2B-focused |
| Card pricing structure | Flat rate ~2.59% + $0.49 | Negotiable to interchange-plus on volume | Interchange-plus standard, more competitive on B2B |
Realistic savings projections
| Source | Mechanism | Annual savings |
|---|---|---|
| EPP Level 3 / CEDP | 1% interchange reduction on $950K B2B card volume | ~$9.5K |
| MVHP rate reduction | 0.2-0.4% on $6.5M with negotiated IC+ pricing | $13K-$26K |
| HeatNGlo rate reduction | 0.2% on $400K | ~$800 |
| EPP B2B ACH adoption | If 30% of EPP volume moves to ACH at 0.8% cap $5 | $5K-$8K |
| Subtotal: processor fee savings | $28K-$45K | |
| Reconciliation labor | Caroline's manual work on Braintree → automated | $5K-$15K |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED ANNUAL BENEFIT | $33K-$60K |
Architecture options
Option A: single processor for all brands (recommended baseline)
Stripe across the board. Simplicity, one integration, one reconciliation flow, ACH for any B2B invoices regardless of brand. Trade-off: leaves some Level 3 / CEDP savings for EPP on the table that Cybersource could capture better. Best for total operational simplicity.
Option B: split processor (more complex)
Stripe for MVHP + HeatNGlo (B2C heavy), Cybersource for EPP (B2B card-heavy). Maximizes savings per brand but doubles integration work, doubles reconciliation flows, doubles vendor management. Probably not worth the complexity unless EPP B2B card volume is much larger than $950K/yr.
Option C: Cybersource across the board
Maximizes Level 3 savings on all card volume but adds setup complexity for B2C portion of MVHP. NetSuite/Celigo integration is less mature than Stripe's. Acceptable but probably suboptimal.
Migration timing
Critical given the 7.1× peak-to-trough seasonality. Wrong-time migration risks downtime during peak revenue period.
- Best window: late April through July 2026. Post-March peak, pre-October ramp. Lower transaction volume = lower risk if anything goes wrong during cutover.
- Avoid: September through February. Q4 peak revenue period; any glitch costs real money. Revenue concentrates 62% of year in Nov-Feb alone.
- Realistic timeline: 4-8 weeks from quote acceptance to live cutover. If you accept a quote in May, you're live by July. If you wait until June, you're cutting close to Q4 ramp.
Negotiation guidance
Don't reveal in early conversations
- Specific volume figures (until under NDA or formal proposal stage)
- That reconciliation automation is a hot button
- That partial-capture is a current pain point blocking your NS flow
- That you're motivated to leave Braintree (frame as "evaluating")
- Your specific savings target
Do ask in early conversations
- What's their BC Enterprise integration depth and feature set
- What's their NetSuite connector / Celigo integration like
- What's their Level 3 / CEDP support for B2B card volume
- What's partial capture / multi-capture support look like
- Standard pricing structure for a merchant in the $5-10M annual volume tier
- Migration approach from a competing processor
Posture
"We've been on our current processor for a while and aren't actively in the market, but open to looking if there's a real fit. Send a written overview and I'll review." Casual interest, not eager evaluation. Make them sell to you.
Decision criteria scoring
When quotes come back, compare on these dimensions:
| Criterion | Weight | What "good" looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Effective rate on $8M/yr volume | High | 2.10-2.30% blended or better with IC+ |
| Level 3 / CEDP support | High | Native, automated data submission, real B2B savings shown |
| Partial capture API | Required | Native, well-documented, BC-compatible |
| NetSuite + Celigo integration | High | Native connector, automated reconciliation, low manual work |
| BC Enterprise integration depth | High | Native, full feature set, including auth-only mode |
| ACH for B2B invoices | Medium | Available, low fee structure |
| Migration support | Medium | Dedicated migration team, in-flight payment method handling |
| Refund/dispute automation | Medium | Robust API, automated NetSuite sync |
| Setup fees / migration costs | Medium | None or minimal; should be earned by switching costs |
Next actions
- Send Doug Molseed v3 email asking for written Cybersource details
- Send Chet Latek v3 email asking for written Stripe overview
- Both should include: BC Enterprise integration, NetSuite connector, partial capture, Level 3 / CEDP, pricing structure
- Wait for written responses; compare against criteria table above
- If both qualify, schedule one written follow-up with each requesting specific quote on $8M volume profile
- Decide and migrate within April-July 2026 window
Sources / reference
- Braintree CSV exports Feb-Mar 2026 (telegram inbox)
- GA4 seasonal data
memory/facts/ga4_seasonal.md - Cybersource Level 2/3 documentation (developer.cybersource.com)
- Stripe NetSuite Celigo integration docs (celigo.com)
- Visa CEDP changes January 2026 (Level 2 sunset April 2026)