What BT * means on a statement
BT * is the prefix Braintree puts on a Marketplace card charge, followed by the business name. A regular Braintree card charge does not have to start with BT *. It shows the business name the merchant set.
Last updated: October 20, 2026
Last checked: Oct 2026
Two different Braintree lines
Opened 20 October 2026. Braintree's sale reference says the descriptor passed to the processor for a Braintree Marketplace transaction starts with BT *, followed by the name the merchant specifies. That name can be at most 18 characters. If the name is 12 characters or fewer, Braintree adds a random 6 character string that identifies the sub merchant, as in the sample BT *MYDESCRIPTOR123abc. If the name is 13 characters or more, that extra string is not added, as in the sample BT *MYDESCRIPTORISLONG. Those two samples are examples on the page. They are not your charge.
The same page says a dynamic descriptor is usually a business name, then a product name, separated by an asterisk. A phone number on that descriptor must be 10 to 14 characters and can contain only numbers, hyphens, and parentheses. A URL must be 13 characters or shorter. If the processor accepts a URL and the merchant sends both a phone number and a URL, Braintree passes only the URL. Braintree's control panel page says the customer's bank decides the final text. Its example shape is a company name, a phone number, a state, and an amount.
A PayPal payment through Braintree is a different line. Braintree says that descriptor is limited to 22 characters and starts with PAYPAL *, then the PayPal hard descriptor, then the product portion of the name. Card payments follow their own rules. A Venmo payment uses the prefix VENMO *. Those PayPal and Venmo lines are on PayPal on a statement and Venmo on a statement.
How to match it to a purchase
If the line starts with BT *, read the name after BT *. Search email for that name and for the amount. The 6 characters at the end, when they are there, are Braintree's sub merchant id. They are not a product name.
If the line does not start with BT *, use the business name, and any phone number or short web address printed with it. Braintree says descriptors are not enabled on every account. A missing BT * does not mean the charge is fake.
Braintree's help page says a merchant in the United States, Europe, or Australia can edit the soft and hard descriptors from the Business page. A merchant in another region, which is the case the page leaves for Canada, is told to contact Braintree. That is a merchant step. It does not print a different cardholder prefix for Canada.
If you do not recognize it
Match the date and the amount to a checkout email before you dispute. A family member or a saved card at a website that uses Braintree can be a real purchase. The site name may be the words after the asterisk, not the word Braintree.
If the date and the amount do not match a receipt, an email, or a purchase someone on the card made, it may be a charge you did not allow. In the United States, use dispute a charge in the US. In Canada, use dispute a charge in Canada. A name you still cannot place is on unknown charge on a statement. The code list is on statement codes.
Upload the statement on Expenvo. The PDF stays on your device. Expenvo lists the lines so you can match a short name to a date and an amount. It does not call the bank, and it does not dispute a charge.
Questions
- Does every Braintree charge start with BT *?
- No. Braintree prints BT * for a Marketplace transaction. Other card charges show the business name, a phone number, or a short URL. The bank decides the final text.
- What are the extra letters after the name?
- On a Marketplace charge, if the name is 12 characters or fewer, Braintree adds a random 6 character string that identifies the sub merchant. A longer name does not get that string.
- Is PAYPAL * the same as BT *?
- No. Braintree says a PayPal payment starts with PAYPAL *. A Marketplace card charge starts with BT *. Card payments that are not Marketplace follow the business name rules.
- Who do I call if I did not buy it?
- The card issuer. Braintree's descriptor pages do not print a shopper phone number. Use the US or Canada dispute page after you cannot match the charge.
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