Frank Keller, executive vice president of PayPal’s enterprise merchant group, is spearheading a transformative moment for the company with the launch of PayPal Open. After two years of development, leadership changes, and intensive brand strategy discussions, PayPal is aiming to redefine its role in the business payments landscape.
The introduction of PayPal Open consolidates various services — including Braintree, Zettle, Hyperwallet, and Chargehound — into a unified platform. This strategic shift addresses a significant challenge: while PayPal has developed a broad range of solutions, many customers were unaware of its full suite of offerings.
Founded in 1998, PayPal has long been recognized for its consumer-facing checkout services. However, its B2B solutions have been fragmented across in-house technologies and acquired companies, lacking brand cohesion. The launch of PayPal Open marks a decisive effort to streamline and unify these services, positioning the company as a comprehensive solution for businesses.
Keller compares this evolution to successful consumer brands that expanded into the B2B sector, citing Amazon Web Services as a benchmark. The strategy aligns with CEO Alex Chriss’ focus on increasing transaction margins and maximizing the potential of key acquisitions like Braintree, which processed nearly $600 billion in total payment volume last year for major clients such as Meta.
The name PayPal Open emerged after months of research, internal debates, and strategic adjustments. Despite initial discussions around emphasizing Braintree, the decision to lead with the trusted PayPal brand reflects its global recognition and reliability.
This shift comes at a crucial time as PayPal faces growing competition from Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shopify’s Shop Pay, particularly among younger, mobile-first users. Currently, PayPal’s branded checkout accounts for 30% of the company’s total payment volume.
PayPal Open offers more than just B2B payment processing. It provides businesses, developers, and partners with integrated financial services and AI-powered business insights through a single connection. Features include fraud protection, buy now, pay later options, global transactions in 140 currencies, and lending solutions.
Notably, Venmo will remain a separate brand due to its strong identity among U.S. consumers, with over 90 million active users.
The phased rollout of PayPal Open begins this week, with transitions starting in April. Existing integrations like Braintree will remain operational, ensuring a smooth transition for businesses. The ultimate goal is to position PayPal as a powerful, open platform for enterprise growth.
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