Online and mobile payment gateway Braintree has rolled out Venmo Touch in a limited beta release. The new service makes it easier for mobile consumers to enter and use their payment cards online.

Venmo Touch saves a consumer's payment information across the entire Braintree merchant network. Once a customer buys from one Braintree merchant his or her credit or debit card information can be accessed through another Braintree merchant with a single touch. That's a boon for mobile shoppers vexed by entering data on tiny mobile screens.

"Filling out forms and entering payment information on a mobile device is a real hassle for users," said Bill Ready, CEO of Braintree. "Each time a user downloads a new app, the user needs to re-enter payment information, creating frustration for users and a huge obstacle in the user sign-up process for apps. Venmo Touch lets you store payment information once and then use it across multiple apps without requiring users to sign-up or download a separate app. This makes the payment and sign-up process much easier."

Braintree said it currently enables repeat purchases for more than 35 million consumers, meaning that customers who have made a purchase through a Braintree merchant are already set up to use Venmo Touch. That's great for those customers and it's a compelling incentive that Braintree can offer to app developers looking for a mobile payment gateway. (What could be better than having immediate access to 35 million consumers who can purchase through your app with a single touch?)

"As an app developer laser-focused on customer experience, one of our primary goals is simplicity. It's great to offer customers who opt in one [less] step between download and booking a hotel room," said Sam Shank, CEO of HotelTonight, a Braintree merchant, in a statement. "Braintree understands that consumer experience is a huge differentiator for mobile apps, and Venmo Touch will make that experience even better."

Venmo Touch comes out of Braintree's purchase of P2P mobile payment provider Venmo last year. The solution is free to both consumers and merchants.

Based in Chicago, Braintree provides a secure payment platform for some of the hottest mobile and online merchants, including OpenTable, LevelUp and Uber. The company processes payments in more than 30 countries and in more than 130 currencies.

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