US-based online payment processing services developer Braintree has launched a new range of tools for mobile application developers to enable merchants to accept payments within a mobile application.

The new offering will help developers avoid PCI compliance issues by encrypting sensitive credit card data entered by the user on their mobile device. The encrypted data is afterwards passed from the merchant’s server to Braintree for processing and the information can only be decrypted by Braintree using a private key. This process will prevent merchants from being exposed to sensitive credit card data. The libraries support both mobile devices as well as tablet devices running Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7 operating systems.

Braintree’s clients includes LivingSocial, 37signals, OpenTable, Fab.com, GitHub, Airbnb, Heroku, Engine Yard, Animoto, Shopify and HotelTonight.

Braintree is processing more than USD 4 billion in annual credit card volume. In 2011, the company secured USD 34 million in a funding round led by Accel.

Braintree enables online businesses to process credit card payments by providing a merchant account, payment gateway, recurring billing and credit card storage.