There are plenty of complex topics in payments that businesses would rather not worry about. PCI Compliance standards probably top that list — but it doesn’t have to be so complicated.
Equipped with the right partner, like Payline, and the right educational materials and tools, your business can be ready to follow PCI Compliance standards and keep your business and customers safe from unnecessary threats.
The PCI Standards Council, for example, is a global body that maintains, evolves, and promotes the Payment Card Industry Security Standards. Although they are called “standards,” being PCI compliant is not optional.
As phrased by the Council: “Maintaining payment security is required for all entities that store, process or transmit cardholder data…These set the technical and operational requirements for organizations accepting or processing payment transactions, and for software developers and manufacturers of applications and devices used in those transactions.”
Luckily, solutions offered by Payline have the built-in PCI Compliance standards necessary to not only keep your business up to speed, but enable you to keep your most important data safeguarded — while maintaining your daily business flow without any interruption.
PCI Compliance is a Process — Not a Project
Being PCI compliant isn’t a one-step task your business can check of its to-do list. PCI Compliance involves a three-step process that requires ongoing investments to ensure you are keeping your machines on par with the latest security measures.
First, it’s about access to cardholder data. Your business should always understand what IT tools are being utilized to protect your payments processing — including where there may be gaps in your system. Next, it’s about having a protocol in place to remediate issues when they arise — such as removing any cardholder data from your systems as soon as possible.
The last part is one that may seem the most tedious, but is equally important. Businesses must be prepared to have the proper documentation to be able to submit reports to the necessary acquiring bank and card brand to prove they are using systems that protect cardholder data. All of that together are just three aspects of following PCI Compliance.
PCI Compliance Standards: Where Businesses Should Start
If you’re fearful about already being behind, don’t fret. There are resources and tools offered by Payline designed to help your business meet PCI DSS Level I standards and maintain the highest level of PCI data security for processing payments.
So where to start?
The PCI Standards Council breaks it down: “Implementing the PCI Data Security Standard starts with scoping. This process involves identifying all system components that are located within or connected to the cardholder data environment.”
Conducted as part of an annual assessment, businesses needing to follow PCI Compliance standards must be able to show how they process payments, and show how their systems are protecting cardholder data from being breached.
The easiest way to make sure you’re keeping up-to-date? Having a partner like Payline to onboard your payment processing solutions — whether it be in-person or online — can give your business assurance you’re on track to following PCI Compliance standards, keeping your customers’ data secure and protecting your business from unnecessary threats.
Anna Lothson is a content contributor for Payline Data. She previously wrote for PYMNTS.com, as a Sr. Content Producer, where she focused on financial services and payments innovation, fraud and security, emerging payments, and FinTech news, research and thought-leadership content across the payments industry.
