1. Introduction

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is the worldwide standard set up to protect cardholder data and help businesses process card payments securely. It is issued, administered and managed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). Its compliance is enforced by the major payment card brands like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB., and also includes Bancontact and Maestro in the scope.

All companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit cards and debit cards information need to comply with PCI DSS to protect cardholder data.

As a merchant, you also have the responsibility to fill out a self-assessment questionnaire on a yearly basis.

The length and rigor of the questions and the questionnaire itself, depend largely on the way you choose to integrate our payment systems.