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Compliance · Glossary

Cardholder data

Also called: CHD

Cardholder data is the set of personally-identifiable information on a payment card (PAN, expiration date, cardholder name) that PCI DSS treats as sensitive. Storing CHD requires encryption, tokenization, or scope reduction via a hosted payment field.

Why this matters to merchants

Cardholder datasits inside the broader system of U.S. payment processing economics that determine a merchant’s effective rate. Most operators encounter this term on their merchant statement without understanding what it controls, which is how the four hidden fees covered by our methodology slip past unnoticed.