Compliance · Glossary
Also called: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
PCI DSS is the security standard maintained by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, governing how merchants handle, transmit, and store card data. Compliance is required by every card brand contract. Annual SAQ (Self-Assessment Questionnaire) is the minimum requirement for most SMBs.
PCI DSSsits 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.