PCI Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements for enhancing payment account data security. These standards were developed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which was founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa International to facilitate industry-wide adoption of consistent data security measures on a global basis.
The minimum requirement for a level 4 merchant is to complete a PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) on an annual basis and achieve a passing score. If you electronically store cardholder information or if your processing systems have any Internet connectivity, a quarterly scan by an approved scanning vendor is also required.
The payment brands require all acquirers to report on the PCI Compliance of their merchants. If you do not complete the Self-Assessment Questionnaire you may overlook certain data security practices that minimize your risk of a security breach. In the event that your business is compromised, you may be subject to fines of up to $500,000 per payment brand. These fines do not include the expenses or cost of fraudulent transactions resulting from the breach. In addition to avoiding potential fines, PCI Compliance may give your customers confidence that their credit card information is protected at your business.
Metro Bancard has partnered with PCI Rapid Comply to help you achieve PCI compliance. PCI Rapid Comply is a certified security assessor for Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card, to provide you with their “Site Certification” service. There is No additional cost to you for this service. The fee for the PCI Rapid Comply Site Certification PCI services is covered by your Annual Compliance Service Fee. You can contact PCI Rapid Comply today by calling 855-532-4891 or by going to their website (www.PCIRapidComply.com). Please provide to them your 12 digit merchant account number as it appears on your statement. Your participation in this program is essential in allowing us to help you be protected against any unwanted security breaches.
However, there are over 130 approved scanning vendors. You are free to choose to certify with any vendor you like. If you choose to certify with another vendor you will be responsible for paying the full cost of the PCI Compliance analysis to that vendor and sending a copy of your certification to us. A list of approved vendors is available on the card association web sites or at pcisecuritystandards.org. We appreciate your time and assistance.
