Let us investigate your processing costs

PCI-DSS Compliance

PCI-DSS is confusing to many merchants.

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry and members are VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB (Japanese Credit Bureau).

The DSS stands for Data Security Standards.

Most business owners only know the term PCI from a fee on some statements.

Because of continuing data breaches, PCI formed to standardize security standards for maintaing credit card information and other data on customers.

Many merchants believe that they are not included because they do not have the information online or in a computer. These merchants are WRONG. Last year, one security service stated 94% of breaches were from "Mom and Pop" style stores. In other words, small businesses. You don't read about them in papers because it is only a few to maybe a hundred numbers that get out, but fines are enough to drive a small business into bankruptcy.

PCI developed Self-Assessment Questionaires (SAQs) to help small businesses determine if they are compliant. Many processors now require these forms from their merchants.

The forms are important to help businesses realize how simple lapses or bad procedures can let information your customers trust you with out in the open.

Small retail shops, do you...

  • leave customer signed receipts in the open or easily accessible?
  • store customer information on a spreadsheet so you can key enter monthly transactions?
  • place card numbers in a computer that is used for web searching?
  • use default passwords on your wireless routers?
  • not keep your virus protection up-to-date?

Any of these and more can lead to a breach.

Merchant Processing Consulting & Training, LLC. is coming out with a new program called the Data Security Compliance Assistance Package. This package will start at $250 and can be as high as $7000 depending on options.

The base price is the completion of the SAQ with the business owner and creating a list of what is needed to become compliant.

Options will include placing SECURE filing cabinets, safe and high duty shredders that can handle CDs and DVDs. For most businesses, the package will not exceed $1250.00.