What is PCI compliance?

Point of Sale (POS) Glossary

PCI compliance is an abbreviation for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It refers to a set of requirements that are administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. The PCI SSC was created by payment card processors, including VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

PCI compliance includes ever-changing standards for transaction security, education, and awareness. For instance, a point of sale system must not store prohibited information (such as CVV2 or PIN data). These standards require that industry best practices be followed by POS systems, processors, gateways, and other transactional systems.

Non-compliance with PCI DDS guidelines may result in different consequences that can include monetary penalties and legal actions. Additionally, non-compliant systems may allow data breaches, fraud, and damaged reputations.