‍What Is PCI DSS?
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‍The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a globally adopted framework designed to protect cardholder data and ensure secure card transactions. It was established in 2004 by leading payment networks—Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and Discover—and is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).

Though not a law, PCI DSS is a mandatory compliance requirement for organizations that store, process, or transmit credit or debit card data. It represents a critical standard in preventing payment fraud, reducing the risk of data breaches, and enhancing consumer trust.

‍Our PCI DSS Certification

At PayTrust.io, we are proud to be PCI DSS certified, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of payment security. As a technical gateway service provider, we enable merchants and partners to process payments safely through integrations with fully certified acquiring banks and payment processors.
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Our certification reflects strict adherence to key PCI DSS principles, including:
- Implementation of enterprise-grade firewalls and network segmentation
- Encryption of all sensitive data during transmission
- Deployment of anti-malware solutions and security patch management
- Enforced access controls, including role-based restrictions and user identification
- Comprehensive logging, monitoring, and security testing
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Our infrastructure is designed to ensure that cardholder data never enters our systems directly, significantly reducing risk and helping our clients meet their own compliance obligations with confidence.

Why PCI DSS Compliance Matters
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Failing to comply with PCI DSS can have serious consequences, even for businesses that rely on third-party providers. Non-compliance may lead to:
- Fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month from card networks
- Increased transaction processing fees or mandated compliance upgrades
- Loss of ability to process card payments
- Customer data breaches, reputational damage, and legal liability
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On the other hand, being PCI DSS certified provides real value to businesses, including:
- Greater trust and loyalty from customers and partners
- Improved protection against data theft and fraud
- Alignment with global standards and other regulatory frameworks
- Streamlined IT security practices and reduced long-term compliance costs

PCI DSS Levels of Compliance
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- Merchants and service providers are categorized into four PCI DSS levels based on their annual transaction volume:
- Level 1: Over 6 million transactions/year — annual audit by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and quarterly network scans
- Level 2: 1 to 6 million transactions/year — annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and periodic scans
- Level 3: 20,000 to 1 million e-commerce transactions/year — SAQ and possible quarterly scans
- Level 4: Fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions/year — SAQ and periodic scanning as required by the acquirer

Our Role as a Technical Payment Gateway

When you choose PayTrust.io, you benefit from a payment integration solution that is natively aligned with PCI DSS requirements. Sensitive cardholder data never touches your server—our gateway employs technologies such as:
- Tokenization
- Hosted payment fields
- Secure redirection to certified processors

This setup minimizes your exposure to compliance risks, ensuring that your platform handles payment data securely and in accordance with industry standards.

Our infrastructure works in harmony with PCI DSS-certified processors and banks, enabling safe and seamless payment experiences for your users while reducing your technical and regulatory burden.

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Security Starts With Smart Choices

‍Choosing the right gateway partner is a key step in protecting your business. At PayTrust.io, we believe that if you don’t need cardholder data, don’t store it. We’ve built our platform with that principle in mind, so you can focus on growing your business while we take care of compliance, security, and peace of mind.