Dealing with PCI compliance is one of the top complaints I hear from business owners. The process can be very complex, and often, there is no none to help you.
To make things worse, if you do not complete it properly you will most likely be charged a PCI non-compliance fee!
I have seen fees ranging from $29 – $150 per month! I have even heard in some cases the agent handling the account shares the revenue earned from PCI non-compliant fees.
What Is The Purpose?
PCI compliance is an industry wide measure to help protect cardholder data and reduce fraud. The intentions of the program are good – after all, who wants to have a data breach on their hands?
In my opinion, many credit card processing companies have made the process so difficult that it can be nearly impossible to complete. Almost as if they do not want you to be complaint so they can charge you.
How can you find out if you are paying a fee? Check your statement. But if you are like most business owners, you rarely look at your statement (come on, be honest).
Some companies do not even send out statements in the mail, they come online via email. Or worse, you have to login to your merchant portal and find them.
Does It Really Matter?
Small businesses are just as vulnerable as big businesses when it comes to cyber crime. What if your company had a data breach? Would you be able to show that you, as a business owner, have done everything possible to protect cardholder data? This would include completing your PCI compliance requirements.
When we review a processing statement, one of the first things we look for is a non-compliance fee. Merchants are often surprised to see that they are paying one. Let me encourage you today to find a statement and look through it, or better yet – send it to us so we can review it for you.
