eCommerce May 16, 2023

PCI Compliance for eCommerce Businesses: All You Need to Know!

Written by Analytix Editorial Team Analytix Marketing

Given the current eCommerce boom, more and more businesses are focusing on online sales. Online sales offer many opportunities for expansion and improvement, but they also carry the risk of fraud and cyberattacks.

That’s where PCI compliance comes into play. For eCommerce business decision-makers, understanding PCI compliance can seem overwhelming.

This blog will explain why PCI compliance is crucial for eCommerce businesses in 2023 and what steps businesses should take to ensure this type of compliance.

Understanding the significance of PCI compliance can help protect your business from financial damages, negative publicity, and potential lawsuits, whether you are a newly founded business or an established eCommerce business.

PCI compliance: What & why is it important?

The PCI is a compliance requirement developed and managed by the PCI Security Standards Council. Any business that stores, processes, or transmits credit, debit, or prepaid card information, including those that accept online credit card payments, must have this regulation in place.

Whether they are accepting credit card data online or through a physical terminal, any merchant who handles credit card data must adhere to PCI compliance for eCommerce business. These regulations cover everything from creating data security policies and setting employee conduct guidelines to erasing credit card data from the processing system and payment terminals when the transaction is complete.

Why is PCI Compliance for eCommerce Businesses Substantial? Reason & Benefits!

Online payment fraud affected the worldwide e-commerce industry by 41 billion US dollars in 2022, an increase from the previous year. By 2023, it is anticipated that the amount will increase to 48 billion dollars.

The significant losses incurred by eCommerce payment fraud help you consider the importance of strong security measures. PCI compliance is essential for eCommerce businesses because it can help lower the risk of credit card fraud, which could otherwise cost millions of dollars.

You can protect both cardholder and credit card data by following PCI standards. As a result, you must take maintaining your PCI compliance seriously to stop credit card theft and foster consumer loyalty.

Top Benefits of PCI Compliance for Businesses! 

The following are just some of the benefits of PCI compliance for eCommerce businesses: –

Benefits of PCI Compliance for eCommerce Businesses

#1. It helps you adhere to global standards

PCI compliance was formed by five of the most significant credit bureaus in the world to guarantee that merchants adhere to minimum security standards when they store, process, and transmit information about cardholders. This level of protection is mandatory for consumers. By achieving PCI compliance eCommerce business, you can join & compete with other global brands and companies dedicated to data security and customer protection.

#2. Secures business data

Statistics show that in 2021-22, the number of data breaches at businesses increased by more than 68%, thereby shattering the previous record-breaking spike in 2017. Cyberattacks like malware and ransomware are increasing. This makes it crucial for eCommerce businesses and other enterprises that store cardholder data to protect that data.

By implementing essential security measures, businesses can strengthen their security measures and lower the probability of data breaches.

#3. Stops data breaches

While building an IT infrastructure, data compliance and management are crucial factors to consider, especially if you collect or store sensitive customer information. Each PCI-compliant eCommerce business is a less desirable target for cybercriminals, as merchants must use more robust firewalls and encryption and are prevented from storing cardholder details. Fraudsters thus won’t be able to access the data they’re looking for and hacking your network will become much more challenging.

#4. Boost consumer trust

Security breach victims may sometimes feel mistreated, which damages their faith in the business they entrusted with their data. According to a survey, 81% of consumers would stop interacting with a brand online after a data breach.

By maintaining PCI compliance, your eCommerce store demonstrates to customers that it values their personal information and gives them confidence that their credit card information is stored securely.

The Four Levels of PCI Compliance

Not all businesses are subject to PCI compliance rules; instead, four levels of PCI DSS compliance dictate what steps a company must follow.

The number of transactions the company processes annually determines which of the four PCI compliance tiers it falls under. As such, they are separated:

  • Level 1 – Any merchant processing more than 6 million Visa transactions annually and any merchant that Visa considers should comply with Level 1 merchant regulations to reduce risk to the ecosystem of payment brands.
  • Level 2 – Any merchant handling 1 million to 6 million transactions annually.
  • Level 3 – Any merchant handling 20,000 to 1 million e-commerce transactions annually.
  • Level 4 – Any merchant processing 20,000 or fewer eCommerce transactions annually and every other business processing up to 1 million transactions annually.

PCI Compliant Criteria for eCommerce Platforms

The PCI DSS sets standards that enable businesses to protect their payment data. The standards we’ll outline lay the path for sound security practices. Here are the principal factors:

  • Using secure password techniques.
  • All credit card data should always be encrypted.
  • Employ firewalls to limit user access from external networks.
  • Installing monitoring systems will help you safeguard data stored in physical locations, such as a data center.
  • To process credit card transactions, be sure to use a secure payment gateway such as Stripe, Square, or PayPal Payflow.
  • Create and maintain safe operating systems, firewalls, routers, databases, and point-of-sale terminals.
  • Test your security procedures and systems regularly.

What Happens if You Aren’t PCI Compliant?

Businesses are more vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches when they are not PCI compliant. The implications can also be financial and legal.

The fines can be as high as millions of dollars every month until a business fixes its compliance problems, depending on the business’s size and the level of non-compliance. If a business is not PCI compliant, credit card providers and customers impacted by a breach may sue the company, which can end up costing even more money. A business that needs to be PCI compliant also risks losing its merchant account, which would prevent it from ever being able to accept credit card payments.

Other negative consequences include costly downtime, response costs, and potential negative publicity for a business.

Analytix IT Solutions helps you meet and exceed PCI compliance for your eCommerce business concerning security event logging, reporting, audit trails, anomaly, threat detection, and tracking crucial security control systems. For more details about our eCommerce web development services, contact us.

Conclusion

A successful business is built on digital technology. Moreover, data management typically requires the highest level of maintenance and security. Being PCI compliant entails operating a secure business for your customers. Small and medium-sized eCommerce businesses sometimes undervalue the necessity of eCommerce PCI compliance, even though breaking these rules is normally subject to hefty fines.

PCI compliance may appear difficult, but it is simple once you’ve achieved it. Analytix IT Solutions is a fantastic option if you’re looking for an eCommerce web development business with PCI compliance expertise.

When there is a greater need for a trustworthy technology partner, Analytix IT Solutions acts as the ultimate partner. Let our expert team handle all of your services.

Next Steps

  • Feel free to contact us if you still have questions regarding PCI compliance. With over 16+ years of experience, our experts always have suggestions for you.
  • Email us at sales@analytix.com or call 781.503.9003 today.
  • Follow our blog for industry trends and the latest updates.
  • Engage with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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