FAQ About PCI Assessments
Have you decided to start accepting major credit cards for your business in an effort to gain more customers? Before you can begin accepting major credit cards from customers, you must make sure that the process can be done in a secure manner. Basically, your business must be able to pass a Payment Card Industry (PCI) assessment before you can move forward. Keep in mind that accepting debit cards that have major credit card company logos means that your business must pass the assessment as well. Take a look at this article to gain more insight about the PCI assessment that you will need to pass.
What Does a PCI Assessment Involve?
Basically, a PCI is an assessment that involves answering a series of questions. Don't worry about having to write out long answers when responding to the questions. The questionnaire will involve questions that require a yes or no answer. You main job will be to make sure that the questions are fully understood, and that your answers are truthful. The assessment is used as a way to protect the sensitive information that your customers provide when they purchase items with their major credit or debit cards.
Are There Numerous Assessments to Take?
There will be numerous assessments available that can be taken. However, you will not be required to take all of the assessments. You will simply choose the assessment that best describes how you handle credit and debit card payments from your customers. The questions in that specific questionnaire will then be directly related to your business, and you won't have to worry about answer questions that are irrelevant.
Does Phone Orders Have to Be PCI Compliant?
Being that you will be taking sensitive information from customers that are paying for products over the phone, you must still make sure your business is PCI compliant. The reason why is because the information that you will be obtaining can easily be stolen by a thief and used to make unauthorized purchases if your business isn't secure enough. You will basically be obtaining the cardholders name, expiration date, as well as the service code and credit card numbers, which is all that is needed for a thief to make purchases.
What if a Business Doesn't Pass the Assessment?
If your business does not pass the assessment, you will simply have to resolve the problematic areas. After everything has been brought up to compliance, take the PCI assessment again to see if you can pass. For assistance, talk to a professional like The Cyber Watch.
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