Software developers must do their due diligence to ensure integrated payments solutions are PCI compliant. While a PCI DSS validated solution is a good starting point, it's just one piece of the puzzle.
For true peace of mind, take a multilayered approach. Look for a payments partner that offers PCI-validated point-to-point encryption (P2PE) or end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This ensures that a hacker or other malicious actor can't see (or sell) actual card numbers, account holder names, or other sensitive information.
Another key security technology is tokenization. This replaces card details with random strings of alphanumeric characters. Merchants can store these tokens (managed by the service provider) to link customers to their payment info without ever seeing the real data. This adds another layer of protection.
By using these technologies, you can also limit your PCI scope. Since your system never touches human-readable card data, it avoids the extensive compliance requirements. This applies to both cloud-based and hardware solutions, allowing you to capture in-person payments and even tokenize them for future use without bringing your customers or software under the PCI umbrella.
The right payments partner can also remove friction from PCI compliance. Look for companies that understand the challenges of the self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) and offer assistance to streamline the process. After all, easy integration shouldn't come at the expense of comprehensive support. Remember, those "easy button" payment solutions might leave you and your clients exposed down the line.
For more information, download our ebook The (Not So) Secret Ingredients of Successful Integrated Payments or contact us.