What is Four Levels of PCI Compliance?-A Detailed Guide

 As you may already know, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to protect organizations that process, store or transmit credit card information. And, in order to be PCI compliant, businesses must meet certain requirements at each of the four levels of compliance: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4.


So, what exactly are the four levels of PCI compliance? Let's take a closer look:


Level 1: This is the highest level of compliance and is typically reserved for organizations that process over 6 million credit card transactions per year. To achieve Level 1 compliance, businesses must complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and an on-site External Security Audit conducted by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA).


Level 2: Level 2 compliance is required for organizations that process 1 million to 6 million credit card transactions per year. Like Level 1 compliance, achieving Level 2 status requires the completion of an SAQ and an External Security Audit.


Level 3: Organizations that process 20,000 to 1 million credit card transactions per year must achieve Level 3 compliance. This level requires the completion of an SAQ as well as an on-site Internal Security Audit conducted by a QSA.


Level 4: Finally, Level 4 compliance is the lowest level of PCI compliance and is typically required for organizations that process less than 20,000 credit card transactions per year. Achieving Level 4 status requires the completion of an SAQ only.


Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of the four levels of PCI compliance. Remember, if your organization processes credit card payments, it is important to ensure that you are in compliance with the PCI DSS in order to protect your customers' sensitive payment card information.

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