Mastercard Raises the Bar for PCI Compliance

On June 15th, Mastercard announced that Level 2 merchants, those processing between one and three million transactions annually, will now have to undergo an annual onsite assessment for PCI compliance. Previously these merchants were only required to complete the PCI DSS self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ).

The onsite assessment, which must be completed by a PCI QSA (Qualified Security Assessor), will validate compliance with the twelve requirements set forth in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. The PCI DSS requirements are designed to provide increased controls around data and its exposure to compromise.