Ensuring that Customers’ Personal Data is Secure.
The guaranteed way to ensure that your customers’ personal data is secure rests on your choice of merchant card service provider; it’s that simple!
By selecting a reputable merchant card service provider that has all the mandatory certifications and verifications as set-down by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council, you are ensuring that your customer’s personal data will be secure and there will not be any breaches of secure and sensitive customer card information leaked via your merchant card service providers payment gateway system.
There are many regulations that are introduced by the PCI Security Standards Council and also by card brands. Ensure that your existing merchant card service provider is compliant, verified and aware of industry changes in industry security standards.
How to establish compliance?
If you want to establish if your appointed merchant card service provider is verified and compliant in mandatory industry requirements you can visit the website of the PCI Security Standards Council where service providers that comply and are verified in certain mandatory requirements are listed. Not all compliance is listed though.
Call your merchant card service provider and ask them if they meet all the industry requirements. You are their client; you have every right to ask! If you still feel unsure, do some research on the security standards and requirements in the card payment processing industry and visit your merchant card service provider’s website to see if they list these certifications and verifications on their website. Any business that is worth their salt will not hesitate to show-off their credentials to secure new business and reassure exiting clients.
If after speaking to your existing merchant card service provider and visiting their website you still feel insecure, start looking for a new service provider who meets all the PCI specifications, offers cutting edge technology, is well established in the card payment industry and build your confidence in them.
Making the wrong choices can cost your business
Your customers only know your business. By far the majority of people know absolutely nothing about what happens once their card is swiped, dipped or scanned. They also probably have little desire to know! All customers care about is that they get the items they purchased, that their payment is processed and that they can confirm their payment via electronic notification or accessing their card statement. The back-end is left in your hands as a matter of trust.
Note the word ‘trust’. Your customers trust your business, not your merchant card service provider. That is why good decision making on your part is vital. Any breach in security of your customers’ sensitive and secure card information will be placed at your feet. It is from you that the customers’ will want answers. With or without answers, you run a high risk that you have lost that business.
‘Trust’ must be the essential key-word that you have in your appointed merchant card service provider! A mutual trust relationship will ensure that your business grows and customer confidence is retained. For more information about ensuring the security of customers’ personal data or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.