UNDERSTANDING THE PCI DSS CERTIFICATION COST: WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO BUDGET

Understanding the PCI DSS certification Cost: What to Expect and How to Budget

Understanding the PCI DSS certification Cost: What to Expect and How to Budget

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Understanding the PCI DSS certification  Cost: What to Expect and How to Budget

 

Any organization that handles, stores, and processes consumer payment data (or cardholder data/card transaction data) is legally required to follow Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). So, if you are one of these organizations, you must comply with PCI DSS; it is not negotiable. However, you should note that obtaining PCI DSS certification in Saudi Arabia is not free! It carries its own set of costs. What's the cost? Let us find out.

 

Factors Influencing PCI DSS Certification Costs

 


  • Size of Business


 

 

Large organizations typically manage, store, or process massive amounts of cardholder data (CHD), necessitating the purchase of advanced tools to manage their extensive database (such software typically comes at a high cost), a large storage setup, a skilled workforce, and the implementation of multiple layers of security. As a result, they wind up spending significant PCI DSS certification costs.

 

Small businesses, like sole proprietorships, handle far lower amounts of CHD, so their regulations are far less stringent than those of a corporation. As a result, they have much cheaper PCI DSS certification costs in Saudi Arabia .

  1. Type Of Business


 

Your business type might have a significant impact on the cost of PCI DSS certification. For example, e-commerce organizations (which conduct online transactions) must use various cyber security measures like antivirus, firewalls, and encryption to protect CHD from cyberattacks, which increase their expenses.

 

Meanwhile, tiny retail establishments (with offline operations) accept in-person payments, resulting in fewer hacks. They only need to establish physical security measures to protect CHD from theft and damage, which is why their PCI DSS certification costs are relatively minimal.

 

3: Security Setup

 

Organizations with an existing and effective security configuration will not incur additional preparation costs to meet PCI compliance criteria.

 

Those beginning from scratch (without a security system) may face much greater preparatory costs for PCI DSS certification. They must implement all necessary security measures, including antivirus programs, firewalls, and other security solutions, to build a firm foundation; only then will they be able to meet PCI DSS criteria.

4: Merchant Level Category

Merchants are basically entities (in simple terms, businesses) that directly accept card payments from customers in exchange for goods or services.

Note: Customers can use credit or debit card brands like American Express, MasterCard, Discover, Visa, or JCB to make payments for goods or services.

However, organizations that handle, store, and process cardholder payment data on behalf of other organizations are considered ‘service providers’—not merchants.

Now, there are 4 merchant levels, and the level your organization falls into greatly influences your PCI DSS certification cost. Like –

  • Level 1 merchants are organizations that process over 6 million transactions per year, and they incur the highest PCI DSS certification cost.

  • Level 2 merchants are organizations that process 1 million to 6 million transactions annually. They incur a high PCI DSS certification cost (but comparatively lower than the Level 1 merchant category).

  • Level 3 merchants are organizations that process 20,000 to 1 million transactions per year and incur low PCI DSS certification cost.

  • Level 4 merchants are organizations that process less than 20,000 transactions per year, and they incur the lowest PCI DSS certification cost.


Comprehensive PCI DSS services in Saudi Arabia  streamline your journey to certification and ongoing compliance.

 

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