PCI compliance applies to any merchant that stores, processes, or transmits sensitive, personal information. This can mean brick and mortar companies that electronically transmit credit card information, and online environments where sensitive data must be manually entered.

As more and more commerce turns to the Internet as a means to reach new customers and provide the convenience and shopping experience they are looking for, more and more criminals follow right along with them.

Using credit cards online has traditionally been an iffy endeavor. From the beginning there has always been a sense of "someone watching you" when conducting transactions over the Internet. Slowly, these fears gave way to convenience and reputation - we all thought that surely large, well-respected companies would have done everything necessary to protect sensitive information.

But then more security breaches began to be reported and these included breaches in huge companies, like the TJX incident. These security problems are, unfortunately, not anomalous occurrences, and a little research shows how they continue to happen. Especially to online environments.

Recognizing the need for assurances in the integrity of the system, the Payment Card Industry created the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) to create a standardized set of measures, tools, and requirements that merchants must conform to. PCI compliance, then, in mandated by the industry and there are incentives to encourage compliance, and severe penalties for those who don't.

PCI compliance, however, should not be regarded as a forced measure for conformity, but instead it should be seen as a good, sensible business practice that can help ensure your long-time success on the Internet.

As the news of these security breaches reach public notice, customers, in truth, will likely not give up Internet shopping (it is too ingrained in our daily routines now). They will, however, become more and more discerning in which websites they frequent, and which websites they will trust with their sensitive information.

So here is the situation that has developed: a merchant may, if so desired, put off PCI compliance measures and hope they don't get noticed by either hackers or the Payment Card Industry. Due to the complexity of the requirements of the PCI DSS, this is an option many companies have chosen.

The other option? You can achieve PCI compliance now. The Internet is constantly moving and it can be difficult to keep up. But if you reach compliance early, the work to keep up with evolving standards and procedures will be significantly reduced.

Compare that to the day when your customers simply will not do business with you due to your lack of PCI compliance.

How much will playing "catch up" end up costing you, then?

Online customers can be every bit as demanding as the customers who conduct transactions face to face. But the implications of a bad customer experience online are far more detrimental and immediately debilitating.

In the normal consumer experience, a bad environment, or transaction mistake, or poor customer treatment, will eventually be related to friends and neighbors, who eventually may or may not tell the story to others.

The Internet, however, has become a community where information spreads very quickly, and "friends and neighbors" comes to include thousands of people all over the country.

Reputation management is going to become a full time endeavor for online merchants, and PCI compliance one of the best ways to ensure your reputation and your long term success.

Andy Eliason is a writer at Main10, Inc. If you'd like to learn more about PCI compliance or other information security, visit Braintree Payment Solutions today.

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