Introduction to the Payment Brands – AMEX, VISA, MasterCard, Discover

The payment brands – as they are commonly called in the payments industry – are the respective financial institutions (i.e., AMEX, VISA, MasterCard, Discover & JCB) responsible for advancing and promoting the actual Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), which are overseen and administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) in Wakefield, MA.  Though the payment brands were instrumental in founding the PCI standard, and ultimately the PCI SSC (i.e., the “council”), they are not directly involved in many of the day-to-day activities of the PCI standards themselves –that’s left to the council.  And though they did form a consensus regarding various security provisions of cardholder data – which ultimately resulted in the formation of the PCI DSS standards – they still maintain their own security and compliance programs.

So it’s important to understand this distinction, and it’s also important to remember that there are many other notable entities that play a vital role with PCI DSS, such as acquirers, merchant banks, ISO’s – just to name a few.  The payment brands still maintain a powerful voice regarding security and compliance – no question about it – thus merchants, service providers and any other organization seeking to become PCI compliant should  know this.  You can learn more about the payment brand compliance programs by visiting each of their sites:

• American Express
• Discover Financial Services
• JCB International
• MasterCard Worldwide
• Visa Inc.
• Visa Europe

The PCI DSS mandates are often a taxing and challenging undertaking for many organizations, that’s why it’s important to understand both the scope of PCI and the supporting documents available for compliance.  One of the biggest tasks for initially becoming compliant is developing the numerous policies and procedures required for compliance, such as those for the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (A, B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW), and for Level 1 onsite assessments.

PCI Policy Templates & Policies, Procedures for SAQ and Onsite Assessments | Download

pcipolicyportal.com, the global authority for PCI policies and procedures, has developed documentation specific to each of the following Payment Card Industry reporting compliance mandates:

• SAQ A
• SAQ A-EP
• SAQ B
• SAQ B-IP
• SAQ C
• SAQ C-VT
• SAQ P2PE-HW
• SAQ D for Merchants
• SAQ D for Service Providers

Purchase and immediately download your PCI Policies Packet today for SAQ A, B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW, and Level 1 onsite assessments.

You now have an authoritative, industry leading resource that provides policies and procedures specific to each of the above PCI DSS compliance mandates.  Simply purchase the pcipolicyportal.com policies and procedures for whichever mandate required (either the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) or the Level 1 onsite assessments), and then follow either the PCI SAQ or the Level 1 PCI certification process!

The World’s Leading Provider of PCI Policies and Procedures & Toolkits

Learn more about the PCI certification process for both the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ A – D), and the Level 1 onsite assessments, along with the overall importance of PCI policies and procedures by visiting pcipolicyportal.com today.