PCI DSS is a set of required processes and equipment set forth by Visa and MasterCard to ensure the security of card holder data. PCI DSS was designed to ensure the processing banks and business owners which own merchant accounts use only secure equipment and utilize specific processes to reduce credit card data loss.

Many business owners today are in a very bad situation and unfortunately this realization came too late. By not being PCI DSS compliant, their infrastructure is easily compromised, giving hackers access to their customer’s credit card information. This info can be used by the thieves themselves or sold on illegal websites across the world.

PCI DSS compliance requires not only the processing bank to be secure, but also the business owner. Most business owners are unaware that THEY are the responsible party when it comes to securing credit card data. Visa and MasterCard fees are around $30.00 for each lost card. Take an average theft of 10,000 “hacked” cards and you’re looking at a $300,000 fine to the actual business owner (not the processing bank.) On top of that there can be additional fees of $10,000 for a PCI DSS compliance mandate.

These fees are putting small and large business owners out of business every day.

Banks are pushing PCI DSS compliance. Unfortunately there are over 20,000 banks in the U.S. alone that attach their name to credit card merchant services processing.

Only around 100 are actually CISP certified on Visa’s website. www.visa.com/cisp

This is exactly why Accounts-Merchant was created. At www.accounts-merchant.com business owners get cost effective quotes based upon their specific needs. Accounts-Merchant ONLY works with the 100 or so PCI DSS compliant banks. These banks compete for business by presenting their BEST rate offers.

Business owners win on numerous levels by using www.accounts-merchant.com. First you only receive quotes from legitimate PCI DSS compliant banks. Second, these PCI compliant banks have to be extremely competitive with their offers. All affiliates of Accounts-merchant.com have been screened with the business owner’s best interest in mind. Concerns with PCI DSS compliance, cost, products and customer services have been closely analyzed so business owners end up with a secure, reliable and cost effective solution for their credit card processing merchant services needs.