The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a mandatory standard for organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder data.
PCI DSS is a security standard maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council. It defines requirements for protecting payment card data, covering network security, encryption, access control, monitoring, and testing.
It applies to merchants and service providers handling card data, with the level of validation depending on transaction volume. Non-compliance can lead to fines and loss of the ability to process card payments.