How many levels of PCI compliance are there for merchants?

There are four levels of PCI compliance for merchants, which are determined primarily by the volume of card transactions processed annually. Each level has different requirements for compliance, reflecting the potential risk associated with the volume of transactions a merchant processes.

Level 1 is for merchants processing over 6 million transactions annually, requiring an extensive assessment that includes an on-site data security assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and annual penetration testing.

Level 2 applies to merchants processing between 1 million to 6 million transactions per year, which can complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) along with an annual vulnerability scan by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV).

Level 3 is for those processing between 20,000 to 1 million e-commerce transactions, also utilizing the SAQ and an ASV scan.

Level 4 is designated for merchants processing fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions or up to 1 million transactions across any channel, requiring them to complete an SAQ and maintain certain security measures.

Understanding these levels is crucial for merchants to ensure they meet the appropriate compliance standards based on their transaction volume, thus safeguarding cardholder data effectively.