Nearly half of all American adults — approximately 127 million people — have had a fraudulent charge on their credit or debit cards.

In 2004, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was created as an internationally uniform standard to make card transactions more secure for both businesses and their customers. Today, it is well regarded and the industry standard to secure confidential card data from fraud or theft and build trust with customers. 

Any organization that accepts, handles, stores, transmits, or could impact the security of card payment information will understand the importance of these objectives, especially if they’re trying to grow their business.

In this overview for beginners, we’ve broken down the PCI DSS framework into clear-cut fundamentals so you can quickly and easily understand whether you need to be compliant. 

You’ll learn everything you need to know about PCI DSS, including why it was created, how it applies to your business and customers, the benefits of compliance, and the consequences of non-compliance.