What is a PCI compliance fee?
A recurring charge, monthly or annual, labeled as the cost of keeping your account compliant with the card networks' PCI security standards. It bills whether or not any compliance work happened on your account that period.
From a merchant statement
Also billed as PCI annual fee, PCI assessment.
Who charges it and why
The processor charges it. There is a real underlying program: PCI certification and its audits sit with the processor, not the merchant. Some processors recover that program cost with a modest line; some price the line well past the cost and let the official-sounding name carry it.
What fair looks like
Fair looks like the compliance program folded into the price of processing, the way certification is part of any regulated service. Payzium carries its own certification; you do not see a compliance line on our statement.
Can you get rid of it
It is hard to negotiate away because it sounds mandatory, which is why it works. Ask what the fee specifically buys on your account. If the answer is a portal login and an annual questionnaire, you have your verdict, and it is worth pricing the account against one with no such line.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a PCI compliance fee?
A recurring charge, monthly or annual, labeled as the cost of keeping your account compliant with the card networks' PCI security standards. It bills whether or not any compliance work happened on your account that period.
Who charges the PCI compliance fee and why?
The processor charges it. There is a real underlying program: PCI certification and its audits sit with the processor, not the merchant. Some processors recover that program cost with a modest line; some price the line well past the cost and let the official-sounding name carry it.
Can you get rid of a PCI compliance fee?
It is hard to negotiate away because it sounds mandatory, which is why it works. Ask what the fee specifically buys on your account. If the answer is a portal login and an annual questionnaire, you have your verdict, and it is worth pricing the account against one with no such line.
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