In Part 1 of this article series, we discussed the importance of PCI compliance for your WooCommerce store. In this section, we’ll take a look at the steps you need to take to prepare your store for PCI compliance.
Step 1: Determine Your PCI Compliance Level
The first step in preparing your WooCommerce store for PCI compliance is to determine your compliance level. PCI compliance levels are determined based on the number of transactions your store processes each year. The more transactions you process, the higher your compliance level.
| Level 1 | Merchants who process over 6 million transactions per year |
| Level 2 | Merchants who process between 1 million and 6 million transactions per year |
| Level 3 | Merchants who process between 20,000 and 1 million e-commerce transactions per year |
| Level 4 | Merchants who process fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions per year |
Your compliance level will determine the specific requirements you need to meet in order to achieve PCI compliance.
Step 2: Implement Security Measures
The next step in preparing your WooCommerce store for PCI compliance is to implement security measures. This includes using strong passwords, encrypting payment card data, and implementing firewalls and other security measures.
Make sure that your WooCommerce store is using a secure HTTPS connection and that you are using SSL certificates to encrypt payment card data. You should also use strong passwords for all accounts, and consider implementing two-factor authentication for additional security.
Step 3: Use PCI-Compliant Hosting
Using a PCI-compliant hosting provider is critical for achieving PCI compliance. Make sure that your hosting provider is certified as PCI-compliant, and that they are using secure servers and network infrastructure.
For WordPress you can use providers such as Kinsta, Pagely and WPEngine.
Step 4: Implement Secure Payment Processing
When it comes to payment processing, you should use a payment gateway that is certified as PCI-compliant. This will ensure that payment card data is encrypted and secure during the transaction process.
Some suggestions are: Stripe, Paypal & Authorize.net
Step 5: Complete Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)
To achieve PCI compliance, you must complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ is a set of questions designed to help you assess your compliance with PCI DSS standards. The specific SAQ that you need to complete will depend on your compliance level.
Conclusion Achieving PCI compliance for your WooCommerce store is critical for protecting your customers’ payment card data and avoiding costly data breaches. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can prepare your store for PCI compliance and ensure that your customers’ payment card data is secure. In the final part of this article series, we’ll take a look at the steps you need to take to achieve and maintain PCI compliance for your WooCommerce store.
Do not miss our articles from our PCI Compliance and WooCommerce series:
