If you're involved in any aspect of digital marketing, you've likely heard of PCI at some point. But what is it, and why is it important for email marketers specifically? In this post, we'll cover the basics of PCI, as well as answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this crucial part of modern marketing.
PCI stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It's a set of security standards created by the major credit card companies (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) with the aim of protecting sensitive information related to credit card transactions. The standard applies to any organization that processes, stores, or transmits credit card data.
Email marketing requires the collection and processing of customer data. If that data includes credit card information, then email marketers need to be aware of their responsibilities under PCI. Even if you don't process payments directly through your email campaigns, you still need to be mindful of PCI compliance if you use any third-party payment processors or other services that handle payment data.
The requirements for PCI compliance vary depending on the size and nature of your business, as well as the specific services you use. In general, however, you'll need to:
The consequences of failing to comply with PCI standards can be severe. You may face fines from credit card companies, legal action from customers (if their data is compromised), damage to your brand reputation and even the loss of your ability to process credit card payments altogether.
Ultimately, the responsibility for PCI compliance falls on the business that processes credit card information. However, third-party service providers can also be held partially responsible if they fail to meet their own PCI obligations.
Email marketers can ensure PCI compliance by:
In conclusion, PCI compliance is an essential aspect of email marketing as it ensures that sensitive customer data is kept safe and secure. By following the requirements and best practices outlined in this post, email marketers can maintain customer trust and avoid costly consequences for non-compliance.
References: