Understanding EMV vs PCI Compliance: Key Differences and Implications for Your Business

EMV and PCI compliance are key to payment security, each serving distinct but complementary roles in protecting financial transactions. This guide explains EMV and PCI compliance, their differences, and how EverExpanse can help you meet these standards.

What is EMV Compliance?

EMV compliance ensures that payment cards and terminals use chip technology for better security than magnetic stripes. This technology encrypts transaction data uniquely each time, reducing fraud.

• Focus:

        Protects chip-based payment cards physically, making it hard to clone them.

• Scope:

        Only covers physical card transactions; does not include online transactions.

• Certification:

Hardware and processors must be certified by EMVCo, a group formed by major payment networks like Europay, MasterCard, and Visa.

What is PCI Compliance?

PCI compliance refers to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which provides a broader set of security requirements for businesses handling credit card information. Unlike EMV, PCI DSS covers a range of security practices for all payment channels, including online transactions.

• Focus: 

        Protects cardholder data during processing, storage, or transmission.

• Scope:

Includes security measures like maintaining secure networks, encrypting stored data, and regular security assessments.

• Assessment:

Businesses use self-assessment questionnaires to evaluate their compliance.

• Governance:

Managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, established by major payment networks.

How EMV and PCI Compliance Work Together

EMV and PCI DSS work together to provide comprehensive security. While PCI compliance is required for all businesses handling credit cards, EMV compliance is strongly recommended but not legally required. EMV reduces counterfeit card fraud in physical transactions, but PCI compliance is needed to protect data across all transaction types.

Enhancing Security with EverExpanse

EverExpanse helps you achieve both EMV and PCI compliance:

• EMV Certification:

We assist in upgrading payment systems to meet chip card standards, reducing card-present fraud.

• PCI Compliance:

We guide you through the PCI compliance process, from initial assessment to ongoing support, ensuring strong data security.

By integrating technologies like point-to-point encryption (P2PE) and tokenization with EMV upgrades, businesses can further enhance security and reduce the scope of PCI requirements.

EverExpanse makes the journey to compliance smoother, helping you protect your payment systems effectively.