How can a non pci compliant pos make retailers loose sales from “returning” customers? And how can this evenexpose them to 100,000 USD lawsuits?

PCI compliant pos: does that really matter?

If a retailer operates a pos software and is processing payments, the answer is clearly yes. However, most retailers do not understand the meaning of this technical jargon until they have been exposed to security issues such as hacking and credit card frauds.

Many retailers, when they process credit cards and without their knowledge, are storing very sensitive and confidential customer data and records on their computer database. If hackers manage to access this database, they will have all the required information to use the retailers’customers credit cards fraudulently.

Why can retailers lose returning customers?

The chances are customers who have been the object of a credit card fraud at a retailer premises, will never shop again in the same premises. The trust has been breached.

Who is liable for this breach: the pos software editor or the retailers?

Well, the retailer can plead ignorance and say that the responsibility is that of software editor. Legally speaking, the data were stored on the retailers’ database. So it is the duty of the retailers to ensure that these sensitive data are kept safe. Hence, retailers can be sued for the losses that happened as a result of this breach. This has happened before. Naturally, the retailers in turn can sue the software editor.

In any cases, it is safer to process credit card payments via a certified PCI compliant pos system. There are many legacy and old pos systems that are processing payments and which do not meet these requirements. Contact your pos reseller to ask him about PCI compliance.