The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard was created by the leading credit card companies to ensure customer data is safeguarded. Visa, MasterCard and American Express require service providers and merchants that store, process, or transmit cardholder data to comply with the PCI Data Security Standard. The PCI Data Security Standard provides a single, uniform approach for securing and safeguarding sensitive customer data. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties and can include revocation of the company’s right to accept or process credit card transactions.