Payment Card Security (PCI) & Data Security Standard (DSS)

AFTA members have access to preferred rates with Payment Card Security (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) compliance service provider, Security Metrics.

AFTA and Security Metrics have partnered to ensure AFTA members can now obtain preferential rates online via an application form and a member of the SecurityMetrics team will contact AFTA members directly within 24 hours.

Take advantage of the special offer, simply visit the website here.

What is PCI-DSS?

PCI-DSS is a set of requirements followed by all companies and merchants accepting payment from a client via credit or debit card. If you're a travel agency owner and you accept, process, or store credit card data, then you're required to comply with PCI Security Standards to ensure a secure payment card environment.

The goal of PCI compliance is to ensure that merchants provide the maximum security when processing customer payments or handling customer data. An independent body, named the PCI Security Standard Council, was created in 2006 to manage and administer the PCI DSS.

Why do your clients care?

PCI is a means of building customers’ trust and protecting your business against damaging leaks of confidential customer information. Looking after your customers by being PCI compliant will help to ensure continued growth of your business and reinforce goodwill with your customers

IS YOUR BUSINESS IATA accredited?

IATA has mandated that from 1 March 2018 all agencies that hold IATA accreditation must maintain PCI compliance. This means that no agency is allowed to not store any cardholder data in systems, card reading terminals and filing systems such as Point of Sale terminals and card readers; an agent’s branch networks & wireless access routers; data storage and transmission; paper-based records or online payment applications and shopping carts.

IATA has detailed that the reason for this is, is that cardholder data can be stolen from a compromised card reader, filing cabinet with paper records, data in a payment system database, hidden camera recordings or tapped from an agency’s wireless or wired network.

Need to get PCI – DSS compliant?

AFTA and Security Metrics have partnered to ensure AFTA members can now obtain preferential rates online via an application form and a member of the SecurityMetrics team will contact AFTA members directly within 24 hours and can provide multi-language support.

AFTA members will be supported by SecurityMetrics assisting AFTA members through the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) which reviews how agents handle and process payment cards and the number of transactions processed annually.

The annual price for the SAQ is US$69.99. Other options include SAQ plus one vulnerability scan for US$119.99, or two to five vulnerability scans at US$199.98. An additional five scans are US$99.00.