Merchant Statement Fee Explained

PCI DSS Compliance Fee Explained

A PCI compliance fee may appear on your merchant processing statement every month or once each year. Learn what the fee is, why processors charge it, and what you should review before assuming it is required.

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PCI DSS Compliance Fee May appear monthly or annually

PCI Administration Fee Processor-controlled charge

PCI Non-Compliance Fee May apply when compliance is incomplete

What Is a PCI DSS Compliance Fee?

A PCI DSS compliance fee is a charge some payment processors add for administering, supporting, or monitoring a merchant’s PCI compliance program.

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is a set of security requirements intended to help businesses protect cardholder information.

Important: PCI compliance requirements are real, but the fee charged by a processor is not necessarily a fee imposed by Visa or Mastercard.

Common PCI Fees on Merchant Statements

PCI Compliance Fee

A monthly or annual fee charged for access to compliance tools, questionnaires, scans, support, or administration.

PCI Non-Compliance Fee

A recurring penalty charged when the processor’s records show that the merchant has not completed required compliance steps.

PCI Administration Fee

Another name processors may use for a PCI-related program, management, or service charge.

Is the PCI Compliance Fee Required?

Your business may be required to comply with PCI DSS standards, but that does not mean every PCI-related fee on your statement is mandatory or set by the card networks.

Many PCI fees are established and controlled by the processor or its compliance vendor.

What Should You Review?

Whether your business is currently marked compliant
Whether you completed the required questionnaire
Whether a security scan is required
Whether you are paying both compliance and non-compliance fees
Whether the fee increased from prior statements
Whether the fee is monthly, quarterly, or annual
Whether the processor disclosed the fee in your agreement

Why Am I Paying a PCI Non-Compliance Fee?

A PCI non-compliance fee usually means the processor’s system does not show that your PCI requirements have been completed.

This can happen because a questionnaire expired, a required scan was not completed, the processor did not properly update its records, or the compliance process was completed under a different account.

Do Not Ignore This Fee

PCI non-compliance fees may continue every month until the issue is corrected. Completing the required steps does not always automatically stop the charge, so future statements should be reviewed.

Can PCI Fees Be Reduced or Removed?

In some cases, PCI administration or compliance fees can be reduced, waived, or removed through negotiation.

A non-compliance fee may also be removed once the required compliance work is completed and the processor updates the merchant’s status.

Charges Worth Reviewing

PCI DSS Compliance Fee
PCI Administration Fee
PCI Program Fee
PCI Security Fee
PCI Non-Compliance Fee
Data Security Fee
Security Scan Fee
Annual Compliance Fee

Frequently Asked Questions

What does PCI DSS stand for?

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is a group of security requirements designed to protect cardholder information.

Is a PCI compliance fee charged by Visa or Mastercard?

PCI compliance requirements are supported by the payment card industry, but the specific fee appearing on a merchant statement is often established by the processor or its compliance provider.

Why am I being charged a PCI non-compliance fee?

The processor may not have a current record showing that your PCI questionnaire, scan, or other required compliance steps were completed.

How often is a PCI fee charged?

PCI fees may be charged monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on the processor and merchant agreement.

Can a PCI fee be negotiated?

Some processor-controlled PCI fees may be negotiable. A merchant should review the agreement, compliance status, and statements before requesting a change.

Will completing PCI compliance stop the fee?

Completing compliance may stop a non-compliance penalty, but it may not remove a separate PCI administration or program fee. Review the next statement to confirm the change.

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