PCI compliance audits are a serious concern for any business that accepts credit or debit card payments. These audits verify whether your systems meet the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the global framework that keeps cardholder data safe from breaches and fraud. According to a 2025 report, 45% of businesses failed a compliance audit in the past year.

A PCI audit offers a clear, structured look at how secure your digital payment systems really are. Below, we’ll explain what a PCI compliance audit is, why it matters for businesses of every size, what auditors look for, and how regular audits strengthen your company’s overall security.

What’s in this article?

• What is a PCI compliance audit?
  
• Why is PCI compliance important for businesses?
  
• What are the main types of PCI audits?
  
• How does the PCI compliance audit process work?
  
• What do PCI auditors look for during an audit?
  
• How do you prepare for a PCI compliance audit?
  
• What happens after a PCI audit is complete?
  
• What are the benefits of regular PCI compliance audits?
  
• How Stripe Payments can help
  

What is a PCI compliance audit?

A PCI compliance audit is an in-depth review of how your business protects payment card data. It’s a way to prove that you’re meeting the PCI DSS, a global set of requirements designed to prevent breaches and fraud.

During the audit, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) or internal team examines how card data moves through your systems, how it’s stored, who can access it, and how it’s secured. They look at everything from firewall configurations to encryption practices and how often you review logs or disable old user accounts.

The outcome is a formal report: either a Report on Compliance (ROC) for larger businesses or a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for smaller ones. A PCI audit provides evidence that you’re handling card data safely.

Why is PCI compliance important for businesses?

PCI compliance protects your customers’ data and your company’s reputation. When payment information is compromised, the financial and operational damage can be severe.

Here’s why this framework is so important:

• It prevents costly breaches: The global average cost of a data breach reached $4.4 million in 2025. PCI compliance helps prevent those incidents by enforcing strict security standards across networks, systems, and processes.

• It builds customer trust: In a 2025 survey, 95% of customers said they’d stop doing business with a company that doesn’t properly protect data. PCI compliance signals to customers that their payment information is protected, which can build confidence and long-term loyalty.

• It keeps you in good standing with card networks: Noncompliant businesses can face fines of $5,000–$100,000 per month, based on the severity of the case, until issues are resolved. In extreme cases, a serious breach can even result in losing the ability to process card payments altogether.

• It strengthens your overall security posture: Organizations that maintain full PCI compliance are less likely to experience a data breach than those that don’t. The same controls that protect card data make your broader security system stronger.

PCI compliance keeps customer data safe while showing the world you’re running a secure operation.

What are the main types of PCI audits?

Not every business goes through the same kind of PCI audit. The requirements depend on how many card transactions you process and how you handle that data.

Types of PCI audits include the following:

• SAQ: Designed for smaller businesses, the SAQ lets you evaluate your own security controls by answering a structured set of PCI questions. It’s typically required for businesses that handle under a few million transactions per year.

• ROC: Larger businesses and service providers (those that process more than 6 million transactions annually) must undergo a full audit conducted by a QSA. The QSA thoroughly reviews your systems, documentation, and practices, then produces a detailed ROC that confirms compliance.

• Third-party validation when required: Even smaller businesses might need an external audit, if a bank or payment brand flags elevated risk.

No matter the type of PCI audit, the goal remains the same: to verify that your systems handle cardholder data securely.

How does the PCI compliance audit process work?

A PCI compliance audit follows a clear structure: define what’s in scope, gather proof, and confirm that your security controls meet the standard. Whether you’re completing an SAQ or a full audit with a QSA, the process usually includes the following steps:

• Scoping the audit: The first task is mapping your cardholder data environment (CDE). This includes every system, application, and network where card data moves or is stored. Scoping precisely, and segmenting your network where possible, helps narrow down what the audit must cover and reduces your compliance burden.

• Collecting documentation and evidence: You’ll need written policies, system diagrams, access control lists, and configuration screenshots to prove your security controls are in place. QSAs might also review logs, change management records, and vulnerability scan results.

• Assessing security controls: Each PCI DSS requirement is checked to confirm you’re meeting it. Auditors look at password policies, firewalls, encryption, patching, and software development practices to ensure you’re following the standard.

• Interviewing and observing staff: In a formal audit, a QSA talks with information technology (IT), security, and operations staff and observes processes firsthand to confirm that policies are being followed. For example, the QSA might check that inactive accounts are disabled or that access badges are used properly.

• Running technical tests: Regular vulnerability scans and at least annual penetration tests are required. Auditors review those reports and might test configurations directly to confirm whether the identified issues were resolved.

• Reporting results: The auditor compiles findings into an ROC, or the business completes an SAQ and signs an Attestation of Compliance (AOC).

The audit’s goal is to verify whether your payment systems are genuinely secure and whether your team can prove it.

What do PCI auditors look for during an audit?

PCI auditors evaluate how effectively your organization protects cardholder data. Their review covers several key security areas that correspond to the 12 PCI DSS requirements.

Here’s what they’ll look for:

• Network security: Auditors check that your firewalls and routers are properly configured to block unauthorized traffic. They verify that default passwords and settings have been changed and that your network is segmented to isolate sensitive systems.

• Protection of cardholder data: Stored card data must be encrypted, masked, or tokenized so it’s unreadable if compromised. Auditors also confirm that you’re not storing restricted data, such as magnetic stripe or card verification value (CVV) information, after transactions.

• Vulnerability management: PCI compliance requires consistent patching, antimalware protections, and vulnerability scans. Auditors review patch schedules, antivirus logs, and scan reports to confirm whether you’re maintaining secure systems.

• Access control: Access to card data must be limited to employees with a clear business need. Auditors look for strong authentication (including multifactor authentication for administrators), unique user IDs, and prompt removal of inactive accounts.

• Monitoring and testing: The PCI DSS requires detailed logging of system activity and regular security testing. Auditors review logs, penetration test results, and incident response procedures to verify that you can detect and react to threats in real time.

• Security policies and training: Auditors check that you have up-to-date security policies and that staff are trained to follow them, especially regarding incident response and data handling.

The goal of the PCI auditors is to test whether your security controls work in practice.

How do you prepare for a PCI compliance audit?

There are a few steps you can take before an audit to set your company up for success and ensure the audit process runs smoothly.

Here’s how to prepare:

• Map your CDE: Identify every place where card data flows, including payment forms, servers, databases, backups, and even printed records. Once they’re mapped, segment those systems from the rest of your network to decrease the audit’s scope and reduce risk.

• Do a self-assessment first: Run through the PCI DSS requirements internally to spot gaps before the auditor does. Watch for weak password policies, outdated patches, missing logs, and incomplete documentation, and make fixes ahead of time.

• Gather your evidence: Create a centralized folder of documents, including security policies, network diagrams, scan reports, penetration test results, and screenshots of key settings. Having clear, organized proof speeds up the auditor’s review and demonstrates control.

• Engage experts early: If you’re working with a QSA, schedule a preaudit consultation to clarify any gray areas and get guidance on documentation and scope.

• Train your team: Ensure everyone involved in the audit (e.g., IT, operations, customer support) knows what to expect. Auditors might ask employees questions or request demos of specific processes.

• Treat compliance as ongoing: The best preparation is consistency. When security checks, updates, and policy reviews happen year-round, audits become routine confirmation of your good practices.

What happens after a PCI audit is complete?

When the audit is finished, you’ll receive a summary of findings that outline what’s compliant and what needs work. If you meet every requirement, the auditor issues an ROC or you submit your AOC to your acquiring bank or payment partners.

If there are gaps, you’ll create a remediation plan that lists what to fix, who’s responsible, and when it’ll be completed. Once the fixes are made, the auditor might review the updates and confirm full compliance. The process ends with documentation that proves your business securely handles cardholder data year-round.

What are the benefits of regular PCI compliance audits?

Regular PCI compliance audits protect your customers, reputation, and ability to do business.

They can help you do the following:

• Spot vulnerabilities early: Ongoing audits reveal weaknesses before attackers find them, which helps you stay ahead of developing threats.

• Preserve customer trust: Customers are less likely to trust companies after a data breach. Consistent compliance demonstrates that you take security seriously.

• Avoid penalties: Staying compliant means you won’t face the steep monthly fines that card networks can impose for lapses.

• Build long-term resilience: Audits reinforce strong security habits (e.g., regular scanning, patching, and monitoring) that improve your overall cybersecurity position.

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payment solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world.

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Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.