You know security is important to your customers when they choose to shop with you. Whether they’re standing in line at your shop, checking out online, or paying via an app that turns your company smartphone into a virtual terminal so they can pay from anywhere, your customers want to know their transactions are secure.
And you want to know your transactions are secure, too! Year after year, reports of security breaches jeopardizing sensitive business and customer information continue to grab attention in the news. Cybercrime is on the rise. You need to know you’re getting the most secure payment processing solution for your business.
Why Security?
Most people think of online shopping when they hear the word “security,” since they most often hear about security breaches or identity theft in relation to online transactions.
While it is true that online transactions are vulnerable, so are other types of transactions, including POS sales. Terminals send information across lines, in addition to storing it, which means the data can be captured by criminals. No matter where you do business, you must think about security.
What Security?
First and foremost, any payment processing solution provider you consider for your business must offer you some form of security. If the provider doesn’t offer secure transactions, you could be jeopardizing both your business and your customers’ livelihoods. That’s why you should always ask what kind of security features a provider offers with its solution. If the provider can’t answer the question or won’t offer you a security guarantee, you should not do business with that provider.
Furthermore, providers should be offering your business security features across the board, whether you select their most expensive options or their most affordable plans. Protection should not be where the provider decides to cut costs.
The Most Secure Payment Processing Solution
Now you know why security is so important and you know you need to ensure your provider can guarantee the security of your transactions, no matter where you’re doing business. The problem is that almost every provider will claim it offers great security or the most secure platform. How can you be sure you’re truly getting the most secure payment processing solution?
First of all, the most secure solution will be fully PCI compliant. That means it conforms to the Payment Card Industry’s standards, which outline security criteria providers must follow. Any software or solution offered by your provider should comply with the PCI standards.
The most secure solution also comes with a security guarantee that protects you at the merchant level, in addition to your customers. That means everyone is protected, which can make shopping a better experience for all parties involved.
Build around the Idea of Security
How else can you determine that you’re partnering with the provider of the most secure payment processing solution? You can look at where security fits into the provider’s overall strategy.
Many companies aren’t PCI compliant, while those providing the most secure solutions possible have built their platforms around the idea of security. That means security isn’t an afterthought or merely tacked on to satisfy the requirements of a code. It means security has been part and parcel of the development of the solution. At every stage of development, the design focused on how secure the solution is—and how it can be made more secure.
The most secure payment processing solution today is also going to be the most secure payment processing solution tomorrow, because of that devotion to security. The provider is always looking for ways to continue improving security, which means you and your customers can rest assured you’re protected against attack.
