PCI (Payment Card Industry) data security standards provide a set of general rules and practices that ensure the security of credit card data, when a credit card is used for purchasing goods and services. PCI standards are to be followed by companies that store and process credit card data.

When a website accepts and stores credit card data, the credit card processing company requires the server and the site software to be PCI compliant. Such status is obtained through companies that provide PCI compliance certification. Usually, the certification company will run a PCI scan on the site/server to make sure that it is compliant.