In recent years security surrounding how we make payments online has been a hot topic – many people still remain fearful about purchasing products using a credit card due to the risk of fraud and identity theft. This is why credit card companies have made increasing the security of taking payments online a high priority.

The PA DSS was originally set up by VISA in 2005 and stands for Payment Application Data Security Standard. Over the last few years VISA has joined up with another four big credit card companies to form the PCI Security Council.

The Security Council has the aim of ensuring that all companies with an e-commerce website are compliant with its regulations as regards online payment security.

If you run an e-commerce website you must make sure that it is hosted in line with the rules set out by the PCI Security Council in order to avoid being fined or even dropped as a merchant by them; and if major credit card companies no longer wish to do business with you then there is little hope for your e-commerce site to continue.

For e-businesses the new PA DSS regulations will relate to any applications which are downloadable by your customers. This will usually be your shopping cart and shopping cart hosting solutions. By July 1st of this year all owners of e-commerce websites must be running shopping carts and associated software which are PCI compliant. Failure to do so will end up in fines, restrictions or could lead to some online merchants being blacklisted by credit card companies.

Developing the new shopping cart software which is fully compliant with the new PA DSS regulations is a costly exercise for the companies which make them and it is feared that many will not be able to do so before the July deadline.