PCI DSS Compliance Assessment — Official QSA Organisation
50+ annual ROC/AOC/SAQ assessments across Asia-Pacific. Our proprietary CardIntel platform reduces cardholder data scoping time by 30– 40%, accelerating your path to assessment without compromising rigour. Zero client breaches since 2016.
At a Glance
What Is PCI DSS Compliance?
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a global security framework that governs how organisations store, process, and transmit cardholder data. Developed by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) — founded by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB — PCI DSS applies to any organisation that handles payment card information, regardless of size or transaction volume.
PCI DSS defines 12 core requirements spanning six control objectives: building secure networks, protecting cardholder data, maintaining vulnerability management programmes, implementing access controls, monitoring and testing networks, and maintaining information security policies. The current version, PCI DSS v4.0.1, took full effect in April 2025 and introduces a customised approach alongside the traditional defined approach, giving organisations more flexibility in how they meet security objectives.
Compliance is not optional. Card brands including Visa and Mastercard mandate PCI DSS compliance for all merchants and service providers. Non-compliance results in escalating fines — starting at $5,000 per month and increasing with each failed assessment cycle — along with potential transaction restrictions, increased processing fees, and reputational damage in the event of a breach.
Who Needs PCI DSS Compliance?
If your organisation stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data — or could impact the security of cardholder data — PCI DSS applies to you. This includes banks, payment processors, fintech platforms, e-commerce businesses, telecoms with mobile payment services, and any third-party service provider in the payment ecosystem.
Regulatory Deadline
Your central bank or payment network has mandated PCI DSS compliance. In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bank requires all card-processing institutions to maintain PCI DSS. MAS (Singapore), BNM (Malaysia), BSP (Philippines), SBV (Vietnam), NRB (Nepal), and CBB (Bahrain) impose similar requirements.
Audit Finding / Renewal
A gap assessment or internal audit revealed non-compliance. You need a partner who can both remediate the gaps and conduct the formal assessment — not just produce a report listing what is wrong. EIC delivers remediation alongside assessment.
New Payment Launch
Launching a payment product, onboarding a gateway, or preparing for a funding round where investors require PCI DSS? EIC's 90-day fast-track pathway is designed for organisations that need assessment before a deadline.
PCI DSS Merchant and Service Provider Levels
| Level | Annual Transactions | Validation Required | EIC Delivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Over 6 million | Annual ROC by QSA + quarterly ASV scan | Full QSA-led ROC |
| Level 2 | 1–6 million | Annual SAQ + quarterly ASV scan | SAQ validation + guidance |
| Level 3 | 20,000–1 million (e-commerce) | Annual SAQ + quarterly ASV scan | SAQ validation + guidance |
| Level 4 | Under 20,000 (e-commerce) | Annual SAQ (recommended) | SAQ support + remediation |
All service providers that store, process, or transmit cardholder data on behalf of other entities must also validate PCI DSS compliance, regardless of transaction volume.
EIC's PCI DSS Assessment Process
Every PCI DSS engagement follows our six-phase methodology, refined across 50+ annual assessments. Each phase has defined inputs, outputs, and timelines — so your team knows exactly what to expect.
Scoping
Define CDE boundaries & data flows
Gap Assessment
Evaluate current vs required controls
Remediation
Fix gaps with guided support
Formal Assessment
Full PCI DSS v4.0.1 evaluation
Certification
ROC + AOC delivery & submission
Phase 1: Scoping and Environment Definition
We define your Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) — every system, process, and network segment that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. Accurate scoping is the single most important factor in assessment efficiency. Over-scoping wastes time and effort. Under-scoping creates compliance gaps that surface during formal assessment.
Phase 2: CardIntel AI-Powered Data Discovery
EIC deploys CardIntel, our proprietary AI-driven data discovery platform, to scan your environment and identify where cardholder data actually lives — including locations your team may not be aware of. CardIntel maps data flows across systems, databases, logs, backups, and third-party integrations. Clients typically achieve a 10–30% reduction in PCI DSS scope through CardIntel discovery, directly reducing assessment time and cost.
Phase 3: Gap Assessment
We assess your current security posture against all applicable PCI DSS v4.0.1 requirements. Each requirement is evaluated as compliant, partially compliant, non-compliant & not applicable. You receive a detailed gap analysis report with specific remediation actions, priority levels, and estimated effort — a tailored roadmap, not a generic checklist. This process is managed via Complio for real-time tracking.
Phase 4: Remediation Support
EIC provides hands-on remediation guidance — not just a list of failures. Our assessors work with your IT and security teams to implement compensating controls, update policies, configure systems, and close gaps. Most organisations complete remediation within 4–6 weeks with EIC guidance.
Phase 5: Formal Assessment and Compliance
Once remediation is complete, EIC conducts the formal PCI DSS assessment. Our QSA assessors evaluate every applicable requirement, review evidence, interview key personnel, and perform technical testing. Upon successful completion, we issue your Report on Compliance (ROC), Attestation of Compliance (AOC), Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).
PCI DSS Deliverables
Every engagement produces specific, verifiable deliverables. No vague summaries or generic templates.
Report on Compliance
Full ROC documenting compliance against every applicable PCI DSS requirement
Attestation of Compliance
AOC signed by EIC as your QSA for submission to acquirers and card networks
SAQ Validation
For eligible merchant levels — correct SAQ type selection and validation guidance
CardIntel Scope Report
AI-generated data discovery report with data flow diagrams and scope reduction analysis
Gap Analysis Report
Requirement-by-requirement status with remediation actions and priority ratings
Remediation Roadmap
Prioritised action plan with technical recommendations and target dates
Complio Access
12-month dashboard access for ongoing evidence tracking and control monitoring
Accelerated by Intelligence
The single biggest differentiators between EIC and every other QSA organizations.
CardIntel — AI Cardholder Data Discovery
CardIntel uses machine learning and automated scanning to discover cardholder data across databases, file systems, applications, logs, backups, and third-party integrations — producing a verified cardholder data flow diagram in as little as 48 hours. Traditional manual scoping takes 2–4 weeks.
Complio — Ongoing Compliance Management
After assessment, Complio keeps your PCI DSS programme on track with real-time dashboards, automated evidence collection, control monitoring, and board-ready reporting. Clients report a 40–50% reduction in compliance management overhead between annual assessments.
Why Choose EIC for PCI DSS?
Choosing a QSA organisation affects your compliance timeline, your budget, and your risk exposure. Here is why 200+ organisations across Asia-Pacific chose EIC.
Official QSA Organisation
Listed on pcisecuritystandards.org. Your ROC carries the weight of a PCISSC-verified assessment. This requires ongoing qualification, annual revalidation, and quality assurance reviews.
Zero Client Breaches
200+ assessments since 2016. Not a single client data breach. This record reflects rigorous scoping, deep technical testing, and our refusal to certify organisations that aren't genuinely compliant.
CardIntel AI Platform
No other QSA organization in Asia-Pacific uses AI for cardholder data discovery. CardIntel reduces scope by 10–30% and scoping time by 30–40%. Fastest ROC: 11 weeks.
Regional Depth, 7 Countries
We understand Bangladesh Bank directives, MAS TRM guidelines, BNM RMiT, BSP regulations, and every APAC regulatory nuance.
Speed Without Compromise
Fastest ROC in 11 weeks. Industry average: 16–24 weeks. Achieved through CardIntel, experienced assessors, and a structured methodology that eliminates wasted cycles.
95% First-Attempt Pass Rate
Rigorous pre-assessment gap analysis means we don't submit until you're ready. In the rare event of a finding during formal assessment, we remediate and reassess at no additional cost.
The Cost of Compliance vs. the Cost of Non-Compliance
Non-Compliance Risk
Monthly fines from card brands for PCI DSS non-compliance — escalating with each assessment cycle. Add transaction restrictions, increased processing fees, and the cost of a breach: average $4.45M globally (IBM, 2023).
Bangladeshi Payment Gateway: Zero to PCI DSS Certification in Record Time
A growing fintech payment gateway needed PCI DSS Level 1 certification before their Series B close. Previous consultants had spent six weeks on scoping alone with no conclusion. EIC deployed CardIntel within the first week, completing data discovery in 5 days. CardIntel identified cardholder data in three unknown locations and verified two systems were out of scope — a 30% scope reduction. EIC's QSA team delivered the full ROC in 11 weeks, 3 weeks ahead of the investor deadline.
PCI DSS Compliance FAQs
A Report on Compliance (ROC) is the comprehensive assessment report produced by a QSA after a full on-site assessment, documenting compliance status against every applicable PCI DSS requirement. An Attestation of Compliance (AOC) is a summary attestation signed by the QSA confirming the assessment results — this is what your acquirer or payment brand requests. A Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) is a self-validation tool for eligible merchants who are not required to undergo a full QSA assessment. Your merchant level and payment channels determine which validation type applies.
A typical PCI DSS Level 1 assessment takes 10–16 weeks from scoping to ROC delivery, depending on the size and complexity of your cardholder data environment. With CardIntel, scoping is 30–40% faster. EIC's fastest engagement achieved a full ROC in 11 weeks. SAQ validations for Level 2–4 merchants are typically completed in 4–6 weeks.
Cost depends on your merchant or service provider level, the size of your cardholder data environment, the number of systems in scope, and your current readiness. EIC offers a free scoping call where our QSA team assesses your environment and provides a fixed-price proposal within 24 hours.
Level 1 merchants (over 6 million annual transactions) and all service providers that store, process, or transmit cardholder data are required by the card brands to undergo an assessment conducted by a PCI SSC-listed QSA organisation. EIC is listed on the official PCI SSC QSA directory at pcisecuritystandards.org.
PCI DSS v4.0.1 introduced a new customised approach, enhanced authentication requirements including multi-factor authentication for all CDE access, expanded scope for modern payment technologies, and new targeted risk analysis requirements. All assessments must now use v4.0.1 since March 2025.
Yes. EIC operates across 7 countries in Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh, Singapore, Vietnam, Nepal, Bahrain, Malaysia, and the Philippines. We routinely conduct multi-site, multi-country PCI DSS assessments and our CardIntel platform can scan environments across multiple geographies simultaneously.
CardIntel is EIC's proprietary AI-driven cardholder data discovery platform. It scans your environment to identify every location where cardholder data is stored, processed, or transmitted. By producing an accurate, verified data flow map, CardIntel often reveals that systems initially assumed to be in scope are actually out of scope. Clients typically achieve a 10–30% scope reduction.
EIC's approach prevents this. Our gap assessment identifies every area of non-compliance before formal assessment. We guide remediation until your environment meets all requirements and do not proceed to formal assessment until we are confident you will pass. Our 95% first-attempt pass rate reflects this methodology.
PCI DSS and ISO 27001 are complementary frameworks with significant overlap. PCI DSS is payment-specific and mandatory for organisations handling card data. ISO 27001 is a broader information security management standard. EIC delivers both services, and our Complio platform supports multi-framework compliance tracking from a single dashboard.
Yes. The scoping call is a 30-minute consultation with a QSA-certified assessor. We assess your cardholder data environment, identify likely scope, and discuss timeline and approach. No obligation, no sales pressure, no cost.
Ready to Start Your PCI DSS Assessment?
Schedule a free, no-obligation scoping call with a QSA-certified assessor. 30 minutes. Actionable next steps. No generic sales call — you'll speak with the assessor who would lead your engagement.
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