How to Make Your WordPress eCommerce Store PCI DSS Compliant

Handling online payments is a serious responsibility. Whether you run a small eCommerce store or a large membership site, protecting customer data should be your top priority. It not only safeguards your customers but also helps you stay compliant with security standards such as PCI DSS.

Any WordPress website that accepts card payments is expected to follow the relevant payment processing standards. Failure to do so can result in significant penalties and chargebacks.

Fortunately, the compliance requirements aren’t that difficult for websites using services that are already PCI DSS compliant, such as Square, Stripe, and Paypal. By integrating a secure payment gateway with your WordPress site, you place the compliance responsibility on the service.

However, it definitely does not imply that you, as a website owner, aren’t responsible for compliance. This article explores what PCI DSS Compliance is, why it matters, how the right tools can simplify it for WordPress users, and what you should do to stay compliant.

Let’s jump in.

Pro Tip: As a WordPress site owner, if you want to accept Square payments. Check out the WP EasyPay plugin—it’s a powerful tool worth exploring. (We’ll cover it in more detail later in the article.)

What is PCI DSS and PCI Compliance?

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is a global set of requirements created by major credit card companies to ensure that merchants process, store, and transmit cardholder data securely.

These standards apply to any organization that handles credit card payments. That includes WordPress websites using payment plugins to collect or process payment information, regardless of the business size or transaction volume.

PCI compliance means adhering to these standards. It involves securing your server environment, using secure connections, protecting stored data, and maintaining strong access controls.

Thankfully, many third-party services handle most of this complexity for you. As discussed earlier, using a PCI-compliant payment provider, such as Square or Stripe, can help with compliance.

Still, understanding your responsibilities remains essential. Let’s break down the key reasons why PCI compliance isn’t optional for your WordPress eCommerce store.

Why PCI Compliance Is Necessary For WordPress

PCI compliance is a critical protection against fraud, data breaches, and reputational damage. If your WordPress site handles payments, you’re part of the payment ecosystem, and that makes you a potential target.

Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in poorly maintained payment plugins or misconfigured servers, leading to a breach. A breach can lead to compromised cardholder data, resulting in thousands of dollars in penalties, chargebacks, and lost trust for your business.

WordPress plugins that interact with payment data, whether through direct integration, embedded forms, or redirects, must either be PCI-compliant themselves or integrate with services that are PCI-compliant.

Neglecting compliance puts your customer and your business at risk.

The financial repercussions of non-compliance can be severe. For a data breach, merchants may face fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month from credit card companies. On top of that, you may be liable for fraud losses, forensic investigations, legal fees, and card reissuance costs.

In extreme cases, acquiring banks may terminate your merchant account and ban you from accepting card payments altogether.

What are PCI DSS Requirements? 

First, let’s see the requirements. In the following section, you will learn what to do to avoid non-compliance fines and punishments.

The PCI DSS outlines twelve requirements. These standards apply to any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, including WordPress site owners using payment plugins.

We’ve grouped these twelve requirements into six key goals that you need to meet to make your WordPress eCommerce site PCI DSS compliant.

Goal #1. Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems

1. Install and maintain a firewall to protect cardholder data
2. Avoid using vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security settings.

Goal #2. Protect Cardholder Data

3. Protect stored cardholder data if you store any (ideally, you should avoid storing any data regarding information about the cardholder)
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across all public networks.

Goal #3. Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program

5. Regularly run anti-virus scans.
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.

Goal #4. Implement Access Control Measures

7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know.
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data.

Goal #5. Regularly Monitor and Test Networks

10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
11. Regularly test security systems.

Goal #6. Create an Information Security Policy

12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel.

Sounds exhausting?

Don’t worry! The next section outlines eleven solutions designed to achieve these six goals.

What to Do as a WordPress eCommerce Store Owner Who Accepts Payments?

If your website accepts card payments directly, you’re responsible for applying the PCI DSS standards appropriately. Let’s walk through each goal and what it means for WordPress users.

Solution #1: Install Firewalls 

The first requirement focuses on defending your website’s infrastructure. A secure network reduces the risk of unauthorized access to payment data, which is often a top target for attackers.

You must install a firewall. It acts as a barrier between your website and malicious traffic. For WordPress sites, this can be a plugin-based web application firewall (WAF) like Wordfence or a server-level solution provided by your host. Make sure it’s configured to monitor all incoming and outgoing connections.

Solution #2. Avoid Default Settings

Avoid using default usernames, passwords, or settings provided by your hosting provider, WordPress installation, or plugins. These defaults are publicly known and frequently exploited. Use strong, unique credentials and disable any unnecessary services or ports.

Solution #3: Do Your Best To Avoid Storing Data

The second goal of PCI DSS is to ensure that cardholder data remains secure, both when stored and during transmission. If your WordPress site stores or sends any sensitive payment information, the most effective way to protect stored data is not to store it at all. As obvious as it may sound, this is the simplest and most effective way to minimize risk.

Most WordPress sites don’t need to retain credit card information, and avoiding storage significantly reduces your compliance burden. If your plugin or integration saves card data to your database, you are immediately responsible for safeguarding that data according to PCI DSS standards.

However, if you must store cardholder data for some reason, you need to follow strict security protocols.

Store only what is absolutely necessary, and never keep sensitive data like CVV codes after authorization.

Solution #4. Use Encryption

Use strong encryption algorithms such as AES-256, and ensure to manage encryption keys securely and separately from the encrypted data. Limit access to this data using role-based permissions, and keep a record of who accesses the data and when so you can review it later if needed.

You’ll also need to conduct regular security scans and maintain documented policies for handling and storing this information—more on this in the eleventh solution.

Also, use encryption to send any cardholder data over the internet. 

That includes checkout forms, API calls, or third-party redirections. Always use HTTPS across your entire website, not just on payment pages. SSL certificates are widely available and often included with reputable hosting providers.

Solution #5: Run Regular Anti-Virus Scans

PCI DSS requires you to actively manage and reduce the number of vulnerabilities on your site. This means defending your website from malware, outdated software, and exploitable bugs that hackers could use to gain access.

Install a security plugin that can scan your website for malware or suspicious behavior. Many WordPress security tools offer automatic daily scans. Make sure you scan not just your site’s content, but also your plugins, themes, and server environment.

Solution #6: Keep Your System Updated

Outdated plugins and themes are one of the most common entry points for attackers. To stay secure, update your WordPress core, plugins, and themes as soon as new versions are released. 

Delete any plugin or theme you’re no longer using. If a plugin hasn’t been updated by the developer in a long time, consider switching to a more actively maintained alternative. Use auto-update features where possible, and monitor plugin changelogs to stay informed about potential risks. 

Solution #7: Control Who Has Access to Payment Data

Limiting access to sensitive data is essential for reducing the likelihood of data exposure. PCI DSS requires that only authorized individuals can view or interact with cardholder data, and only when they actually need to.

Thus, not everyone on your team should have the same level of access. 

Set up user roles in WordPress and assign the minimum necessary permissions based on each person’s responsibilities. For example, a content editor doesn’t need access to payment settings or customer records.

Avoid shared logins and assign each user their own WordPress account with a unique username and password. This makes it easier to monitor who did what on your site and to remove access quickly if needed.

Solution #8: Secure Data Physically 

If you’re storing cardholder data in an offline system, such as printed reports or local backups through USBs or external storage devices, those files should be locked away. Keep them in secure locations and make sure only authorized staff have access to those locations.

Solution #9: Monitor Your Website 

To stay PCI compliant, it’s not enough to set up security measures once and for all. You need to monitor your website continuously and test your systems regularly to identify weak points before attackers find them.

Ensure to track user activity and access logs. Keep records of who logs in, what changes they make, and when and why they make these changes. 

Many security plugins can help you monitor user actions and system events. These logs are essential if you ever need to investigate suspicious behavior or trace the cause of a breach.

Solution #10: Test for Weak Points

Conduct regular vulnerability scans and penetration tests, especially after major updates or plugin changes. These tests help reveal misconfigurations, outdated code, or weak spots that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Some managed WordPress hosts offer built-in tools to automate these checks, or you can use a reliable and secure third-party service.

Solution #11: Establish a Clear Security Policy for Your Team

The last requirement of PCI DSS focuses on creating a culture of security within your team. 

Technical safety protocols aren’t enough if your staff doesn’t know how to handle data responsibly. A written security policy ensures everyone understands their role in protecting cardholder information.

Write clear guidelines that explain how payment data should be handled, who can access it, and what steps to follow in case of a security incident. This policy should cover everything from creating strong passwords to how often your team should update plugins or review access logs.

Make sure everyone who interacts with your website understands the basics of PCI compliance. 

You don’t need a formal training program, but you should offer regular reminders to keep everyone conscious of data security. 

Similar to other goals in this section, a policy is not something to write and forget about. Actively review your security policies whenever there’s a major change to your website’s infrastructure. This ensures your practices stay aligned with current threats and compliance requirements.

Incorporate these eleven solutions, and you will be ready to accept payments on your WordPress. However, it’s still kind of exhausting, right?

Well…here’s a better alternative. 

A Better Alternative: Accept Payments Through Square via WP EasyPay

As discussed, meeting all the PCI DSS requirements for your eCommerce store manually can be overwhelming. That’s where WP EasyPay comes in.

WP EasyPay is a secure, user-friendly WordPress payment form plugin that lets you accept payments through Square, a PCI DSS–compliant payment gateway. Using Square’s infrastructure, WP EasyPay takes care of the hardest parts of compliance for you. 

Square prides itself on being a super secure payment option. It uses advanced techniques, such as monitoring every transaction, encryption, and tokenization, and protects your business as if it were its own. Read more about their security policy.

Here’s how WP EasyPay makes it easier for WordPress users.

• No Sensitive Data Stored on Your Website. WP EasyPay never stores cardholder data on your WordPress server. Payment details are securely handled by Square, meaning you’re automatically avoiding storing sensitive data.
• Secure Payment Processing by Default. When a customer pays through WP EasyPay, their data is encrypted and sent directly to Square using secure APIs, helping you meet key PCI requirements, such as encrypted transmission.
• Reduces Compliance Burden. Since Square is the highest level PCI compliant. You inherit much of that compliance simply by using WP EasyPay. 
• Additional Security. WP EasyPay supports reCAPTCHA to distinguish between bots and humans, nonce verification for payment form security, and secures your payments through Square via 3d Secure Authentication.
• Easy to Install and Configure. WP EasyPay is designed with simplicity in mind. Regardless of your technical skills, you can set up the plugin, connect your Square account, and start accepting payments in minutes. 

If you’re serious about protecting your customers’ data, using WP EasyPay with Square is your best option. You’ll stay secure, compliant, and focused on growing your business.

Not to mention, the plugin allows for adding multiple payment options on your checkout, including ACH payments, Apple Pay, Afterpay, Google Pay, Cash App, and more.

Final Words

PCI compliance is a core part of building trust with your customers and protecting your business from serious risks. As a WordPress site owner accepting payments, you have a responsibility to follow security best practices.

While handling PCI DSS requirements manually is possible, it’s time-consuming and often overwhelming, especially if you’re managing your site alone or without a dedicated tech team.

By choosing a PCI-compliant solution like WP EasyPay with Square, you can significantly reduce complexity while still meeting the necessary standards. It’s the smartest way to stay secure and compliant while offering your customers a smooth and safe payment experience.

Your focus should be on growing your business, not decoding security policies or worrying about breaches. Let WP EasyPay ensure you stay compliant, so you can move forward without any legal worries.

Frequently Asked Questions