The PCI DSS compliance levels vary depending on the volume of transactions a business handles annually. For small to medium-sized businesses, understanding your specific level is essential to determine the scope and scale of compliance requirements:
Level 1: Over 6 million transactions annually. Level 2: 1 to 6 million transactions annually. Level 3: 20,000 to 1 million transactions annually. Level 4: Less than 20,000 transactions annually.
Each level has different validation requirements, ranging from self-assessment questionnaires to on-site audits by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA).