PCI Compliance 4.0: Essential Details Dealerships Should Know

If your dealership accepts credit or debit card payments, you're required to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The major card brands created PCI DSS compliance to protect sensitive and valuable cardholder data, and the newest version, PCI DSS v4.0.1, raises the bar.

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) updates these requirements to keep pace with emerging threats and new technologies. For auto dealerships, especially multi-rooftop groups representing multiple brands, this isn't just a tech or compliance issue. It's a security imperative. Payment security threats continue to escalate, and a single breach can cause far more than a temporary IT headache. It can ripple through your CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) scores and customer loyalty for years. 

This blog will cover some essential details your dealership needs to know, from updated 4.0.1 requirements to the financial risks of non-compliance. Plus, we’ll share the secret weapon dealers are utilizing to reduce their security and compliance headaches: a payment partner that simplifies the entire process.

PCI DSS Scope: Start By Identifying Your Dealership's Risks

PCI DSS regulates cardholder data, so to properly implement PCI requirements, it’s essential to understand your Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) and identify every point where payment card data enters your systems:

• Sales F&I offices
• Service department portals
• Customer service teams
• Accounting teams
• Parts order systems
• Wireless access points on the lot
• Payment pages on your website

Ensure that all third-party and multi-tenant service providers verify that they meet PCI DSS assessment requirements:

• SaaS applications (DMS systems, Salesforce, Slack)
• Managed IT support or data storage providers
• Content management systems (Hubspot)
• Public cloud computing providers (AWS, Google Cloud)

Service providers should have a centralized place where they show all of their compliance certifications, like PayJunction’s trust center at trust.payjunction.com. If you don’t know if a third-party that handles cardholder data is compliant, now is the time to ask.

PCI Basics: The 12 PCI DSS Requirements to Protect Payment Card Data

For today's dealerships, PCI compliance is serious business. Maintaining compliance builds trust with every customer who hands over their card, whether they're making a down payment on a new SUV, paying for a new belt, or ordering OEM parts online. Here are the 12 core requirements every dealership should be aware of to ensure they, and their third-party providers, meet the proper security requirements.

Proper compliance safeguards your cardholder data environment, shielding your CSI scores from the ramifications of a potential data breach and protecting those valuable manufacturer incentives tied to your customer’s experience. The above requirements are extensive because of the important role they play in protecting cardholder information and maintaining the integrity of your business.  

However, with proper tools and support, meeting PCI compliance requirements shouldn’t be an overwhelming ordeal for your dealership. The right payment provider should make it easy to maintain compliance so you can focus on what you do best: selling and servicing vehicles.

PCI DSS 4.0: What's Changed

The PCI DSS version 4.0 update was introduced in 2022 to strengthen network security controls and adapt to new threats, and the PCI DSS version 4.0.1 revision was released in 2024. These updates, alongside the 12 core PCI DSS requirements outlined above, are essential for dealers to understand to ensure their shop is in compliance.

Modernized Security Objectives

Version 4.0.1 focuses on addressing emerging threats while allowing dealerships to enable innovative methods for securing data, such as more advanced multi-factor authentication.

Updated Technical and Operational Requirements

Key updates include stronger encryption standards, enhanced vulnerability management programs, and secure configurations for all system components. These steps help protect both stored account data and sensitive authentication data.

Customized Approach for Security Controls

If your dealership group represents multiple car brands, the flexibility of a customized approach can help meet OEM-specific requirements while still satisfying PCI DSS requirements across the enterprise

The Risks of Non-Compliance for Auto Dealerships

Financial and Legal Consequences

Failing to maintain PCI DSS compliance can result in monthly fines ($5,000–$10,000), per-card penalties (up to $90 per compromised card), lawsuits, and regulatory audits.

Reputation and Customer Trust

Consumers expect dealerships to protect their payment card data. If a breach occurs and the news spreads, online reviews can plummet, CSI surveys can suffer, and future sales can take a serious hit.

For dealerships representing multiple manufacturers, lower Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores could mean losing incentive and rebate money, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. 

Chargebacks and Operational Disruption

Non-compliance can also lead to chargebacks if issuers determine you weren't following card brand rules. That means losing the transaction amount, paying fees, and eating the cost of any parts included in the sale, all while managing an upset customer. 

Security Awareness: Your Team's First Line of Defense

Implement Best Practices to Maintain Secure Systems

• Complete your annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) on time.
• Use a cloud-based payment solution like PayJunction’s No-code Payments Integration® to keep sensitive data out of your network, reducing cost and complexity.
• Continuously monitor systems. Use logs, alerts, and threat detection tools to spot issues fast.
• Establish policies and procedures to protect sensitive data, including cardholder accounts and ACH Entry Data, per PCI and NACHA rules.

Build a Culture that Values PCI Data Security

• Conduct annual security awareness training for employees across all rooftops and in all departments. Emphasize the need to protect account data.
• Maintain a document library of your PCI policies, procedures, and checklists.
• Set user rights aligned with staff roles and implement multi factor authentication where possible to restrict access to sensitive data.
• Respond to customer requests about security. Transparency builds trust and helps retain customers after a security incident.

Tap into Your Payment Provider's Knowledge

• Partner with a PCI Level 1 provider whose payment industry credentials match your security needs. To verify that they are Level 1 PCI Compliant, visit Visa's Global Registry of Service Providers.
• Review the PCI tools and information on your payment provider's website and support portal.

Fast Track PCI Compliance with Smart Terminals

One of the biggest frustrations for dealerships is determining which SAQ applies, and the amount of work required. PayJunction makes that process easier by offering tools that simplify or even shorten the path to compliance.

Smart Terminals (ZeroTouch and Portable)

Dealerships that use PayJunction’s Smart Terminals exclusively fall into SAQ B-IP and avoid the hassle of quarterly scans. Even when a card has to be keyed in, entering it through the Smart Terminal (instead of a computer, laptop, or phone keypad) keeps the dealership in SAQ B-IP.

To make it even easier, PayJunction’s QSA partner, SecurityMetrics, offers FastPass for SAQ B-IP. FastPass guides dealerships through the scoping process, automatically pre-fills parts of the questionnaire, and explains technical requirements in plain language. The result: a quicker, more straightforward path to proving PCI compliance.

E-commerce

For dealerships that offer online payments, PayJunction supports both Hosted Payments and Invoices. Hosted payments qualify for SAQ A, which is the shortest and easiest of the questionnaires. However, if your dealership processes more than just Hosted Payments, tokenization is another option. Tokenization routes data securely without transmitting raw cardholder data, keeping transactions safe. In that case, you’d complete SAQ A-EP, which is longer but has the advantage of reducing risk by protecting sensitive data.

Card on File

Storing cards doesn’t have to complicate PCI. With PayJunction, you can capture a card through a Smart Terminal (dip, tap, swipe, or keyed), Digital Invoice, or Hosted Payment page. From there, you can recharge the card securely through stored customer records or past transactions. Thanks to PayJunction’s partnership with SecurityMetrics, this scenario is covered by a single SAQ process that accounts for both SAQ A and SAQ B-IP.

Keyed Transactions

Every dealership occasionally needs to key in a payment. The best practice is to do this through a Smart Terminal, which keeps you in SAQ B-IP. Keying transactions through a Virtual Terminal, by contrast, expands your PCI scope and increases the number of compliance requirements you’ll need to meet.

How PayJunction Simplifies PCI DSS 4.0.1 Compliance

When it comes to PCI DSS compliance, your payment provider should be a partner, not a profit center. Real compliance costs include your internal processes and occasional assessments, not inflated monthly "PCI" fees. Unfortunately, many processors treat PCI compliance as a revenue stream, charging for the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) or tacking on inflated "non-compliance" fees that do nothing to improve your security. 

PayJunction is proud to be Level 1 PCI DSS Compliant, the highest level of compliance for a Service Provider under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Every year, we undergo a rigorous audit by independent, third-party Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) to validate that compliance.

What does this mean for your dealership?

• No PCI-related fees. We don't charge for the SAQ, "non-compliance" penalties, or any other PCI compliance-related costs.
• No purchase obligations. Our customers are not required to buy anything from our QSA, SecurityMetrics.
• Peace of mind. You can focus on protecting your cardholder data without worrying about hidden charges or unnecessary upsells.
• Fast Tracked Compliance with Smart Terminals. No need for quarterly scans if only PayJunction Smart Terminals are used. 
• Free Security Metrics access plus support. Use Security Metrics for free when you use PayJunction. Plus, PJ also provides help with establishing a security policy for PCI compliance. 

Whether you're a single-location store or a multi-rooftop dealership representing multiple brands, we believe security is a shared responsibility, and we're here to help you maintain it without turning compliance into a line item on your expense report.