PCI non-compliance fees
Last updated: September 16, 2026
All merchants that accept payment cards must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and revalidate that compliance every year. For more information about your requirements, see PCI compliance.
If you have not validated your compliance by the end of your 60-day grace period, Checkout.com charges a monthly PCI non-compliance fee. The amount depends on your PCI level. We stop charging the fee once we verify that you're compliant again.
Note
You have a 60-day grace period after your due date before the fee applies. We send you automated reminders during this period so that you can submit your documentation in time.
Your PCI level is based on your card transaction count over a 12-month period. The higher your level, the more stringent your compliance requirements, and the higher the non-compliance fee:
| PCI level | Monthly fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | $600 |
| Level 2 | $360 |
| Level 3 | $300 |
| Level 4 | $150 |
To confirm your level, see the PCI compliance levels section of the PCI compliance page.
We charge the fee monthly at the entity level. For each entity, we bill the fee to the sub-account that holds your highest processing volume.
If that sub-account's currency differs from your billing currency, we spot-convert the fee at the prevailing interbank exchange rate and apply no FX markup.
We issue your invoices through our billing platform, Bridge. Each invoice shows the charge as a "PCI non-compliance fee" line item, so you can identify it separately from your processing fees.
To avoid the fee, validate your compliance before your validation due date. Complete your Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and any applicable vulnerability scans in our PCI compliance partner's (ZeroRisk) portal.
If a third party assessed your compliance, upload their Attestation of Compliance (AOC) to ZeroRisk instead. If your due date has passed, you can still avoid the fee by submitting your documentation within the 60-day grace period.
If we're already charging you the fee, submit your outstanding documentation to ZeroRisk to stop it. We stop charging you from the next billing cycle after ZeroRisk verifies your compliance.
For help with your submission, or if you have questions about your scope of compliance, contact your account manager or request support.