Pci Compliance

Secure payment processing with PCI DSS compliance requirements

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Implement PCI DSS compliance requirements for secure handling of payment card data and payment systems. Use when securing payment processing, achieving PCI compliance, or implementing payment card security measures.

pci-compliance payment-security data-protection tokenization encryption audit-logging security-standards fintech
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User Prompt

Help me build a payment processing system that handles credit cards securely and meets PCI compliance requirements

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Agent Response

Complete implementation guidance including tokenization, encryption, access controls, and audit logging to achieve PCI DSS compliance

Quick Start (3 Steps)

Get up and running in minutes

1

Install

claude-code skill install pci-compliance

claude-code skill install pci-compliance
2

Config

3

First Trigger

@pci-compliance help

Commands

CommandDescriptionRequired Args
@pci-compliance building-a-pci-compliant-payment-systemDesign and implement secure payment processing that meets PCI DSS requirementsNone
@pci-compliance implementing-data-tokenizationReplace sensitive card data with secure tokens to minimize PCI scopeNone
@pci-compliance pci-compliance-assessment-preparationAudit existing systems and prepare for PCI DSS assessmentNone

Typical Use Cases

Building a PCI-Compliant Payment System

Design and implement secure payment processing that meets PCI DSS requirements

Implementing Data Tokenization

Replace sensitive card data with secure tokens to minimize PCI scope

PCI Compliance Assessment Preparation

Audit existing systems and prepare for PCI DSS assessment

Overview

PCI Compliance

Master PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance for secure payment processing and handling of cardholder data.

When to Use This Skill

  • Building payment processing systems
  • Handling credit card information
  • Implementing secure payment flows
  • Conducting PCI compliance audits
  • Reducing PCI compliance scope
  • Implementing tokenization and encryption
  • Preparing for PCI DSS assessments

PCI DSS Requirements (12 Core Requirements)

Build and Maintain Secure Network

  1. Install and maintain firewall configuration
  2. Don’t use vendor-supplied defaults for passwords

Protect Cardholder Data

  1. Protect stored cardholder data
  2. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across public networks

Maintain Vulnerability Management

  1. Protect systems against malware
  2. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control

  1. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
  2. Identify and authenticate access to system components
  3. Restrict physical access to cardholder data

Monitor and Test Networks

  1. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
  2. Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain Information Security Policy

  1. Maintain a policy that addresses information security

Compliance Levels

Level 1: > 6 million transactions/year (annual ROC required) Level 2: 1-6 million transactions/year (annual SAQ) Level 3: 20,000-1 million e-commerce transactions/year Level 4: < 20,000 e-commerce or < 1 million total transactions

Data Minimization (Never Store)

 1# NEVER STORE THESE
 2PROHIBITED_DATA = {
 3    'full_track_data': 'Magnetic stripe data',
 4    'cvv': 'Card verification code/value',
 5    'pin': 'PIN or PIN block'
 6}
 7
 8# CAN STORE (if encrypted)
 9ALLOWED_DATA = {
10    'pan': 'Primary Account Number (card number)',
11    'cardholder_name': 'Name on card',
12    'expiration_date': 'Card expiration',
13    'service_code': 'Service code'
14}
15
16class PaymentData:
17    """Safe payment data handling."""
18
19    def __init__(self):
20        self.prohibited_fields = ['cvv', 'cvv2', 'cvc', 'pin']
21
22    def sanitize_log(self, data):
23        """Remove sensitive data from logs."""
24        sanitized = data.copy()
25
26        # Mask PAN
27        if 'card_number' in sanitized:
28            card = sanitized['card_number']
29            sanitized['card_number'] = f"{card[:6]}{'*' * (len(card) - 10)}{card[-4:]}"
30
31        # Remove prohibited data
32        for field in self.prohibited_fields:
33            sanitized.pop(field, None)
34
35        return sanitized
36
37    def validate_no_prohibited_storage(self, data):
38        """Ensure no prohibited data is being stored."""
39        for field in self.prohibited_fields:
40            if field in data:
41                raise SecurityError(f"Attempting to store prohibited field: {field}")

Tokenization

Using Payment Processor Tokens

 1import stripe
 2
 3class TokenizedPayment:
 4    """Handle payments using tokens (no card data on server)."""
 5
 6    @staticmethod
 7    def create_payment_method_token(card_details):
 8        """Create token from card details (client-side only)."""
 9        # THIS SHOULD ONLY BE DONE CLIENT-SIDE WITH STRIPE.JS
10        # NEVER send card details to your server
11
12        """
13        // Frontend JavaScript
14        const stripe = Stripe('pk_...');
15
16        const {token, error} = await stripe.createToken({
17            card: {
18                number: '4242424242424242',
19                exp_month: 12,
20                exp_year: 2024,
21                cvc: '123'
22            }
23        });
24
25        // Send token.id to server (NOT card details)
26        """
27        pass
28
29    @staticmethod
30    def charge_with_token(token_id, amount):
31        """Charge using token (server-side)."""
32        # Your server only sees the token, never the card number
33        stripe.api_key = "sk_..."
34
35        charge = stripe.Charge.create(
36            amount=amount,
37            currency="usd",
38            source=token_id,  # Token instead of card details
39            description="Payment"
40        )
41
42        return charge
43
44    @staticmethod
45    def store_payment_method(customer_id, payment_method_token):
46        """Store payment method as token for future use."""
47        stripe.Customer.modify(
48            customer_id,
49            source=payment_method_token
50        )
51
52        # Store only customer_id and payment_method_id in your database
53        # NEVER store actual card details
54        return {
55            'customer_id': customer_id,
56            'has_payment_method': True
57            # DO NOT store: card number, CVV, etc.
58        }

Custom Tokenization (Advanced)

 1import secrets
 2from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
 3
 4class TokenVault:
 5    """Secure token vault for card data (if you must store it)."""
 6
 7    def __init__(self, encryption_key):
 8        self.cipher = Fernet(encryption_key)
 9        self.vault = {}  # In production: use encrypted database
10
11    def tokenize(self, card_data):
12        """Convert card data to token."""
13        # Generate secure random token
14        token = secrets.token_urlsafe(32)
15
16        # Encrypt card data
17        encrypted = self.cipher.encrypt(json.dumps(card_data).encode())
18
19        # Store token -> encrypted data mapping
20        self.vault[token] = encrypted
21
22        return token
23
24    def detokenize(self, token):
25        """Retrieve card data from token."""
26        encrypted = self.vault.get(token)
27        if not encrypted:
28            raise ValueError("Token not found")
29
30        # Decrypt
31        decrypted = self.cipher.decrypt(encrypted)
32        return json.loads(decrypted.decode())
33
34    def delete_token(self, token):
35        """Remove token from vault."""
36        self.vault.pop(token, None)

Encryption

Data at Rest

 1from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.ciphers.aead import AESGCM
 2import os
 3
 4class EncryptedStorage:
 5    """Encrypt data at rest using AES-256-GCM."""
 6
 7    def __init__(self, encryption_key):
 8        """Initialize with 256-bit key."""
 9        self.key = encryption_key  # Must be 32 bytes
10
11    def encrypt(self, plaintext):
12        """Encrypt data."""
13        # Generate random nonce
14        nonce = os.urandom(12)
15
16        # Encrypt
17        aesgcm = AESGCM(self.key)
18        ciphertext = aesgcm.encrypt(nonce, plaintext.encode(), None)
19
20        # Return nonce + ciphertext
21        return nonce + ciphertext
22
23    def decrypt(self, encrypted_data):
24        """Decrypt data."""
25        # Extract nonce and ciphertext
26        nonce = encrypted_data[:12]
27        ciphertext = encrypted_data[12:]
28
29        # Decrypt
30        aesgcm = AESGCM(self.key)
31        plaintext = aesgcm.decrypt(nonce, ciphertext, None)
32
33        return plaintext.decode()
34
35# Usage
36storage = EncryptedStorage(os.urandom(32))
37encrypted_pan = storage.encrypt("4242424242424242")
38# Store encrypted_pan in database

Data in Transit

1# Always use TLS 1.2 or higher
2# Flask/Django example
3app.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE'] = True  # HTTPS only
4app.config['SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY'] = True
5app.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE'] = 'Strict'
6
7# Enforce HTTPS
8from flask_talisman import Talisman
9Talisman(app, force_https=True)

Access Control

 1from functools import wraps
 2from flask import session
 3
 4def require_pci_access(f):
 5    """Decorator to restrict access to cardholder data."""
 6    @wraps(f)
 7    def decorated_function(*args, **kwargs):
 8        user = session.get('user')
 9
10        # Check if user has PCI access role
11        if not user or 'pci_access' not in user.get('roles', []):
12            return {'error': 'Unauthorized access to cardholder data'}, 403
13
14        # Log access attempt
15        audit_log(
16            user=user['id'],
17            action='access_cardholder_data',
18            resource=f.__name__
19        )
20
21        return f(*args, **kwargs)
22
23    return decorated_function
24
25@app.route('/api/payment-methods')
26@require_pci_access
27def get_payment_methods():
28    """Retrieve payment methods (restricted access)."""
29    # Only accessible to users with pci_access role
30    pass

Audit Logging

 1import logging
 2from datetime import datetime
 3
 4class PCIAuditLogger:
 5    """PCI-compliant audit logging."""
 6
 7    def __init__(self):
 8        self.logger = logging.getLogger('pci_audit')
 9        # Configure to write to secure, append-only log
10
11    def log_access(self, user_id, resource, action, result):
12        """Log access to cardholder data."""
13        entry = {
14            'timestamp': datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
15            'user_id': user_id,
16            'resource': resource,
17            'action': action,
18            'result': result,
19            'ip_address': request.remote_addr
20        }
21
22        self.logger.info(json.dumps(entry))
23
24    def log_authentication(self, user_id, success, method):
25        """Log authentication attempt."""
26        entry = {
27            'timestamp': datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
28            'user_id': user_id,
29            'event': 'authentication',
30            'success': success,
31            'method': method,
32            'ip_address': request.remote_addr
33        }
34
35        self.logger.info(json.dumps(entry))
36
37# Usage
38audit = PCIAuditLogger()
39audit.log_access(user_id=123, resource='payment_methods', action='read', result='success')

Security Best Practices

Input Validation

 1import re
 2
 3def validate_card_number(card_number):
 4    """Validate card number format (Luhn algorithm)."""
 5    # Remove spaces and dashes
 6    card_number = re.sub(r'[\s-]', '', card_number)
 7
 8    # Check if all digits
 9    if not card_number.isdigit():
10        return False
11
12    # Luhn algorithm
13    def luhn_checksum(card_num):
14        def digits_of(n):
15            return [int(d) for d in str(n)]
16
17        digits = digits_of(card_num)
18        odd_digits = digits[-1::-2]
19        even_digits = digits[-2::-2]
20        checksum = sum(odd_digits)
21        for d in even_digits:
22            checksum += sum(digits_of(d * 2))
23        return checksum % 10
24
25    return luhn_checksum(card_number) == 0
26
27def sanitize_input(user_input):
28    """Sanitize user input to prevent injection."""
29    # Remove special characters
30    # Validate against expected format
31    # Escape for database queries
32    pass

PCI DSS SAQ (Self-Assessment Questionnaire)

SAQ A (Least Requirements)

  • E-commerce using hosted payment page
  • No card data on your systems
  • ~20 questions

SAQ A-EP

  • E-commerce with embedded payment form
  • Uses JavaScript to handle card data
  • ~180 questions

SAQ D (Most Requirements)

  • Store, process, or transmit card data
  • Full PCI DSS requirements
  • ~300 questions

Compliance Checklist

 1PCI_COMPLIANCE_CHECKLIST = {
 2    'network_security': [
 3        'Firewall configured and maintained',
 4        'No vendor default passwords',
 5        'Network segmentation implemented'
 6    ],
 7    'data_protection': [
 8        'No storage of CVV, track data, or PIN',
 9        'PAN encrypted when stored',
10        'PAN masked when displayed',
11        'Encryption keys properly managed'
12    ],
13    'vulnerability_management': [
14        'Anti-virus installed and updated',
15        'Secure development practices',
16        'Regular security patches',
17        'Vulnerability scanning performed'
18    ],
19    'access_control': [
20        'Access restricted by role',
21        'Unique IDs for all users',
22        'Multi-factor authentication',
23        'Physical security measures'
24    ],
25    'monitoring': [
26        'Audit logs enabled',
27        'Log review process',
28        'File integrity monitoring',
29        'Regular security testing'
30    ],
31    'policy': [
32        'Security policy documented',
33        'Risk assessment performed',
34        'Security awareness training',
35        'Incident response plan'
36    ]
37}

Resources

  • references/data-minimization.md: Never store prohibited data
  • references/tokenization.md: Tokenization strategies
  • references/encryption.md: Encryption requirements
  • references/access-control.md: Role-based access
  • references/audit-logging.md: Comprehensive logging
  • assets/pci-compliance-checklist.md: Complete checklist
  • assets/encrypted-storage.py: Encryption utilities
  • scripts/audit-payment-system.sh: Compliance audit script

Common Violations

  1. Storing CVV: Never store card verification codes
  2. Unencrypted PAN: Card numbers must be encrypted at rest
  3. Weak Encryption: Use AES-256 or equivalent
  4. No Access Controls: Restrict who can access cardholder data
  5. Missing Audit Logs: Must log all access to payment data
  6. Insecure Transmission: Always use TLS 1.2+
  7. Default Passwords: Change all default credentials
  8. No Security Testing: Regular penetration testing required

Reducing PCI Scope

  1. Use Hosted Payments: Stripe Checkout, PayPal, etc.
  2. Tokenization: Replace card data with tokens
  3. Network Segmentation: Isolate cardholder data environment
  4. Outsource: Use PCI-compliant payment processors
  5. No Storage: Never store full card details

By minimizing systems that touch card data, you reduce compliance burden significantly.

What Users Are Saying

Real feedback from the community

Environment Matrix

Dependencies

Python 3.8+
cryptography library for encryption
Payment processor SDK (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)

Framework Support

Flask ✓ (with Talisman for security) Django ✓ (with security middleware) Express.js ✓ (Node.js backend) Spring Boot ✓ (Java backend)

Context Window

Token Usage ~3K-8K tokens depending on implementation complexity

Security & Privacy

Information

Author
wshobson
Updated
2026-01-30
Category
architecture-patterns