{"section":"tutorials","requestedLocale":"en","requestedSlug":"what-is-the-pci-ssc","locale":"en","slug":"what-is-the-pci-ssc","path":"docs/en/tutorials/payments/foundations-and-concepts/what-is-the-pci-ssc.md","branch":"main","content":"The [Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC)](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/) is an open global forum that develops, enhances, stores, disseminates, and implements security standards for data protection. The council was founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, Mastercard, and Visa Inc.\n\nThe standards maintained by the PCI SSC include the [PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/standards/pci-dss/), which defines security requirements for companies that process, store, or transmit credit and debit card data. VTEX is PCI DSS certified as a service provider, which means card data entered by customers in the VTEX environment is handled on a certified infrastructure, and the store doesn't need its own PCI certification to sell in this environment. The exception is native mobile apps, which send payment data to VTEX from an external environment, as explained in [Do I need the PCI certification to sell in native mobile apps?](/en/docs/tutorials/do-i-need-the-pci-certification-to-sell-in-native-mobile-apps).\n\nThe VTEX PCI DSS certificate is available in the [VTEX Trust Center](https://compliance.vtex.com/?itemUid=53e1508c-665e-45a8-9ce0-03fdf9ae1efb&source=title).\n\n## Related articles\n\n- [VTEX information security and privacy certificates](/en/docs/tutorials/vtex-information-security-and-privacy-certificates)\n- [How do I add the PCI SSC certificate to my store?](/en/docs/tutorials/how-do-i-add-the-pci-ssc-certificate)"}