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Credit card security rules required for restaurants

The credit card industry has been coming down hard on tens of thousands of restaurants that have not sufficiently protected their customers’ credit card information from potential theft, with Visa, MasterCard and financial institutions that process electronic payment over recent months sending warnings letters and holding seminars. This forces restaurants to take more action when it comes to protecting their diners’ credit card info.

On the side of companies that process card transactions, there are still tens of thousands of restaurants that do not comply with the set of security rules of the credit card industry.  Any company that takes plastic is required to follow a set of security regulations instituted by Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

With the data recorded by Visa indicates that since January of 2005, around 40% of the incident wherein criminals gain unauthorized access to credit card info is made up of restaurants — providing the largest percentage of incidents for a merchant category.

Separately, AmbironTrustWave, a Chicago-based data security auditor for merchants, reported that 62 percent of the security violations it witnessed during the prior 18 months occurred in the restaurant industry.

These violations includes various security lapses such as the poor guarding of wireless networks — which easily gives access to thieves on sensitive information just outside of the parking lot using a laptop — and the lack of strictness to their systems that makes it a lot easier for unethical employee to steal credit card data.

Oftentimes, consumers have no clue when their credit card information is in danger. Although, not all security breaches are successful, and mostly, merchants do not acknowledge incidents unless there is a significant likelihood that a major fraud will take place or has already been identified. In addition, companies that issues credit cards usually don’t close a customer’s account unless fraud has taken place.

Restaurant owners may have a difficult time with credit card security rules, since the regulations can be difficult for smaller merchants. The National Restaurant Association trade group says that it hears from restaurant owners who thought they complied with rules, but found out their systems were not functioning properly and were penalized.

Over $100,000, in some cases, is the fine for restaurants that violated credit card industry rules by keeping credit card information. Visa fined merchants across all categories $4.6 million for security violations in 2006, an increase from the $3.4 million in fines the previous year.

Visa, believes a merchant group needs additional attention, held special security briefings with several hundred restaurants.

At the same time, the companies that process credit cards have also turned the heat on restaurants. Credit card companies, as punishment, will end services to those who ignore security regulations.

Credit card companies are especially worried about specialized software restaurants use, which combine such features as tabulating bills, delivering orders to the kitchen and tracking reservations. Since credit card companies cannot require software makers to abide by their security rules, they instead apply pressure to restaurants. Visa maintains a list on its Web site of software programs that meet its requirements.

But software developers that even with the best software, restaurants can still be in trouble if they disregard password protection or firewalls. Software companies say it is not up to them to let restaurateurs know what they must do to be in compliance with credit card rules.

The author of this article is the VP of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants.com with over 20 years experience helping restaurants nationwide increase their efficiency and bottom-line profits using restaurant POS systems.

To learn on how our national POS network of restaurant point of sale experts can help your business achieve greater success in these difficult economic times, visit POS-For-Restaurants.com.

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