In PCI DSS terminology, Payment Processor is sometimes described as which of the following?

In PCI DSS terminology, Payment Processor is sometimes described as which of the following?

• A. Acquirer
• B. Merchant
• C. Payment gateway or payment service provider (PSP)
• D. Issuer

Answer: (C)

In PCI DSS terminology, a payment processor is often described as the payment gateway or a payment service provider (PSP). These are the entities that actually handle the processing of card data on behalf of the merchant, routing the transaction for authorization between the merchant, the acquiring bank, and the issuer. The data flow typically goes: merchant collects card data, the gateway/PSP forwards it to the acquirer, which communicates with the issuer to obtain authorization, with settlement tracing back through the same path. Because they process card data, gateways/PSPs are considered service providers in PCI DSS scope. The other roles have different functions: the acquirer processes settlement with the issuer; the merchant is the business accepting payment; the issuer is the cardholder’s bank.

In PCI DSS terminology, a payment processor is often described as the payment gateway or a payment service provider (PSP). These are the entities that actually handle the processing of card data on behalf of the merchant, routing the transaction for authorization between the merchant, the acquiring bank, and the issuer. The data flow typically goes: merchant collects card data, the gateway/PSP forwards it to the acquirer, which communicates with the issuer to obtain authorization, with settlement tracing back through the same path. Because they process card data, gateways/PSPs are considered service providers in PCI DSS scope. The other roles have different functions: the acquirer processes settlement with the issuer; the merchant is the business accepting payment; the issuer is the cardholder’s bank.