PCI compliance software that matches your real SAQ scope
Most SaaS companies using Stripe are SAQ A, not the full 12-requirement grind. Complies scopes you honestly first, then tracks only the obligations that actually apply.
PCI compliance software tracks the PCI DSS requirements that apply to how you actually handle card data: Complies determines your real scope, maps the relevant PCI DSS 4.0 requirements to controls with owners, and collects the evidence behind your annual self-assessment questionnaire. PCI DSS 4.0 is built on 12 requirements covering network security, protecting stored account data, access control and MFA, logging, security testing, and a maintained security policy. Scope is the lever that matters most: a SaaS company using Stripe Checkout or Stripe Elements, where card data never touches its servers, typically qualifies for SAQ A, a short questionnaire focused on the payment page and vendor management. Store, process, or transmit card data yourself and you are looking at SAQ D or a full Report on Compliance with all 12 requirements in play. Complies asks the scoping questions first, then tracks only the applicable obligations, pulls evidence from AWS, GitHub, and Okta, and keeps the annual SAQ cycle on the calendar. Requirements 7, 8, and 10 are the same access control and logging work as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, so cross-mapped controls pre-fill them, all on Growth at $199 a month, $2,388 a year.
Complies handles it with control mapping software and compliance reports, with every control cross-mapped to the other frameworks you run.
What PCI DSS asks of you, in plain language
| Code | What it demands | How Complies helps |
|---|---|---|
| Req. 3 | Protect stored account data, or better, never store it | Complies documents your no-storage architecture with Stripe as evidence for SAQ A, or tracks encryption and retention controls if card data genuinely touches your systems. |
| Req. 8 | Identify every user and authenticate access with MFA | Maps SSO and MFA enforcement from Okta to Req. 8, schedules access reviews, and flags shared accounts and MFA exceptions before your SAQ says otherwise. |
| Req. 10 | Log and monitor all access to systems and cardholder data | Collects audit logging configuration and review evidence from AWS on a schedule, satisfying the same control that SOC 2 CC7.2 and HIPAA audit controls demand. |
| Req. 11 | Test the security of systems and networks regularly | Tracks vulnerability scan cadence and results as recurring evidence with owners, and flags when quarterly scans or remediation windows slip. |
| Req. 12 | Maintain an information security policy and supporting program | AI-drafted policy starting points mapped to Req. 12; your team approves them, and Complies tracks reviews, training, and the vendor list your SAQ asks about. |
Collect once, comply many times
PCI DSS shares its core with the other frameworks: Req. 7 and Req. 8 access control and MFA are SOC 2 CC6.1 and ISO 27001 A.5.15 territory, Req. 10 logging matches SOC 2 CC7.2 and HIPAA 164.312(b), and Req. 12 policy and vendor management mirrors ISO A.5.1 and GDPR Art. 28. What stays PCI-specific is cardholder data scope, quarterly scanning, and the SAQ cycle. Complies maps the shared controls once, so a SOC 2-ready team finds most of its applicable PCI obligations pre-filled and spends its effort on the genuinely card-specific remainder.
| Control area | PCI DSS | Also satisfies |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication and MFA | Req. 8 | SOC 2 CC6.1 · ISO A.5.17 · HIPAA 164.312(d) |
| Logging and monitoring | Req. 10 | SOC 2 CC7.2 · ISO A.8.15 · HIPAA 164.312(b) |
| Security testing | Req. 11 | SOC 2 CC7.1 · ISO A.8.8 |
| Security policy | Req. 12 | SOC 2 CC5.3 · ISO A.5.1 · HIPAA 164.316 |
See the full crosswalk on the control mapping software page.
Getting PCI DSS ready with Complies
Scope honestly before doing anything else
Answer the scoping questions: who touches card data, where, and through which processor. If Stripe hosts the payment flow and card data never reaches your servers, SAQ A likely applies.
Track only the requirements that apply
Complies builds your obligation list from the applicable SAQ, assigns owners and due dates, and pre-fills access control, logging, and policy items from your SOC 2 or ISO 27001 work.
Collect evidence and complete the annual SAQ
MFA settings, scan results, and policy reviews stream in as scheduled evidence. When the cycle comes around, the SAQ answers have an evidence trail instead of optimistic checkboxes.
Complies assists with compliance workflows. It is not legal advice, and it does not certify you or guarantee audit outcomes. Your auditor decides; Complies gets you ready.
PCI DSS questions, answered
No. PCI compliance is attested through your self-assessment questionnaire or, at higher volumes, a Report on Compliance from a Qualified Security Assessor, and your acquirer or payment processor is who requires it. Complies assists with compliance workflows: it is not legal advice, and it does not certify you or guarantee assessment outcomes. Your assessor and acquirer decide; Complies gets you ready.
No, but your burden is small. Stripe being PCI Level 1 covers their side; you still have your own obligations, typically SAQ A if you use Stripe Checkout or Elements and card data never touches your servers: secure the page that loads the payment form, manage vendor relationships, and attest annually. Complies tracks exactly that list and keeps the annual cycle from being forgotten.
SAQ A is the short questionnaire for merchants who fully outsource card data handling to a validated provider, with a few dozen requirements focused on the payment page and vendors. SAQ D is the long form for merchants who store, process, or transmit card data themselves, with all 12 PCI DSS requirements in scope. The architecture decision to keep card data off your servers is the single biggest compliance lever you have.
PCI DSS 4.0 replaced 3.2.1 in 2024, and its future-dated requirements became mandatory on March 31, 2025. Notable changes include stronger MFA expectations, tighter e-commerce page controls, and for SAQ A merchants, attention to payment page script integrity. Complies tracks the 4.0 requirement set, so your obligations reflect the current standard rather than an outdated checklist.
Audit Evidence Examples: What Auditors Actually Ask For
CROSS-FRAMEWORKCompliance Risk Assessment: Definition, Matrix, and Workflow
Start your PCI DSS readiness today
Growth includes every framework, cross-mapped, at $199 a month.