Credit Card Tokenization

Every merchant that transmits, processes or stores credit card information must be PCI Compliant. Protecting the credit card data is usually cited as the most challenging part of the process.

To properly store credit card data according to PCI Standards, merchants have two options: 1) Store the sensitive data internally which can be costly, time intensive and still present ongoing risk or 2) Remotely store credit card data in Braintree’s Vault.

More than ever, merchants are turning to Braintree, including those who previously achieved PCI compliance internally, for three reasons:

1. Compliance is not easy. Achieving and maintaining internal compliance is more complicated, more costly and more resource intensive than anticipated.
2. Compliance does not equal security. Recent breaches have proven that even companies that spent a significant amount of time and money to achieve compliance internally are getting breached and suffering the financial, business and PR consequences.
3. Compliance today does not equal compliance tomorrow. Achieving and maintaining compliance internally is a constant battle. With new threats always emerging and the PCI standard continually evolving, internal resources will always be required to address these changes.

Braintree’s smart approach to PCI Compliance eliminates credit card data from ever entering a merchant’s environment.

Credit card data is tokenized directly from the merchant’s website using Braintree’s Transparent Redirect method

When a payment is accepted, the credit card information is stored in the Vault and a unique “token” is returned to the merchant. Tokens can be used just like a credit card including future sales, refunds, voids, credits, reporting and reconciliation. There is no change to the user experience. Best of all – if stolen, a merchant’s unique tokens are useless to criminals.

How Braintree’s Transparent Redirect Works

Tokens can be used just like full credit card information

Using credit card tokenization combined with our Transparent Redirect method, which collects the data directly from the merchant’s website, the sensitive data never touches the merchant’s server. With our solutions, the scope of PCI Compliance is greatly simplified and achieving and maintaining compliance is faster, more economical and less of a distraction.

Braintree’s Credit Card Tokenization vs. Internal Compliance

* Gartner estimates merchant Level 1-3

Learn More About Credit Card Tokenization

If you’d like to learn more about using our credit card tokenization services to securely store credit card data while retaining full functionality, contact us today.