PCI DSS Level 1 is the most stringent tier of compliance within the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard framework. It applies to any service provider or merchant that processes, stores, or transmits more than six million card transactions per year — or any entity that the card brands designate as Level 1 regardless of volume. Unlike lower tiers, which may permit self-assessment questionnaires, Level 1 compliance demands an annual on-site audit conducted by an independent Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), along with quarterly network vulnerability scans performed by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV).
The audit process for Level 1 is extensive. Assessors examine everything from physical access controls in data centres to the encryption algorithms used in transit and at rest. They review code deployment practices, incident response plans, logging and monitoring infrastructure, employee training programmes, and vendor management policies. The resulting Report on Compliance (ROC) provides a detailed, evidence-backed attestation that the organisation meets all twelve PCI DSS requirements. This is not a checkbox exercise — it requires ongoing investment in security operations, architecture, and governance.
For platforms evaluating a payments partner, PCI DSS Level 1 certification is one of the clearest signals that a provider takes data security seriously at an enterprise scale. It means the provider’s entire payment-handling infrastructure has been independently verified to meet the same standard applied to the world’s largest banks and processors. If the provider is not Level 1 certified, downstream customers may inherit additional compliance obligations or face greater exposure in the event of a breach.
Shuttle Global holds PCI DSS Level 1 certification, which directly benefits every platform that integrates its payment infrastructure. When a SaaS company uses Shuttle’s Embedded Payments to offer white-label checkout to its end users, that checkout is running on Level 1 certified rails. When a contact centre deploys Shuttle’s Voice Checkout, the DTMF masking and secure token handling happen inside Shuttle’s Level 1 environment — not the call centre’s. This architectural choice means the platform dramatically reduces its own PCI scope, avoids the six-figure cost of pursuing Level 1 certification independently, and can confidently tell its customers and auditors that cardholder data is handled by infrastructure held to the industry’s highest standard.