PCI Compliance

Every year, there are over 1.3 million credit card transactions accepted and facilitated at UCalgary — including event admissions, conferences fees, donations, consumer products and service sales.

Why is Compliance Important?

UCalgary is required to meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance standards — ensuring consumer protection for everyone using credit cards on campus, or through campus websites. We work closely with vendors, merchants, and others on campus who accept and facilitate credit card payments to ensure PCI compliance across the institution.

What is PCI compliance?

To be PCI compliant means to follow a set of security standards designed to ensure all entities who facilitate, accept, process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment for consumer protection.

Why does it matter?

  • It keeps merchants, customers and the university safe from cyber breaches, threats and consumer fraud.

  • Non-compliance can result in heavy fines and fees.

  • It is required to maintain the ability to accept and facilitate credit cards as a form of payment for everything from a cup of coffee to tuition.

How does it impact me?

  • Most faculties and units on campus take credit card payments for things like events, conferences, donations or item/service sales.

  • The university houses over 70 merchants on campus, and it only takes one instance of non-compliance to jeopardize the security and good-standing of the university.

It’s easy to become PCI compliant — let us help!

The university is required to be PCI compliant. Share this information with your staff who accept or facilitate credit card payments in any form, either online or using Moneris machines. Staff should contact the PCI Internal Controls team at pci.compliance@ucalgary.ca to find out what is required to be compliant.