The Dinner Rush is About to Start – Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

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Cash is no longer king. A recent survey showed that only 11 percent of consumers prefer using cash when making purchases, and restaurant guests are even more likely to pay with a credit card. This is actually good news for restaurant owners because not only do consumers spend more when they use a credit card, but they also purchase more on impulse. And if they’re going to splurge, isn’t your restaurant the best place for them to do it?

The Responsibility of PCI Compliance

An increase in cashless purchases brings with it increased risks for data security. Securing your network happens behind the scenes, but your front-line employees still play an important role in protecting customer data. Training your staff in PCI compliance is your responsibility. Make sure your PCI compliance training covers these main points:

Store management should be immediately involved any time a customer leaves their credit card behind.
Keep cards in sight of the customer at all times during the transaction.
If you have to hold on to any credit card data for an approved business purpose, keep that data in a secure, locked environment.
Never copy sensitive cardholder data to any form of electronic media.
Never manually copy credit card numbers or information, such as writing them on a scrap of paper, ledger, or hand ticket.
If you have physical credit card data that needs to be thrown away, it must be completely unreadable, incinerated, or cross shredded into pieces no greater than 1/4 inch.
Never send e-mails containing credit card data.

Recovering from a Data Breach

A data breach can destroy customer loyalty. Even your most loyal guests will be hesitant to dine with you if they have to worry about the security of their credit card information. Let them know what is being done now to protect their data, and what they can expect from the restaurant in the future.