--- title: PCI Shared Responsibility Model description: "Understand the PCI Shared Responsibility Model: How Cloud Depot, our payment partners, and your business work together to ensure total payment security and compliance." --- [Skip to content](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/the-pci-shared-responsibility-model#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![CoudDepot\_LOGO\_RGB.png\]](https://kb.clouddepot.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CoudDepot_LOGO_RGB.png?height=40&name=CoudDepot_LOGO_RGB.png) - [Read Our Blog](https://blog.clouddepot.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Read Our Blog](https://blog.clouddepot.com/) - English Show submenu for translations - [Go to clouddepot.com](https://www.clouddepot.com/) [Go to clouddepot.com](https://www.clouddepot.com/) Hello. How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Cloud Depot Knowledge Base](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge?hsLang=en) 2. [Product - Recurring Payment Service (RPS)](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en) 3. [Payment Gateways](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#payment-gateways) # PCI Shared Responsibility Model ## Understand the PCI Shared Responsibility Model: How Cloud Depot, our payment partners, and your business work together to ensure total payment security and compliance. ### The PCI Shared Responsibility Model PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is not a "plug-and-play" solution. Because security is only as strong as the weakest link, compliance is shared between **Cloud Depot** (the Service Provider), our **Payment Gateways** (the Processors), and **You** (the Merchant/Customer). #### 1. Our Responsibility (Cloud Depot) As a PCI Level 2 SAQ-D Service Provider, Cloud Depot is responsible for the "secure middle-ware." Our duties include: - **Secure Transmission:** Ensuring all data sent between your systems and the payment gateways is encrypted via TLS 1.2+. - **Tokenization Management:** Ensuring that raw credit card data is never stored on our local servers and is instead exchanged for secure "tokens." - **Infrastructure Hardening:** Maintaining a secure network environment, performing monthly vulnerability scans (via Qualys), and completing quarterly attestations of compliance. - **Vetted Integrations:** Only allowing integrations with PCI Level 1 certified payment processors. #### 2. The Gateway's Responsibility (WorldPay, GoCardless, Stripe, etc.) Your chosen payment gateway sits at the highest level of compliance (Level 1). Their responsibilities include: - **Data Vaulting:** Securely storing the actual credit card numbers and CVV codes in high-security data vaults. - **Transaction Processing:** Clearing the funds with the acquiring banks. - **Fraud Detection:** Providing tools to identify and block suspicious payment attempts. #### 3. Your Responsibility (The Customer) Even though Cloud Depot does the "heavy lifting," you still have a responsibility to maintain security within your own business environment. This typically includes: - **Access Control:** Ensuring only authorized members of your staff have login access to your Cloud Depot and Accounting portals. - **Secure Handling:** Never writing down customer credit card numbers on paper or storing them in "Description" fields or "Internal Notes" within Autotask or Xero. - **Network Security:** Ensuring the computers your staff use to access Cloud Depot are free of malware and are updated with the latest security patches. - **Compliance Reporting:** Depending on your transaction volume, you may still be required to complete your own annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (usually SAQ-A or SAQ-A-EP) for your bank. --- ### Why the Shared Model Works By dividing responsibilities, we significantly reduce your "Compliance Surface Area." Because Cloud Depot and your Gateway handle the most sensitive data-protection tasks, the requirements you have to meet to be "compliant" are much simpler than if you were trying to process cards directly on your own website. > **Key Takeaway:** We secure the pipes and the vault; you ensure that the people you give the keys to are trained and that your local workstations are secure. - [Product - Autotask to Xero](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-autotask-to-xero?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Getting Started](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-autotask-to-xero?hsLang=en#getting-started) - [Setup](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-autotask-to-xero?hsLang=en#setup) - [Troubleshooting](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-autotask-to-xero?hsLang=en#troubleshooting) - [Product - Recurring Payment Service (RPS)](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Getting Started](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#getting-started) - [Customers & Invoices](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#customers-invoices) - [Payment Rules & Auto Pay](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#payment-rules-auto-pay) - [Customer Portal](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#customer-portal) - [Surcharges](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#surcharges) - [Payment Gateways](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#payment-gateways) - [Troubleshooting](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-recurring-payment-service-rps?hsLang=en#troubleshooting) - [Product - HostedPay](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/product-hostedpay?hsLang=en) - [Integrations](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/integrations?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Xero](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/integrations?hsLang=en#xero) - [Autotask](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/integrations?hsLang=en#autotask) - [HaloPSA](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/integrations?hsLang=en#halopsa) - [Support, security & updates](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/support-security-updates?hsLang=en) - [Billing and Accounting](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/billing-and-accounting?hsLang=en) - [Setting up Cloud Depot](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/setting-up-cloud-depot?hsLang=en) - [Cloud Depot Status and Contacting Support](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/cloud-depot-status-and-contacting-support?hsLang=en#main-content) - [View Service Status](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/cloud-depot-status-and-contacting-support?hsLang=en#view-service-status) - [Support](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/cloud-depot-status-and-contacting-support?hsLang=en#support) - [Sync Customization Documentation](https://kb.clouddepot.com/knowledge/sync-customization-documentation?hsLang=en) - [Read Our Blog](https://blog.clouddepot.com/) # Cloud Depot Cloud Depot Help Center Copyright © 2026, Cloud Depot