When your WordPress site processes credit card payments, protecting sensitive customer data is so crucial it’s actually required.
PCI compliance (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of rules that any business handling card payments must follow. They’re designed to reduce fraud, prevent breaches, and make sure your customers can trust you.
The idea of “compliance” might sound overwhelming, especially if you’re not a server or security expert. But the truth is, most of what’s required comes down to making smart choices with your WordPress hosting, how you process payments, and how you maintain your site.
Understanding PCI Compliance in WordPress
PCI compliance is all about protecting cardholder data while it’s being transmitted and while it’s stored. For WordPress site owners, this means making sure your hosting environment, plugins, and payment systems don’t expose sensitive details.
- Encrypt sensitive data in transit: PCI DSS requires that all payment details travel securely across the internet. This is achieved by using SSL/TLS (HTTPS). Without it, credit card numbers could be intercepted by attackers.
- Keep your environment secure and up to date: A big part of compliance is patching known vulnerabilities quickly. Outdated WordPress sites, themes, and plugins are one of the most common breach points.
- Use trusted payment processors: Instead of storing card data in your WordPress database (which almost guarantees non-compliance), rely on processors like Stripe or PayPal to handle it securely.
- Audit and monitor regularly: PCI DSS isn’t just “one and done.” You need to continuously check logs, run scans, and fix issues when they appear.
Step 1: Choose a PCI-Aware Hosting Provider
Your host is the foundation of compliance. Even if your WordPress site is configured perfectly, a weak server setup can leave you exposed.
Why it matters: PCI DSS requires firewalls, intrusion detection, and secure configurations. A good hosting provider should already offer these features so you don’t have to build them from scratch.
What to do:
- Ask about PCI support: Not every host is PCI compliant by default. Confirm that their servers can meet PCI DSS requirements.
- Prefer managed hosting (if you don’t have internal server expertise): Managed WordPress hosting means the provider handles server hardening, monitoring, and patching for you. This makes compliance far less stressful.
- Look for transparency: If a host can’t clearly explain how they support compliance, that’s a red flag.
Step 2: Use HTTPS and Strong SSL/TLS Certificates
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) ensures that sensitive information (like credit card numbers) is encrypted during checkout. PCI compliance requires this, and browsers now flag any site without HTTPS as “Not Secure.”
What to do:
- Get an SSL certificate: Many hosts provide free certificates via Let’s Encrypt, while premium options add extended validation.
- Force HTTPS site-wide: Plugins like Really Simple Security make it easy to redirect all traffic and configure WordPress to use HTTPS.
- Check your setup: Tools like SSL Labs Test can confirm that your certificate is valid and strong.
Step 3: Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Updated
Outdated software is a compliance risk and an easy target for hackers. PCI DSS requires you to apply security patches quickly.
What to do:
- Enable auto-updates: WordPress has built-in automatic updates for core files and plugins. Turn them on to stay secure.
- Audit your plugins: Delete anything you’re not actively using. Stick with plugins that have good reviews and frequent updates.
- Update regularly: Plugins like Easy Updates Manager can give you more control over how and when updates happen.
Step 4: Harden Your WordPress Environment
“Hardening” means locking down your WordPress site so attackers have fewer opportunities to break in. PCI DSS expects you to limit access, enforce strong controls, and minimize risks.
What to do:
- Disable file editing: Add define(‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true); to wp-config.php to prevent unauthorized file changes.
- Use strong credentials: Require long, unique passwords for all accounts. Add Two-Factor Authentication for extra protection.
- Limit login attempts: Use Limit Login Attempts Reloaded to block brute-force attacks.
- Protect sensitive files: Solid Security makes it easier to enforce secure file permissions and disable risky features.
Step 5: Secure Payment Processing Properly
One of the easiest ways to fail PCI compliance is trying to store credit card data yourself. WordPress isn’t built for that, and PCI DSS makes it very difficult.
What to do instead:
- Use a trusted gateway: Payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net already comply with PCI DSS.
- Avoid local storage: Never keep card numbers in your WordPress database. Gateways handle tokenization and encryption for you.
- Rely on hosted fields or redirects: Many gateways offer secure hosted fields or redirects so payment data never touches your server.
Step 6: Monitor, Log, and Audit Regularly
PCI compliance isn’t just about setup; it’s about ongoing monitoring. Attackers look for long-term weaknesses, so you need visibility into your environment.
What to do:
- Enable logging: Plugins like WP Activity Log track user activity, file changes, and failed logins.
- Use security plugins: Wordfence Security adds firewall protection and alerts you to suspicious activity.
- Schedule scans: Many hosts offer malware scans, but you can also use Wordfence or MalCare Security for scheduled scanning.
Step 7: Perform Regular Backups and Disaster Recovery Planning
If something goes wrong, PCI DSS requires that you can restore operations quickly without losing cardholder data. Backups are your safety net.
What to do:
- Back up often: Daily backups are the minimum for ecommerce sites. Hourly backups are better for high-traffic stores.
- Encrypt your backups: Use plugins like UpdraftPlus which offer encrypted and offsite storage options.
- Store offsite copies: Services like BlogVault or cloud storage integrations ensure your backups aren’t just sitting on the same server.
Step 8: Train Your Team on Compliance Basics
Even strong security can fail if people using your site make mistakes. PCI DSS emphasizes security awareness for all employees with access.
What to do:
- Explain the risks: Make sure team members understand why reusing passwords or clicking suspicious links is dangerous.
- Require secure access: Use 2FA and secure Wi-Fi for anyone logging into WordPress.
- Stay updated: Encourage your team to follow WordPress security blogs or take short security awareness courses.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming SSL is enough: HTTPS helps, but compliance requires firewalls, monitoring, and secure hosting.
- Relying on cheap shared hosting: Shared environments rarely meet PCI DSS standards.
- Storing credit card data locally: This almost guarantees non-compliance and opens you up to major risks.
PCI-Compliant WordPress Hosting from Liquid Web
Securing PCI compliance is much easier when your hosting provider is already prepared for it. Liquid Web is a leader in WordPress hosting that offers environments designed to meet PCI DSS standards, giving you a secure foundation before you even install a plugin.
- Security basics built-in: Liquid Web’s PCI-compliant hosting packages include essentials like SSL/TLS support, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems — directly covering the first requirements of PCI compliance.
- Managed support: Their managed updates and server hardening help you keep WordPress, themes, and plugins secure without constant manual effort.
- Ongoing monitoring: Because PCI compliance is about more than technology, Liquid Web also supports ongoing monitoring and logging, so you can track suspicious activity before it becomes a problem.
- Automatic backups: Combine this with their automated backup options and disaster recovery planning, and you have peace of mind that your site can recover quickly if something goes wrong.
Each of the steps we’ve covered — from choosing the right host, to enforcing HTTPS, to maintaining backups and monitoring — becomes easier when your hosting provider is already thinking about compliance.
Instead of piecing it all together yourself, Liquid Web gives you a platform that aligns with PCI standards from the start, so you can focus on running your business while keeping customer trust intact.
Conclusion
PCI compliance might sound like a checklist, but really, it’s about building trust with your customers. Every step — from using HTTPS to choosing the right payment gateway — makes your site safer and more professional.
And with providers like Liquid Web offering PCI-compliant WordPress hosting, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. By combining good hosting with smart practices, you can keep your site compliant, protect your customers, and focus on growing your business.
FAQs
Does my website need to be PCI compliant?
If your website accepts, processes, stores, or transmits credit card data, PCI compliance is required — no matter how big or small your business. Even if you only process a few payments each month, you still need to follow PCI DSS rules.
If you use third-party gateways that handle payment details offsite, your compliance burden is reduced, but you’re still responsible for securing your WordPress environment.
How do I make WooCommerce PCI compliant?
The WooCommerce plugin itself doesn’t automatically make your store PCI compliant. Use a PCI-ready host, install an SSL certificate, keep WordPress and plugins updated, and rely on trusted gateways like Stripe or PayPal that handle card data securely.
WooCommerce paired with a PCI-compliant host (like Liquid Web) plus secure plugins can meet compliance standards.
Is Bluehost PCI compliant?
Bluehost states that their servers can be configured to meet PCI standards, but they are not PCI compliant by default. This means you’d need to handle a lot of the technical work yourself — from setting up firewalls to managing logging and monitoring.
For most WordPress site owners, especially ecommerce stores, choosing a host that already offers PCI-compliant environments is a much simpler path.
Does WooCommerce store credit card info?
By default, WooCommerce does not store credit card numbers on your site. Instead, it integrates with payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, or Authorize.net, which securely process payments offsite or through tokenization. This is intentional, because storing cardholder data locally in WordPress would violate PCI DSS requirements and create major security risks.
Leave Comment