The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council said Tuesday it would shift the update cycle for its Data Security Standard to the same three-year cycle as the two other standards it administers.
Bob Russo, the trade group's general manager, said the shift would benefit merchants and the payments industry. The Wakefield, Mass., organization also oversees the PIN Transaction Security and Payment Application Data Security standards.
The council updated the PIN standard in May and plans to update the two other standards in October.
Earlier this year, Russo said a common update cycle was possible when he announced that all three standards would be updated this year.
Some merchants said they worry that updating their systems to meet an updated standard could knock them out of compliance, said Russo.
With the new update schedule, Russo said "the merchants will feel more comfortable because they'll have more time with [them] under their belts."
