Who determines the compliance validation level for a merchant?
A.The payment brand (such as Visa, Mastercard) and/or the acquiring bank determine the validation level based on transaction volume
B.The merchant decides its own level
C.The PCI SSC assigns levels directly
D.The merchant's QSA determines the level
Why A is correct
Payment brands and acquiring banks determine a merchant's compliance validation level, typically based on annual transaction volume, with different requirements for each level.
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Where this fits in the PCI DSS exam
Compliance Reporting
Covers compliance reporting concepts and practices within PCI DSS.
This question belongs to the "Security Policy" domain, which makes up about 15% of the PCI DSS exam.
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How are merchant compliance validation levels typically determined?