PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is required for any organization that handles, processes, or stores payment card data. This standard applies to various entities involved in payment card transactions, including merchants, service providers, financial institutions, and any other organization that handles payment card data.

Specifically, PCI DSS compliance applies to:

1. Merchants: Any organization that accepts payment cards, such as retail stores, e-commerce websites, restaurants, hotels, and service providers.
2. Service Providers: Third-party organizations that handle payment card data on behalf of merchants or other service providers. This includes payment processors, hosting providers, cloud service providers, software developers, and other entities that store, process, or transmit payment card information.
3. Financial Institutions: Banks, credit card issuers, and other financial institutions that process payment card transactions or provide services related to payment card data.

It’s important to note that the exact requirements for PCI DSS compliance may vary depending on the organization’s size, the number of transactions processed, and the specific role they play in the payment card ecosystem. However, all entities that handle payment card data are expected to comply with the relevant security standards to protect cardholder information and maintain the overall security of the payment card industry.