Three Square Market Receives Highest PCI Certification For Micromarkets

HUDSON, WI -- Three Square Market said it has received PCI-DSS v3.1 rating certification, the highest level in the micromarket arena.

Hudson, WI-based 32M emphasized that it has always been in compliance with its credit-card processing certification. "However, we felt that earning this PCI-DSS certification was a necessary step to ensure complete satisfaction and confidence from our operator clients, market location clients and the daily market customer," said 32M chief operating officer Patrick McMullan.

McMullan said the challenge has been misinformation by competitors who have alleged that 32M and other micromarket manufacturers were not PCI-certified. He said that 32M is one of only four companies worldwide to be v3.1 certified.

"All along, 32M and others like Avanti and Breakroom Provisions, have been," McMullan emphasized. "None of us would be able to operate in [our] thousands of locations if we were not. This certification, however, ends that talk that 32M is not certified."

PCI, or personal credit information, has become a hot topic in all retail segments over the past few years. With retailers like Target experiencing large-scale compromises of their card-processing systems, 32M reported that many vending operators have found this to be a common question when talking with end-user locations.

As a result, PCI standards have been raised and a new level of regulations, labeled v3.1, was issued in May. Three Square Market sees this PCI certification as a critical step as it expands its presence in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Central America, and begins planning its entry into the European market.

"PCI is like a universal stamp of approval -- plain and simple," said 32M chief executive Tim Westby. "Having this ensures we can continue to provide our customers the best in service and features and allow us to open markets regardless of where, without hesitation or concern on security."

Three Square Market says it has opened more than 1,100 markets in less than three years. Its certification on the PCI validation website can be viewed here. For more about the various levels of PCI and credit-card processing compliance, click here.