Frequently Asked Question
To which types of service providers does PCI DSS Appendix A1 apply?
All service providers are responsible for meeting PCI DSS requirements for their environments as applicable to the services offered to their customers. In addition, PCI DSS Appendix A1: Additional PCI DSS Requirements for Multi-Tenant Service Providers applies to multi-tenant service providers, which is a type of third-party service provider (TPSP) that offers various shared services to merchants and other service providers.
In PCI DSS v4.0, the title of Appendix A1 was updated to "Additional PCI DSS Requirements for Multi-Tenant Hosting Providers" to support the broader range of technologies used to provide shared services. In PCI DSS v3.2.1, Appendix A1 was entitled 'Additional PCI DSS Requirements for Shared Hosting Providers'.
Service providers that offer only shared data center services (often called co-location or "co-lo" providers), where equipment, space, and bandwidth are available on a rental basis, are not considered service providers for purposes of Appendix A1 in either PCI DSS v3.2.1 or PCI DSS v4.0. In addition, these requirements for multi-tenant service providers are not applicable when servers are dedicated to a single customer (but all other applicable PCI DSS requirements do apply).
For additional information and applicable requirements for these TPSPs, refer to PCI DSS Appendix A1: Additional PCI DSS Requirements for Multi-Tenant Service Providers.
Whether a service provider is required to validate PCI DSS compliance is determined by the organizations that manage compliance programs (for example, an acquirer, payment brand, or other entity). Entities should always contact the entity that manages their compliance program directly to determine their compliance requirements. Contact details for the payment brands can be found in FAQ #1142: How do I contact the payment card brands?
