Who Should Pursue Secure SLC Qualification?
The PCI Secure SLC Standard is for vendors that develop software for the payment industry. Payment brands and compliance program owners decide when validation is required.
- Payment Software Vendors
- POS and Terminal Software Developers
- Payment Gateway and Platform Providers
- Fintech Product Engineering Teams
- Vendors Maintaining Multiple Payment Products
- Vendors Planning Secure Software Validations
Secure SLC Assessment Approach
Deliverables
Clear, evidence-based outputs aligned to your products, lifecycle scope and Secure SLC validation route.
Scope and Applicability Summary
Secure SLC ROC and AOC
Readiness and Gap Assessment Report
Prioritized Remediation Tracker
Lifecycle Documentation Support
Product Validation Roadmap
Supporting Services
Technical services that strengthen secure development practices and Secure SLC readiness.
Web Application Penetration Testing
Test web software and APIs for exploitable vulnerabilities before release.
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Vulnerability Assessment
Identify weaknesses in the build, test and hosting infrastructure behind your products.
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Offensive Security Services
Adversary-led testing that shows how products hold up under realistic attack.
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Secure Development Training
Role-based training for engineers on secure design and coding practices.
Learn MorePCI Software Security Bundles
Choose a pathway aligned to your software portfolio, designed to reduce rework and connect lifecycle and product validation.
Core Secure SLC Package
EssentialsFor software vendors preparing for a first Secure SLC assessment
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Lifecycle scope and product mapping
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Gap assessment against Secure SLC control objectives
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Remediation roadmap and evidence checklist
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ROC and AOC preparation support
Integrated Software Security Suite
BundledSecure SLC + Secure Software (coordinated validation approach)
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Unified planning across lifecycle and product scope
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Shared evidence between process and product assessments
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Delta change planning for validated software
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Assessor-led readiness and reporting support
Advanced Payment Software Program
ProgramFor vendors with several products or payment ecosystem roles
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Secure SLC + Secure Software, with optional P2PE Application or PCI DSS
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Release governance aligned to validation obligations
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Portfolio roadmap with a governance cadence
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Revalidation planning and stakeholder reporting
Benefits of a PCI Secure SLC Assessment
Build Security Into Every Release
Embed consistent security activities across design, development, testing and release.
Reduce Vulnerability Exposure
Find and fix software weaknesses before they reach customer environments.
Streamline Product Updates
Secure SLC Qualified Vendors can self-attest eligible delta changes with less assessor involvement.
Strengthen Engineering Discipline
Establish clear ownership, evidence and repeatable controls across engineering teams.
Support Customer and Partner Trust
PCI SSC encourages merchants and service providers to consider vendors on its Secure SLC listing.
Enable Continuous Compliance
Move from assessment-driven effort to lifecycle controls that operate year-round.
Why Software Vendors Choose QRC
Qualified assessors. Integrated payment-security expertise. Evidence-led reporting.
- PCI DSS QSA Company
- Qualified PIN Assessor (QPA) Company
- PCI 3DS Assessor Company
- P2PE Assessor and P2PE Application Assessor
- Secure Software and Secure SLC Assessor
- Evidence-first methodology
- Reduced assessment friction
- Defensible, well-documented findings
- Alignment to PCI SSC program requirements
- Secure SLC process assessment
- Secure Software product validation
- Delta change planning
- Revalidation support
Member of the PCI SSC Global Executive Assessor Roundtable (GEAR) for 2024-2026 and 2026-2028, staying aligned with evolving interpretations and practice.
- ROC and AOC aligned documentation
- Traceable process evidence
- Engineering and leadership-ready reporting
Secure SLC and Secure Software assessments serviced across Asia Pacific, CEMEA, Europe and the USA, as shown on QRC's PCI SSC listing.
PCI Case Studies
Explore how teams reduced PCI scope, closed control gaps, and improved audit readiness across different payment ecosystems.
Implementing PCI SLC for a Payment Software Vendor to Enhance Security and Development Efficiency
This case study explores how a payment software vendor strengthened its development processes through PCI Secure Software Lifecycle practices. Insecure coding, slow vulnerability remediation, and…
Read full Case StudyPCI Software Security Resource Center
Guides and articles to support your secure software lifecycle journey.
Integrating PCI SLC into Agile & DevSecOps Pipelines
In the software development landscape, organizations rely on Agile and DevSecOps methodologies to deliver products faster and more efficiently.
PCI mandates Open-Source hygiene as a key requirement
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) released a new security framework
Frequently Asked Questions
Version 1.1 is the current published Secure SLC Standard. PCI SSC consulted on a draft v2.0 in May and June 2026 and expects to publish it in the second half of 2026.
Secure SLC assesses a vendor's software lifecycle processes, and qualifying vendors are listed as Secure SLC Qualified Vendors. The Secure Software Standard validates individual payment software products, which are listed as validated payment software.
A Secure SLC Assessor qualified by PCI SSC performs the assessment and submits the report to PCI SSC. PCI SSC reviews the submission and, once accepted, lists the vendor.
Timing depends on the number of products, development teams and locations, process maturity and evidence availability. QRC confirms a defensible timeline after the initial scoping and readiness discussion.
Secure SLC Qualified Vendors can perform and self-attest eligible delta assessments for their validated software with reduced assessor involvement. Eligibility and conditions are set out in the PCI SSC program documents.
One Lifecycle. The Right PCI Services. A Clear Path
to Qualification.
Bring lifecycle assessment, product validation and security testing together in one
coordinated engagement.