The Short Answer
PCI DSS is a mandatory, prescriptive standard scoped to cardholder data, enforced by the card brands. SOC 2 is a voluntary, broader trust framework covering security and related controls, examined by a CPA firm rather than a QSA. They test different things, are validated by different bodies, and many companies genuinely need both.
The Fundamental Difference
| PCI DSS | SOC 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory? | Yes, if you handle cardholder data | No, driven by customer requirements |
| Enforced by | Card brands (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) and acquiring banks | No enforcement body; market-driven |
| Scope | Cardholder data environment specifically | Whole system, per the Trust Services Criteria you select |
| Validated by | Self-assessment (SAQ) or a Qualified Security Assessor (ROC) | Licensed CPA firm |
| Output | Compliance validation (AOC) | Attestation report |
| Renewal cycle | Annual, every merchant level | Annual for Type 2, no discounted years |
See our PCI DSS guide and SOC 2 guide for the fundamentals of each.
Why They're Not Interchangeable
PCI DSS's twelve requirements are prescriptive and narrowly scoped: encrypt cardholder data, segment the cardholder data environment, restrict access by need to know. SOC 2's Trust Services Criteria are broader and more principles-based, covering your overall security posture, and optionally availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, or privacy. A clean SOC 2 report doesn't demonstrate PCI DSS compliance, and passing a PCI assessment doesn't satisfy an enterprise buyer asking specifically for SOC 2. They answer different questions.
Which One Do You Actually Need?
PCI DSS is not optional if your systems store, process, or transmit cardholder data, full stop, regardless of company size or stage. SOC 2 is optional in a legal sense, but becomes practically necessary once you're selling to enterprise customers whose security teams require it during procurement. Many B2B SaaS companies that also process payments directly end up needing both, PCI DSS from day one of accepting cards, SOC 2 once enterprise sales cycles demand it.
Not sure which one applies to your business, or if you need both?
We'll scope your actual card-data footprint and customer requirements before you commit to either.
Get a Free QuoteCost Comparison
PCI DSS cost varies more widely than SOC 2's, because it scales with merchant level rather than headcount: a small, tokenized merchant can spend under $10,000, while a Level 1 merchant requiring a full QSA-led ROC can spend $100,000 or more. SOC 2 for a comparable company typically runs $30,000 to $155,000 depending on size. See our full breakdowns of PCI DSS compliance cost and SOC 2 certification cost.
Pursuing Both Together
Access control, logging, encryption, and vulnerability management requirements overlap meaningfully between the two frameworks. Running readiness for both as one coordinated programme, rather than sequential separate projects, typically reduces total effort, though the cardholder-data-specific requirements in PCI DSS have no SOC 2 equivalent and still need dedicated attention.
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We coordinate overlapping controls across both frameworks to avoid redundant work.
Talk to an Avantcert ExpertFrequently asked questions about PCI DSS vs SOC 2
If we accept card payments through Stripe, do we need PCI DSS, SOC 2, or both?
You still need PCI DSS in some form, typically a short Self-Assessment Questionnaire, since Stripe's own PCI compliance covers their infrastructure, not your obligation to validate your own integration. Whether you also need SOC 2 depends on whether your enterprise customers ask for it, which is common for B2B SaaS regardless of payment processing.
Can a single audit or assessment satisfy both PCI DSS and SOC 2?
No, they're validated by different bodies, a Qualified Security Assessor or self-assessment for PCI DSS, a licensed CPA firm for SOC 2, and result in different deliverables, a compliance validation versus an attestation report. But the underlying controls overlap enough that running readiness for both together is meaningfully cheaper than doing them sequentially.
Which is generally required first, PCI DSS or SOC 2?
PCI DSS is required the moment you handle cardholder data, regardless of company stage, enforced by the card brands rather than a customer's discretion. SOC 2 typically becomes necessary later, once you're selling to enterprise customers whose security teams ask for it, so PCI DSS often comes first for any company processing payments directly.
Does SOC 2 cover payment card security the way PCI DSS does?
No. SOC 2's Trust Services Criteria are broad and don't specifically test cardholder data handling the way PCI DSS's twelve requirements do. A company can hold a clean SOC 2 report and still be out of compliance with PCI DSS if it touches cardholder data, they test different things.
Is PCI DSS more expensive than SOC 2, or less?
It depends entirely on merchant level and company size. A small, tokenized PCI merchant can spend under $10,000, well below a typical SOC 2 project. A Level 1 PCI merchant requiring a full QSA-led ROC can spend $100,000 or more, comparable to or exceeding a mid-size SOC 2 engagement.
Do the control overlaps between PCI DSS and SOC 2 actually reduce work in practice?
Yes, meaningfully, in areas like access control, logging, encryption, and vulnerability management, which both frameworks require in similar form. The prescriptive cardholder-data-specific requirements in PCI DSS don't have a SOC 2 equivalent, so overlap reduces but doesn't eliminate incremental work when pursuing both.
About Avantcert. Avantcert is a compliance consultancy that has guided 3,000+ organisations across 40+ markets through PCI DSS and SOC 2 scoping, remediation, and coordinated assessment. See our PCI DSS service, SOC 2 service, or request a free quote.