Credit Card Security

Securing Credit Card Data is as Vital to Your Business as the Health of Your Greenscredit card security image for website

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Fore! Reservations has consistently been a leader in the industry with regards to credit card security. In fact, we were the first golf software package to achieve PCI and PA-DSS Compliance, and we continue to provide software tools that meet all credit card industry security guidelines. We pledge to continue meeting all industry guidelines with future software releases, and act in good faith so that our client golf courses can operate in a secure environment.

View our listing as a Validated Payment Application on the PCI Security Standards Council website Note: Select the 'Accept' button and search Fore! Reservations, Inc. from the Application Vendor list.

If you are choosing a new software package, credit card security is a very important factor to consider. If you use software that does not conform to the PCI Security Standards Council guidelines (PCI and PA-DSS), you risk fines, fees and higher rates, and you may lose processing ability altogether. At Fore! Reservations, we take security very serious. Feel free to discuss credit card security, PCI Compliance, and what it means to your business with any of our This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Those that stay informed about these continuously changing guidelines help protect their business' interests and ward off potentially damaging system breaches. 


Important Questions and Answers Regarding the Credit Card Industry's PCI Compliance

  • WHO is behind PCI? - The PCI Security Standards Council was formed by Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover to mandate best practices regarding credit card number storage (vital for the golf industry), and lock down sensitive information that could fall into the wrong hands.

  • WHAT is PCI and PA-DSS? - PCI stands for "Payment Card Industry" and they set the rules. PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) is the set of rules software companies and credit card processors have to play by if they wish to continue processing credit cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Their main focus is protecting their merchants (people who process credit cards) from risk; specifically the storage and use of credit card data, determining who has potential access to those credit card numbers, and the security of a golf course's network and infrastructure.

  • WHEN is the deadline for a golf course to be compliant? - The PCI deadline to implement this "PA-DSS" secure application and black-box solution was July 1, 2010. It appears that each golf course's credit card processor will be the "cop" enforcing the policies of the PCI Security Council. How they (your credit card processor) will enforce these rules is still unknown. Higher fees and penalties could apply, along with cutting off credit card processing altogether. Only your processor knows for sure.

  • WHERE does Fore! Reservations get off telling me how to run my business? - Fore! Reservations is definitely not trying to tell anyone how best to run their facility. We are simply providing a solution in the best interest of our customers that helps them achieve PCI Compliance. Fore! Reservations provides golf course operators the ability to store credit cards in the system (common practice in the industry to protect their most valuable asset; their tee time inventory), has credit card integrators that have written interfaces to our Point of Sale (ETS and Mercury), and is the largest purveyor of Internet tee times in the United States (using golfers' credit cards to guarantee the reservation while passing the information to the golf course). With those three main issues, Fore! Reservations believes it is the best business decision for us to adhere to these regulations and encourage our client golf courses to implement all guidelines regarding PCI Compliance.

  • WHY is this coming about and why is it a good idea? - The PCI Security Council was formed to help stem the tide of enormous financial losses from people stealing credit card data. These practices will help to reduce the risk that Visa, MasterCard, (et al) face due to stolen credit cards. Implementing PCI Compliance at your golf course will also help reduce your risk as a business owner should a breach occur.