Paytia launches mobile PCI SAQ app with on-device photo evidence

Paytia has launched Comply, a free app that moves all nine PCI self-assessment questionnaires onto iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. The tool keeps the official PCI wording intact while adding plain-English guidance and on-device photo capture, aiming to make annual compliance checks easier to complete where evidence actually sits.

Why it matters: - Businesses that take card payments must complete a PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire every year. - Paytia Comply is built to cut the friction of doing that work on a laptop while the evidence sits elsewhere in the building. - The app is designed to let teams capture proof on the spot and keep sensitive photos on the device instead of scattering them across inboxes.

What happened: - Paytia released Comply on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android as a free download. - The app includes all nine PCI SAQ types: A, A-EP, B, B-IP, C, C-VT, D for Merchants, D for Service Providers and P2PE. - Paytia also launched a free Chrome extension, PCI SAQ Pocket Reference, for desk-based guidance. - The company said the release is aimed at moving the questionnaire to the phone "in your pocket."

The details: - The app presents the official PCI Security Standards Council wording for each requirement under a heading labeled "The question." - Paytia says the wording is not paraphrased or trimmed. - Comply adds plain-English guidance on what each requirement means. - The app also lists the evidence needed, including documentation to review, personnel to interview and configuration settings to check. - Users can choose the right SAQ manually or tap "Help me choose" and answer setup questions. - Each SAQ shows what it covers and how many requirements it includes. - Paytia says SAQ B has 28 requirements and SAQ A-EP has 145. - Users answer each item with Yes, No or N/A, and progress is tracked as they go. - The camera function lets users attach photos directly to the requirement they relate to. - Finished questionnaires export into a PDF that can be sent to an acquirer or QSA. - The Chrome extension includes an eight-question decision guide, a 15-term PCI glossary and links to Paytia checklists for SAQ A, A-EP, B and D. - Paytia says the extension works offline, requests no permissions, includes no tracking and is open under an MIT licence. - A free web-based instant checker is also available at the SAQ selector tool. - The app is free to download, and Paytia says there are no in-app purchases. - The Apple version requires iOS 15.0 or later, macOS 12 on Apple Silicon or visionOS 1.0. - The Android version is available on Google Play for phones and tablets in the UK and US.

Between the lines: - Paytia is positioning Comply as a workflow tool, not a compliance shortcut. - The company is making a clear distinction between filling out the SAQ and actually certifying compliance. - The product focuses on evidence collection and organization, which are often the slowest parts of the annual review. - The browser extension and web checker appear designed to catch the common question of which SAQ applies before users start the full process. - Paytia's pitch is that the standard should stay unchanged, but the place where teams complete it can be more practical.

What's next: - Paytia says the app can be used to prepare PDFs for an acquirer or QSA. - The company says the tool does not provide legal or compliance advice and does not replace scans, penetration tests or technical controls. - Paytia's instant checker and browser extension give users additional free entry points if they are still deciding which SAQ to complete. - Businesses that need to complete annual PCI reviews can now use the app, extension or web tool depending on where they are in the process.

The bottom line: - Paytia is betting that PCI compliance becomes easier when the questionnaire follows the evidence instead of the other way around.