Must a Fat Shack franchisee be PCI compliant?
Fat_Shack Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must accept credit cards, debit cards and Apple Pay from customers of your FAT SHACK Restaurant. The Payment Card Industry ("PCI") requires all companies that process, store, or transmit credit or debit card information to protect the cardholders' information by complying with the PCI Data Security Standard ("PCI DSS"). Therefore, you must be PCI compliant by following and adhering to the then-current PCI DSS, currently found at www.pcisecuritystandards.org, or any similar or subsequent standard for the protection of cardholder data throughout the term of your Franchise Agreement. PCI mandates the PCI DSS compliance. You may not charge your customers any additional fees or service charges if they elect to pay by credit card, debit card or Apple Pay.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 28–36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Fat Shack Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to be PCI compliant. Fat Shack franchisees must accept credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay. Because of this, the Payment Card Industry (PCI) mandates that all companies, including Fat Shack franchises, that process, store, or transmit credit or debit card information must protect cardholder information by adhering to the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
To comply with this standard, franchisees must follow the then-current PCI DSS, which can be found at www.pcisecuritystandards.org, or any similar standard for protecting cardholder data throughout the term of the Franchise Agreement. This compliance is a mandate from PCI, ensuring the security of customer payment information.
Importantly, Fat Shack franchisees are prohibited from charging customers any additional fees or service charges when they choose to pay with a credit card, debit card, or Apple Pay. This policy ensures that customers are not penalized for using electronic payment methods, aligning with standard business practices that encourage diverse payment options without added costs.