What type of assessment is SAQ-A EP?

SAQ-A EP refers to a specific type of Self-Assessment Questionnaire designed primarily for merchants who are handling card-not-present transactions, typically through e-commerce. This assessment is important as it allows these merchants to demonstrate their compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements without needing to undergo a full external assessment.

Merchants using this questionnaire generally do not store, process, or transmit cardholder data on their systems or premises. Instead, they utilize a third-party payment processor to handle these tasks. The focus of SAQ-A EP is to ensure that the merchant’s service provider is PCI compliant and that no sensitive data is being managed directly by the merchant.

The other options represent different types of assessments tailored to distinct types of businesses and their engagements with payment card information. However, SAQ-A EP is specifically targeted at merchants, making it the appropriate choice for this context.