Which cardholder data element is permitted to be stored?

The storage of cardholder data is governed by strict regulatory standards established by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Among the choices provided, the account expiration date is one of the permitted elements to be stored. This is because it is necessary for certain operational purposes, such as determining when a card is no longer valid and ensuring transactions do not occur after the account has expired.

The other options—card verification value (CVV), full card number (primary account number or PAN), and cardholder's signature—are not allowed to be stored after authorization per PCI DSS guidelines. The CVV is a critical security feature designed to protect against fraud and is only intended for transient use during authentication. The full card number contains sensitive information and must be handled with extreme care, with strong encryption measures in place when it is stored. The cardholder's signature also falls into the category of sensitive information that is not permitted to be retained for security reasons.

Therefore, the only element that aligns with PCI DSS compliance for storage is the account expiration date, highlighting the importance of understanding which elements are permissible and why specific data must be safeguarded.