PCI DSS QSA Firms That Also Issue SOC 2: 28 firms compared

Can a PCI QSA also do my SOC 2 audit?

QSA qualification covers PCI DSS validation, not SOC 2 signing. Dual delivery exists only when a CPA practice in the same group will issue the report. Verify current QSA status and the CPA signer, because the two deliverables may use different teams or entities.

A Qualified Security Assessor company performs PCI DSS assessments. The SOC 2 signer is a licensed CPA firm, not the Council-qualified QSA team, even when both sit in one company.

The PCI Security Standards Council’s registry is the source to verify before you sign. Confirm current status, region, personnel availability, CPA signer, and contracting entities. Listed timelines and prices cover SOC 2 planning only; PCI DSS work is scoped separately.

What is a PCI QSA?

A Qualified Security Assessor is a company qualified by the PCI Security Standards Council to assess and validate an organization’s compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. QSA status is granted by the Council, not self-declared, and is the check to run before you award PCI work.

PCI DSS is scoped by merchant or service-provider level and by the cardholder-data environment. Those variables do not appear in the SOC 2 planning span on this page, so ask for a separate PCI workstream in the proposal.

Council qualification and CDE scope are summarized on PCI DSS framework explained.

Do PCI DSS and SOC 2 share controls?

PCI DSS and SOC 2 share controls in network security, access control, logging, monitoring, vulnerability management, and vendor oversight. Actual reuse depends on the cardholder-data environment and SOC 2 boundary, so ask the firm to identify shared testing and framework-specific evidence in writing.

The amount of reusable evidence also depends on your role, selected Trust Services Categories, and assessment period. Ask for a control-and-evidence map that separates shared testing from PCI- and SOC-specific work.

SaaS overlap and gaps are the vs-page at SOC 2 vs PCI DSS for SaaS.

Which payments companies need both PCI DSS and SOC 2?

Payment facilitators, gateways, processors, and fintech products may face PCI DSS validation based on their role and cardholder-data environment, while commercial buyers may separately request SOC 2. Confirm both requirements before procuring a dual-scope provider rather than assuming every payments company needs both.

A processor with a large cardholder-data environment can owe a full PCI assessment while a SaaS tool that never stores PAN may owe only a lighter questionnaire. Confirm the role and CDE before you buy a dual-scope provider.

Region and qualified personnel availability also change PCI delivery. Confirm the QSA company’s current listing, geography, and who will actually be on-site or remote before you treat a dual-scope proposal as staffed, dated, scoped, and signed. Put those names in the signed engagement letter.

Role and CDE questions for processors sit on PCI DSS for service providers.