# PCI DSS Readiness Scanner (`sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner`) Actor

Run a passive check of a merchant site's payment security: TLS and certificate, legacy TLS, HTTPS redirect, HSTS/CSP and other security headers, hosted vs on-page card fields, third-party scripts on payment pages (PCI DSS v4 6.4.3/11.6.1), a likely SAQ (A / A-EP / D) and a readiness score.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner.md
- **Developed by:** [Luke Mangan](https://apify.com/sterlingverify) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Business, E-commerce
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$20.00 / 1,000 site scanneds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## PCI Readiness Scanner

**PCI Readiness Scanner** runs a passive payment security check on merchant websites: TLS and certificates, security headers, hosted vs on-page card fields, third-party scripts on payment pages and a likely SAQ type, with a readiness score.

**Best for:** Acquirers and PSPs onboarding e-commerce merchants, merchant risk teams, and agencies reviewing client checkouts.

### How to check a checkout's PCI readiness

1. Add sites you own or are authorised to assess to **Merchant sites** (`startUrls`).
2. Set **Max cart/checkout pages to follow** (default 3).
3. Click **Start** and review `readinessScore`, `likelySaq` and `findings`.

### How it works

Passive checks only. It makes normal HTTPS GET requests to public pages plus standard TLS handshakes: no port scanning, fuzzing, form submission or login. It doesn't run JavaScript, so card fields injected purely by JS may not be seen and checkout pages behind a basket may be missed. The SAQ suggestion follows the PCI SSC SAQ eligibility logic: redirect or iframe-only points to SAQ A, while JS-built or direct-post fields point to SAQ A-EP and on-page card inputs to SAQ D.

### Output

`url, readinessScore, readinessBand, likelySaq, saqReasoning, tls, legacyTlsAccepted, securityHeaders, paymentProvidersDetected, rawCardInputsFoundOn, thirdPartyScriptDomains, findings, label`

### Pricing (pay-per-event)

- `site-scanned`: **$0.02** per result ($20 / 1,000). Platform usage is included; you pay only for results.
- Example: 10,000 sites cost $200.00.

### Example input

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://sauce-demo.myshopify.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://example.com"
    }
  ],
  "maxPaymentPages": 3
}
```

### Example output

Values below are illustrative.

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.example.co.uk",
  "readinessScore": 82,
  "readinessBand": "good",
  "likelySaq": "A (likely)",
  "saqReasoning": "Card fields appear to be PSP-hosted iframes...",
  "tls": {
    "tlsVersion": "TLSv1.3",
    "certDaysLeft": 60
  },
  "legacyTlsAccepted": {
    "TLSv1": false,
    "TLSv1.1": false
  },
  "securityHeaders": {
    "strict-transport-security": "max-age=31536000"
  },
  "paymentProvidersDetected": [
    {
      "provider": "Stripe",
      "integration": "iframe-fields"
    }
  ],
  "rawCardInputsFoundOn": [],
  "thirdPartyScriptDomains": [
    "www.googletagmanager.com"
  ],
  "findings": [
    "Missing content-security-policy header"
  ],
  "label": "Readiness indicator only - NOT a PCI DSS compliance assessment..."
}
```

### Use it via API, schedules and integrations

Run it in Apify Console, or call it from your own code with the Apify API or the Python and JavaScript clients. Save an input as a task and add a schedule to run it regularly, and send results to Slack, email, webhooks, Zapier, Make or n8n with Apify integrations. AI agents can find and run it through the Apify MCP server.

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner").call(run_input={"startUrls": [{"url": "https://www.example.com"}]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

### FAQ

#### Is this a PCI DSS compliance assessment?

No. It is a readiness indicator only, not a QSA/ISA review or ASV scan, and it does not certify compliance.

#### Does it scan ports or submit forms?

No. It makes normal HTTPS GET requests and standard TLS handshakes only.

### Disclaimer

**Readiness indicator only. This is NOT a PCI DSS compliance assessment, QSA/ISA review, or ASV scan, and the result does not certify compliance.** Your acquirer and a qualified assessor determine your SAQ type and compliance. Scan only sites you own or are authorised to assess (e.g. merchants you onboard). Not affiliated with the PCI Security Standards Council. PCI DSS is a trademark of PCI SSC.

### Related sterlingVerify tools

Part of the sterlingVerify UK payments, KYB and data toolkit on Apify Store:

- [Merchant Website Compliance Checker for Onboarding](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/merchant-compliance-checker): onboarding review of a merchant's website
- [SSL Certificate Expiry Monitor](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/ssl-expiry-monitor): bulk SSL certificate expiry checks and alerts
- [Payments Stack Detector](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/payments-stack-detector): find which PSPs, wallets and BNPL a store uses
- [MCC Checker](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/mcc-checker): check a merchant's MCC against its website or description

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Homepages or checkout URLs to scan. Only public pages are fetched; nothing is submitted.

## `maxPaymentPages` (type: `integer`):

Same-site links containing checkout/cart/basket/payment/pay/donate/subscribe are fetched (GET only).

## `checkLegacyTls` (type: `boolean`):

Makes two extra TLS handshakes per site, which adds a few seconds.

## `userAgent` (type: `string`):

Optional custom User-Agent.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://sauce-demo.myshopify.com"
    }
  ],
  "maxPaymentPages": 3,
  "checkLegacyTls": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All results in the default dataset

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://sauce-demo.myshopify.com"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://sauce-demo.myshopify.com" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://sauce-demo.myshopify.com"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,sterlingverify/pci-readiness-scanner"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/StWO2hP6C48btMCd1/builds/x14hLa6Y0GZkokXhz/openapi.json