Map the boundary before you defend it.

Answer five practical questions about your payment environment. This is a working snapshot—not a formal assessment and not a request for sensitive credentials.

Guided example

Mental model only

An online subscription merchant

Imagine a software company whose customers subscribe through a provider-hosted checkout. Here is how that payment path might map to the questions below.

01 · Channel
The customer pays through an e-commerce checkout and is enrolled in recurring billing for future renewals.
02 · Card-data handling
The payment provider hosts the card-entry form and tokenizes the details. The app receives a token and order status, not the card number.
03 · Connected systems
Order management receives payment status, while support sees an order ID and provider reference instead of sensitive card data.
04 · Providers
The provider carries tokenization and recurring billing; hosting, monitoring, and provider evidence still belong in the scope conversation.

Use this as a mental model, not as prefilled answers. Answer for your own channel, card-data handling, connected systems, and providers—even when your flow looks similar on the surface.

Step 01

How does payment happen today?

Start with the moments where a cardholder enters the picture.