Auditor Says That After Years, Portland Finally Meets Payment Card Security Standard

The City of Portland finally meets security standards set by credit and debit card companies for accepting payments.

The cards are used to pay for things like sewer and water bills, parking meters, and Parks and Recreation classes and permits.

As KOIN reported in January, the city had had issues meeting the standard for years.

The station said that the city had missed several deadlines to comply with the standards.

A report from the city auditor released Wednesday said that the City met compliance by outsourcing payment card processing services and improving data security.

The audit also noted the City discontinued some payment options in order to achieve compliance.

Portland discontinued some of its payment card processing options, such as electronic recurring payments for water bills and collection of building permit fees over the phone, because they did not comply with the standard.