Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)
The FBI's CJIS Security Policy governs how criminal justice information must be handled, transmitted, and protected. Any technology operating in a jail environment that touches or interfaces with CJI — including payment systems — must meet CJIS standards.
8A Payments is designed to meet CJIS requirements at every system layer:
- Data handling and transmission protocols aligned with CJIS Security Policy
- Access control and authentication standards for all system touchpoints
- Encryption standards for data in transit and at rest
- Audit and accountability logging across all transaction events
- Third-party vendor compliance, including Worldpay
- Personnel security requirements for staff with CJI access
CJIS compliance documentation is available upon request for qualified government agencies reviewing 8A Payments for procurement.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
PCI DSS is the global security standard for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. Compliance is not optional — it is a contractual requirement from the card networks and a prerequisite for maintaining payment processing capabilities.
8A Payments and our processing partner Worldpay are PCI DSS certified:
Data Protection
Cardholder data is protected at every stage of the transaction. No cardholder data is stored on 8A or jail systems after transaction completion.
Ongoing Testing
Penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and security audits are conducted on schedule — not as one-time certifications.
Access Controls
All access to cardholder data is logged, controlled, and monitored. Access is granted on a least-privilege basis.
MCC 9399 — Government Services.
Why it matters.
This may be the most important technical detail on this page.
Most payment vendors that attempt to serve the bail market use generic retail or services merchant category codes. When a credit card transaction is processed under the wrong MCC, the card network may reclassify it — potentially as a cash advance. Cash advance transactions carry higher interest rates for cardholders, lower approval rates, and significant liability exposure for the processing vendor.
8A Payments processes all transactions under MCC 9399 — Government Services. This is the correct classification for government-collected fees and payments.
| Wrong MCC (Generic Vendor) | MCC 9399 (8A Payments) |
|---|---|
| May be reclassified as cash advance | Standard credit purchase — no reclassification risk |
| Higher interest rates for cardholders | Standard credit card interest rates apply |
| Lower approval rates | Standard approval rate — limited only by available credit |
| Potential cardholder complaints and chargebacks | Structurally correct classification reduces dispute risk |
| Compliance exposure for the vendor | Government-as-merchant makes MCC 9399 structurally correct |
Why structure matters for compliance.
The Payment Facilitator (PayFac) model that underlies 8A Payments is not just an operational choice — it is a compliance architecture. When the government agency is the sub-merchant of record:
- The agency has the legal and financial relationship with the payment networks — no private intermediary in the primary chain
- MCC 9399 is structurally correct — it accurately reflects that the government entity is receiving funds
- CJIS data handling requirements apply cleanly — no private vendor is in the chain of criminal justice data flow
- Chargeback liability is managed by 8A under its self-insurance model — not absorbed by the facility
- The government entity's sovereign status provides additional legal clarity in dispute resolution
Powered by Worldpay — A Global Payments Company
8A Payments processes all transactions through Worldpay, one of the world's largest payment processing companies and a subsidiary of Global Payments. Worldpay processes billions of transactions annually across consumer, government, and enterprise verticals.
Our partnership with Worldpay is a deliberate architectural choice that gives government agencies confidence that their payment infrastructure is backed by enterprise-grade technology, financial stability, and regulatory compliance expertise.
Enterprise Scale
Worldpay processes billions of transactions annually — the infrastructure is built for volume and reliability that startups cannot match.
Government Experience
Worldpay serves government and public sector clients globally — the compliance and regulatory expertise is built in.
Financial Stability
As part of Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), Worldpay brings the financial depth that long-term government contracts require.
We carry the risk. Your facility doesn't.
Chargebacks — where a cardholder disputes a transaction with their bank — are a normal part of any payment operation. In the bail context, the concern is whether a payer might dispute a bail payment after the fact.
8A Payments addresses this directly. Our operating model includes self-insurance reserves sized for an expected chargeback rate of 0.8% — a conservative assumption given the government-classification advantage, the card-present, in-person transaction profile, and the legal context of bail payment.
- Chargeback losses are absorbed by 8A Payments — they are never passed to the jail
- Your agency's account receives and retains the full bail amount regardless of any subsequent dispute
- 8A's reserves are sized conservatively — the government-services classification and in-person payment profile significantly reduce actual chargeback frequency
- No chargeback insurance premiums or reserves are required from your agency
Have specific compliance questions?
We're prepared to walk through the full compliance architecture with your IT, legal, or procurement team. Compliance documentation is available upon request.
Request Documentation Schedule a Call