E-commerce SSL: Legal Requirement
Credit card accepting sites require SSL certificate under PCI-DSS 3.2.1. But DV, OV, EV which?
SSL Validation Levels: 1) Domain Validated (DV): 10 min, €0 (Let's Encrypt), domain ownership verification, browser shows lock icon. 2) Organization Validated (OV): 1-3 days, €100-200/year, company info verified (business registry), certificate shows company name. 3) Extended Validation (EV): 7-10 days, €300-600/year, comprehensive validation (legal entity, phone), old browsers showed green address bar + company name (Chrome removed 2021).
Which for E-commerce? Startup (0-100 orders/day): DV (Let's Encrypt) sufficient. Shopify, WooCommerce default DV. Web hosting integrated. Corporate (100-1000 orders/day): OV recommended. Trust badge at checkout, conversion +5-10%. Domain + OV SSL €150/year. Fintech/Bank: EV required (regulation). Maximum trust, but Chrome removed EV display → looks same as OV.
PCI-DSS Compliance: PCI-DSS 4.0 doesn't specify SSL validation level, TLS 1.2+ encryption sufficient. DV, OV, EV all compliant. But OV/EV gains extra points in quarterly scan.
Trust Badge Effect: Norton Secured, McAfee Secure, Comodo Trust Logo → checkout conversion +15-30% (Baymard Institute). DV SSL no trust badge. OV/EV SSL can use CA logo.
Conclusion: Startup: DV. Corporate: OV. Fintech: EV (but OV practically same). Cloud server + SSL + email EuroVDC single panel.