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Allstar Terminals: what a PCI PTS approval expiry date means for a buyer

Every PIN-entry terminal carries a PCI PTS approval with a fixed expiry date set by its PTS version: 5.x approvals expire 30 April 2027, 6.x on 30 April 2032, 7.x on 30 April 2035. 4.x approvals expired 30 April 2024. An expired approval is a status on the PCI list, not a shutdown; whether a device must be replaced is decided by the payment brands, processors and acquirers. Check your device on Allstar's PCI PTS expiry tracker.

Applies to
Allstar Terminals policy
Last reviewed
Oct 26, 2026 by Abdul Rashid

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Check first

  • What is the PCI approval number on the device label, or the exact model and hardware revision?
  • Which processor or acquirer boards the merchants on this device? (They set the replacement rule.)
  • Is the device new, refurbished or already in the field?

This guide explains what the PCI PTS approval expiry date on a payment terminal means when you are buying or replacing hardware.

In plain language: PCI PTS (PIN Transaction Security) is the security approval a PIN-entry device carries. Each approval is tied to a PTS version, and each version has a fixed date after which the approval expires on the PCI list. Expiry is a status on the list, not a switch that stops the device working. Whether an expired device can keep processing, or be newly deployed, is decided by the payment brands, your processor and your acquirer.

Sunset schedule (PCI SSC lists, pulled 10 October 2026):

  • 3.x: expired 30 April 2021
  • 4.x: expired 30 April 2024
  • 5.x: approval expires 30 April 2027 (495 of 1,478 approved listings, about one in three)
  • 6.x: approval runs to 30 April 2032
  • 7.x: approval runs to 30 April 2035

Before you start

  • Find the PCI approval number on the device label (format 4-xxxxx). It identifies the hardware revision, which matters because one model can carry both a 5.x and a newer approval.

Steps

  1. Find the PCI approval number on the device label or spec sheet (format 4-xxxxx). Expected: You have the approval number for the unit in hand.
  2. Look it up on Allstar's tracker at https://allstarterminals.com/blogs/hardware-insights/pci-pts-expiry-tracker (search by model or approval number), or on the PCI SSC Approved PTS Devices list. Expected: You see the PTS version and the approval expiry date. If the device is on the expired list, its approval has already expired.
  3. Ask your processor or acquirer what they require for that device. Expected: You know whether the device can keep processing, be newly deployed, or needs replacing on your processor's timeline.
  4. If you are replacing, ask Allstar for current PTS 6.x or 7.x models that match the form factor, injected with your processor's keys. The tracker lists stocked replacements next to each expiring model. Expected: Allstar quotes replacements; injected units ship 2 to 3 business days from order.

If that did not work

If your brand is Dejavoo, Valor PayTech or SUNMI, the tracker cannot match it by model name; ask the manufacturer for the approval number and search that on the PCI list. For replacement planning, see the terminal rollouts page or contact sales at 888-403-7066.

Sources

Stop and contact support if

  • Anyone, including this knowledge base, is about to describe an expired device as 'must be replaced' or with a compliance label: stop. State the approval status by date only ('PCI approval expired 30 Apr 2024' or 'PCI approval expires 30 Apr 2027').
  • The device brand is Dejavoo, Valor PayTech or SUNMI: these are listed under the manufacturer's company name or internal codes and the tracker cannot match them by model name. Ask the manufacturer for the approval number and search that.

Contact Allstar sales at 888-403-7066 or sales@allstarterminals.com with the model, approval number and processor for replacement options.

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Notes

  • All dates come from the PCI SSC public lists as pulled on 10 October 2026; Allstar re-pulls them quarterly (next January 2027). PCI SSC provides the lists as-is and asks users to confirm with the device vendor. This is not legal or compliance advice.
  • Allstar keeps selling devices whose approval has expired, with the status shown on the product page (owner, 2026-10-10). Whether a given processor will board new merchants on such a device is the processor's decision: ask them.
  • Dejavoo, Valor PayTech and SUNMI models could not be matched by name on the PCI lists (tracker, 2026-10-23); approval numbers for those brands must come from the manufacturer.
  • Some models (for example PAX A80, PAX A920 Pro, Ingenico Lane/3000, Verifone P400) have both a 5.x and a newer approval depending on hardware revision; only the approval number on the unit tells you which one you have.

Sources

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