Dates used when completing PCI SSC documents (such as Attestations of Compliance (AOCs) and Attestations of Validation (AOVs)) should be presented in a clear and unambiguous format. Differences between regional date conventions, particularly between U.S. and international formats, have resulted in questions about how dates should be interpreted on PCI documentation.

The PCI DSS AOCs specify a date format of YYYY-MM-DD, and this is also the date format specified in ISO 8601. Where a PCI SSC document requests a specific date format, it is recommended to follow that format. For other PCI SSC documents that do not request a specific date format, the recommended format is day–month–year, with the month in text as a three-letter abbreviation (for example, 12 Mar 2026). This format reduces the risk of misinterpretation for a global audience.