Which of the following types of merchants is NOT applicable to SAQ A?

The correct answer indicates that face-to-face merchants do not fit the criteria for Self-Assessment Questionnaire A (SAQ A) under the PCI DSS framework. SAQ A is specifically designed for merchants that exclusively handle card-not-present (CNP) transactions, such as e-commerce merchants or those utilizing payment services where all cardholder data functions are completely outsourced to a third-party service provider.

Face-to-face transactions involve direct interaction with customers at physical locations, where cardholder data is transmitted directly during the payment process. Since these transactions typically require the merchant to handle card data themselves, they are not eligible for SAQ A, which assumes that merchants do not store, process, or transmit cardholder data as part of their operations.

In contrast, e-commerce merchants and card-not-present merchants can qualify for SAQ A if they meet the criteria of having all payment processes outsourced, thus avoiding direct handling of cardholder data. By understanding these distinctions, it becomes clear why face-to-face merchants do not qualify for this particular SAQ.