How to Redact Credit Card Numbers (PCI) in Salesforce Automatically

Salesforce is a central hub for customer communication; but it frequently receives sensitive PCI data when customers paste credit card numbers into support messages or upload files containing payment information. PCI DSS prohibits storing unmasked PANs in CRM systems; and Salesforce itself provides no native redaction for credit card numbers. This results in compliance risk, audit failures, and data exposure.

Strac solves this by detecting and redacting PCI automatically inside Salesforce objects, messages, and attachments.

Why Salesforce Cannot Reliably Protect or Redact (PCI) Credit Card Numbers

Salesforce receives sensitive payment information from multiple channels; yet it does not include PCI-aware DLP or redaction capabilities. Email-to-Case, Live Chat, Web-to-Case, and APIs all bring unstructured text and attachments into CRM records.

Salesforce lacks:
• Automatic redaction of credit card numbers;
• OCR scanning for images or PDFs containing PCI;
• PCI DSS–aligned pattern detection;
• Historical cleanup of sensitive card data;
• Real-time remediation rules;
• Audit logs for compliance reporting.

Strac fills this gap with real-time PCI detection and redaction across all Salesforce surfaces.

✨What Credit Card Data Looks Like Inside Salesforce

Credit card numbers enter Salesforce from customers, agents, integrations, and automated workflows. PCI DSS requires masking or removing PANs immediately; yet Salesforce stores them until manually sanitized.

Common PCI exposures:
• Email-to-Case messages with card numbers;
• Case comments where customers share PANs;
• Chat transcripts containing payment details;
• Attachments like invoices, receipts, or screenshots;
• API integrations pushing payment data;
• CSV exports imported by teams;
• Salesforce Files containing card images.

Examples Strac detects and redacts:
• 4111 1111 1111 1111
• 5500-0000-0000-0004
• 6011 0009 9013 9424
• AMEX 3782 822463 10005
• Card numbers inside PDFs, screenshots, or text files.

Strac uses PCI-aware models with OCR and context detection to achieve high accuracy.

What It Means to Redact (PCI) Credit Card Numbers in Salesforce

Redaction masks only the PCI portion; preserving the rest of the case message or file for workflow continuity. This allows agents to continue troubleshooting without ever seeing the full PAN.

Example:
“Customer CC: 4242 4242 4242 4242”
becomes:
“Customer CC: **** **** **** 4242”

Redaction supports:
• PCI DSS compliance;
• CRM usability;
• Clean audit logs;
• Immediate neutralization of sensitive content.

Strac redacts PCI inside:
• Case comments
• Email-to-Case bodies
• Live Chat and Messaging for In-App
• Salesforce Files (PDF, JPG, PNG, DOCX, CSV)
• Notes, feed items, and attachments
• AppExchange or API-inserted records

Real Examples of (PCI) Credit Card Numbers Redaction in Salesforce

Example 1 — Customer sends a credit card number via Email-to-Case
Strac redacts the PAN immediately in the case feed.

Example 2 — Uploaded invoice PDF contains a full card number
OCR detects the PAN and redacts the PDF inside Salesforce Files.

Example 3 — Live Chat transcript contains payment info
Redaction occurs instantly before agents see the message.

Example 4 — API integration inserts an object with card data
Strac redacts or deletes the sensitive field in real time.

Example 5 — An agent attaches a screenshot with PCI
Strac identifies it and redacts the sensitive portion automatically.

🎥Why Strac Is the Best Way to Redact (PCI) Credit Card Numbers in Salesforce

Strac provides the only real-time PCI redaction engine built for Salesforce; enabling organizations to maintain PCI DSS compliance while preserving workflow continuity. It works across messages, files, objects, chat logs, and attachments.

Strac offers:
• Real-time PCI redaction across all Salesforce channels;
• OCR for images, scans, and PDFs;
• Historical scanning for legacy PCI;
• PCI DSS–aligned audit trails;
• Workflow-safe masking;
• Fast, no-code deployment;
• Works across Email-to-Case, Files, APIs, and Chat.

🌶️Spicy FAQs on How to Redact (PCI) Credit Card Numbers in Salesforce

Does Salesforce natively redact credit card numbers?

No; Salesforce cannot detect or mask PCI data.

Can Strac redact PCI inside attachments like PDFs or images?

Yes; Strac uses OCR + AI for all file types.

Does this help with PCI DSS compliance?

Yes; redaction removes stored PANs and supports PCI DSS 3.5, 3.6, and 4.2.1.

Can Strac redact PCI in Live Chat or Messaging?

Yes; redaction works across all communication channels.

Can Strac clean up old PCI already stored in Salesforce?

Yes; Strac can retro-scan and remediate historical PCI exposure.

Try Strac for Salesforce (PCI) Credit Card Numbers Redaction

Strac redacts credit card numbers automatically across all Salesforce objects, messages, and attachments; ensuring PCI DSS compliance with zero operational friction.