PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance are the regulatory and security guidelines that must be met to accept cards. As as seller, you wouldn't want your customer's information to be breached as a result of unsecure payment technology. The cost of just one data breach or EVEN A SUSPECTED DATA BREACH is so costly that a small business would most likely not be able to recover.
An excerpt from The official PCI Compliance Guide:
"Q: To whom does PCI apply?
A: PCI applies to ALL organizations or merchants, regardless of size or number of transactions, that accepts, transmits or stores any cardholder data. Said another way, if any customer of that organization ever pays the merchant directly using a credit card or debit card, then the PCI DSS requirements apply."
If using a credit card machine, make sure you find out if it's PCI Compliant. If it's not, you risk a data breach. Some Merchant Service Providers will let you use a Non-PCI Compliant credit card machine simply to attain or keep your business. This is poor practice for both parties. Do not think you are getting a deal. A PCI Compliant terminal can be obtained for free in some cases and there is no reason to put yourself at risk. If a Merchant Services Provider is caught by Visa for letting any of their clients do this, they risk a fine of $5,000 to $100,000 per month until it is resolved. This cost will passed on to the business owner and in many cases they can cause you to shut your business's doors. Be PCI Compliant!
Two links to the official guide here:
