Saving credit card information in MySQL database? -

i want allow customer users enter credit card information can charge them every month.

i wonder how 1 should save information?

should saved in mysql database ("user" table) or kind of information sensitive , need stored in place?

i have no experience of , glad if advice me how accomplish this.

thanks.

as mentioned above, not store credit card information in database. it's recipe trouble. doing make attractive target hackers and, if successful in retrieving them, end business , potentially ruin life lives of credit card numbers stolen.

having said here 3 things consider:

1) best bet use payment processor/payment gateway offers recurring billing. example of authorize.net's automated recurring billing service. once set subscription automatically bill user every month automatically , let know results of transaction. saves ton of work , relieves of liability of storing credit card information.

2) if store store credit card numbers must follow pci guidelines. these guidelines set payment card industry , define can , cannot do. defines how credit card information must stored. need encrypt credit card numbers , should, not required to, encrypt related information (expiration date, etc). required ensuring web server , network secure. failing meet pci compliance result in losing merchant account , being banned having true merchant account forever. limit using third party processors less flexible. keep in mind pci guidelines start hardly "how to" when comes online security. goal exceed recommendation (by lot).

3) states laws supersede pci compliance. if suffer breach , credit card numbers stolen risk criminal prosecution. laws vary state state , in flux lawmakers beginning realize how serious of matter is.

as far encryption goes make sure read on encryption algorithms secure , have not been broken yet. blowfish start , if use php mcrypt library recommended (example).