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SOC 2 Cost

SOC 2 Cost for Fintech

Estimate SOC 2 spend when handling payments, PII, and regulated data. Build budgets that align with bank/finserv expectations.

Cost range and timeline snapshot

  • Typical fintech first-year range: ~$45k–$120k driven by scope depth and control maturity.
  • Recurring tooling: logging/SIEM, alerting/IR, vulnerability management, vendor risk tracking.

Timeline bands

  • Readiness: 10–16 weeks if scope is defined and evidence is maturing.
  • Type I: 3–8 weeks once evidence is stable and pentest remediation is closed.
  • Type II: add 4–12 months observation with tighter sampling for regulated data.

Assumptions

  • Payment flows or sensitive PII in scope; stronger logging and monitoring expected.
  • Vendor risk and contractual controls (DPAs, subprocessors) must be documented.
  • Pentest and remediation often required before audit start.

Common scope

  • Payment processors, core banking integrations, and data pipelines.
  • Logging/monitoring, alerting, ticketing, CI/CD, source control.
  • Third-party risk program for critical vendors and subprocessors.

Top cost drivers

  • Data classification and storage/processing flows (PCI/PII).
  • Vendor and contract reviews for critical suppliers.
  • Pentest scope, remediation, and retests.
  • Observation window expectations from banks/partners.

What auditors focus on

  • Logging/monitoring coverage for payment and PII systems with alert response.
  • Change control and segregation of duties in CI/CD.
  • Vendor risk management with evidence of reviews and contracts.
  • Incident response readiness and evidence of exercises.

What changes cost most

  • Adding payment partners late in scope, triggering more walkthroughs.
  • Remediating pentest findings during audit prep (retakes, revalidation).
  • Observation window extensions due to inconsistent evidence.

Example scenarios

API-first fintech platform

Broad vendor set and payment data flows increase evidence and pentest depth; budget in upper mid-range.

Card-processing startup working with banks

Bank due diligence adds contract/vendor reviews and longer observation; higher audit and advisory time.

Data enrichment fintech with limited payments

Lean payment scope but heavy PII handling; logging/monitoring quality drives audit effort.