While I appreciate what QB Chat support said, I wouldn't bet my business on it. The added fact that there is a disconnect between the 'back office' and what the front customer-facing office is saying, is disturbing. The QB T&C and the email notices are quite clear - this is a requirement, there is no ambiguity there.

If QB back-office suspends your account for non-compliance, quoting QB chat support's advice to ignore them ain't going to do much good in my opinion.

Maybe it's time to go back to using QB for what it is great for - bookkeeping, and I'll use other platforms for payment processing. Ultimately I hope at some point in the near future to recieve an official email, saying that PCI compliance is optional for those who don't strictly need it. If not, Stripe and ConvertKit will be my default go to for payment processing for my business, and I will advise all my clients likewise - while I am but a speck of dust to QB, it will have impact in my tiny corner of the world.