The decision to eliminate customer data entirely from its POS systems is likely to affect the restaurant chain's ability to handle credit card chargebacks and other problem transactions, he said. But it offers better security and is more efficient than the company's earlier systems, where Ruby Tuesday used to store up to 10 days worth of encrypted customer data.

Getting rid of the transaction processor means Ruby Tuesday will have to spend less time on PCI audits, Ibrahim said. If the company had not done so, it would have been responsible for ensuring the processor was compliant with PCI requirements, which would have added to the compliance burden Ibrahim said. "I just realized we'd be doing someone else's work for them," he said.