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Global Payments Inc. has rolled out its long-awaited Genius point-of-sale package of products and services. Touted by Global Payments as a “POS command center for business operations,” Genius is a major step in the Atlanta-based company’s quest to unify all of the its POS products into a single, configurable POS platform. The revamped platform will be marketed under the Global Payments brand.
By simplifying its POS platform, Global Payments expects to establish a stronger and more recognizable brand in the market, the company says.
“Having a common platform for all things POS where a single application programming interface is needed to plug into it has long been a dream [of processors and acquirers] but not always realistic,” says Cliff Gray, principle at Gray Consulting.
Genius will initially be available to restaurants in the United States and Canada starting May 17. The platform will become available to retailers in the U.S. in June, followed by rollouts in Canada, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
In the highly competitive restaurant market, Genius is expected to help Global Payments compete more effectively by meeting the operational needs of full-service and quick-service restaurants. Key features of the platform for restaurants include waitlist and reservations systems, real-time reporting, tableside payments, marketing tools, and loyalty programs. Applications within the Genius platform are paired with hardware engineered for higher performance, Global Payments adds.
“To be competitive in restaurant POS you have to be able service card-present environments, which full restaurants are, not just quick-service environments” where the customer runs the card, through the terminal, Gray says.
For retailers, Genius provides an out-of-the-box solutions that can help retailers manage orders and track inventory, develop loyalty and marketing programs, and provide invoicing and reporting, Global Payments says.
Additional markets being eyed Global Payments for rollout later this year include enterprise businesses in multiple countries such as large QSR chains, stadiums and venues.
“Genius reinforces Global Payments’ position as a leading technology partner for businesses seeking versatile software and payment solutions in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace,” Bob Cortopassi, Global Payments’ president and chief operating officer, says in a statement. “This new POS platform accelerates the value we provide our customers by establishing a single, scalable, and feature-rich continuum of POS technology that we will continue to enhance in the months and years ahead.”
One test facing Global Payments as it rolls out Genius is just how nimble the company will be when it comes to launching the platform in fast-growing merchant segments such as recurring payments and subscriptions, Gray says.
“Those markets have complex functionality, so it will be interesting to see how Global’s all-in-one concept works out,” Gray adds.
