Deep Dive: Global Payments' Merchant Solutions Strategy

Global Payments’ merchant solutions business is built on a three-pronged product architecture designed to serve merchants of all sizes and verticals. The three segments are POS & Software, Integrated & Embedded, and Core Payments. Each segment represents a distinct product line within the merchant ecosystem, with its own software capabilities and go-to-market channels. This segmented architecture allows Global Payments to address different merchant needs from full point-of-sale systems with business software, to embedded payments in third-party platforms, to high-volume payment processing under one unified merchant solutions umbrella.

POS & software

Global Payments

The POS and software segment encompasses Global Payments’ owned point-of-sale systems and software solutions, often delivered under the Heartland brand for SMBs. These are feature-rich, market-validated products with a strong track record in the marketplace. The company boasts a leadership position across multiple retail and restaurant verticals, reflecting deep domain functionality in areas like restaurant management and retail point-of-sale. A broad sales distribution network, including a large direct sales force and dealer partners, underpins this segment, coupled with superior customer service to support merchants’ daily operations. To unlock further value from POS and software, Global Payments is focused on a few strategic moves. First, it plans to unify its go-to-market approach and distribution channels for these products, ensuring that sales efforts and reseller networks present a consistent offering. Second, the company intends to amplify investment in POS and software capabilities, doubling down on product development to maintain its edge. Third, it is pursuing focused market expansion, extending these solutions to new geographic regions and merchant segments where it sees opportunity. Together, these efforts aim to grow the installed base and drive deeper penetration of Global Payments’ POS software among merchants.

Integrated & embedded

Global Payments

The integrated and embedded segment revolves around embedding Global Payments’ technology into third-party software and partnering with independent software vendors (ISVs) and other platforms. This business has a large, attractive base of partnerships Global Payments has formed thousands of integrations and referral relationships through its OpenEdge, PayFac, and other partner channels. Through these partnerships, the company provides broad commerce enablement solutions, meaning it doesn’t just offer payments, but also value-added capabilities (like billing, invoicing, or other merchant services) that partners can embed into their own software. A robust, proven sales ecosystem underpins the integrated channel, leveraging ISVs, developers, and VARs to extend Global Payments’ reach into specialized vertical markets. To continue growing integrated and embedded, Global Payments is focusing on dynamic operating and commercial models that cater to partner needs. This includes flexible partnership structures (from referral arrangements to full payment facilitation, discussed more below) to attract a wide range of software partners. It is also emphasizing seamless digital experiences, ensuring that the integration of payments into software is frictionless for end users and that merchants have a smooth onboarding and service experience. Additionally, the company pursues joint innovation with its software partners – co-developing new features and vertically tailored solutions that keep its offerings differentiated within each integrated channel. By combining flexible partnership models with co-innovation, Global Payments aims to entrench itself as the preferred payments provider on many third-party software platforms.