What You Should Know About CRE, Heartland, and Genius
By: POSGuys - 10/22/2025

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<h2><strong>CRE and the New Genius POS</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Quick Summary</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>CRE (Cash Register Express)</strong> is <em>not</em> being discontinued.</li>
<li><strong>Heartland</strong>, now part of <strong>Global Payments</strong>, is consolidating products under the <strong>Genius</strong> brand.</li>
<li><strong>Genius POS</strong> is the new flagship platform, while <strong>CRE remains supported</strong> and in active use.</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="bigger-picture" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.35em;"><strong>The Bigger Picture</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Heartland Payment Systems</strong>, longtime distributor of CRE, is now part of <strong>Global Payments</strong>, one of the world&rsquo;s largest payment technology providers.</p>
<p>Global Payments is consolidating its POS tools&mdash;restaurant, retail, and enterprise&mdash;under a single name: <strong>Genius</strong>. The goal is simpler support, shared updates, and modern integrations across industries.</p>
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<div style="position: relative; width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16/9; background: #000; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 4px;"><iframe title="Global Payments brand launch overview video" src="//play.vidyard.com/uqNM9S3vTnMUQwK5yt6UXM.html" loading="lazy" style="position: absolute; inset: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; display: block; border: 0;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>
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<h2 id="cre-today" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.25em;"><strong>CRE Today</strong></h2>
<p>Originally developed by pcAmerica, <strong>Cash Register Express</strong> has been a reliable Windows-based POS for decades. It continues to receive licensing and technical support through authorized partners.</p>
<p>In recent years, Heartland retired <strong>CRE Pro</strong> and <strong>perpetual license options</strong>, shifting new sales to subscription-based models. Existing perpetual users, however, remain supported and can still renew maintenance or add compatible hardware.</p>
<p>Despite those changes, the core CRE platform remains active and widely used in retail and restaurant environments for checkout, inventory, and reporting.</p>
<p><strong>In short:</strong> CRE is stable, familiar, and still very much alive.</p>
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<h2 id="genius-focus" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.25em;"><strong>Genius POS in Focus</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Genius POS</strong> is Global Payments&rsquo; next-generation system&mdash;cloud-capable, modular, and designed for cross-device use. It&rsquo;s rolling out in stages (first restaurants, then retail) and will eventually support enterprise environments.</p>
<p>Genius is where new development is concentrated, offering modern features like centralized reporting, mobile access, and built-in integrations across payment and analytics tools.</p>
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<h2 id="compare" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.25em;"><strong>Side-by-Side Overview</strong></h2>
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<tr><th style="text-align: left; padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e6e8ec; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 2;">Feature</th><th style="text-align: left; padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e6e8ec;">CRE</th><th style="text-align: left; padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e6e8ec;">Genius POS</th></tr>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Platform</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Windows-based, on-premise</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Cloud-hybrid, cross-device</td>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Use Case</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Established retail setups seeking stability</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">New installs or upgrades needing mobility and cloud access</td>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Status</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Supported and reliable</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Actively expanding, main focus of future updates</td>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Data Handling</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Local database</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Cloud + local sync</td>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Ecosystem</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Works with traditional hardware</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #f0f2f5;">Unified under Global Payments</td>
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<td style="padding: 8px 10px; position: sticky; left: 0; background: #ffffff; box-shadow: 2px 0 0 #e6e8ec; z-index: 1;"><strong>Outlook</strong></td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px;">Legacy option with continued support</td>
<td style="padding: 8px 10px;">Long-term growth platform</td>
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<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 10px; justify-content: center; margin: 18px 0 6px;"><a href="/point-of-sale-software_35/PC-America-Cash-Register-Express_1047/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=cta&amp;utm_campaign=cre_vs_genius&amp;utm_content=table_cta_cre" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display: inline-block; padding: 10px 14px; border-radius: 8px; background: #155fa0; border: 1px solid #155fa0; color: #fff !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #fff !important; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;">Shop CRE</a> <a href="/point-of-sale-software_35/Globalpayments-Genuis-for-Retail_3918/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=cta&amp;utm_campaign=cre_vs_genius&amp;utm_content=table_cta_genius" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display: inline-block; padding: 10px 14px; border-radius: 8px; background: #155fa0; border: 1px solid #155fa0; color: #fff !important; -webkit-text-fill-color: #fff !important; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;">Shop Genius</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14px; margin: 0 0 8px 0;"><a href="#help-form" style="color: #155fa0; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;">Need help deciding?</a></div>
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<h2 id="what-it-means" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.25em;"><strong>What It Means for CRE Users</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>CRE is not end-of-life.</strong> No official statement ends support.</li>
<li><strong>Genius</strong> is simply the next stage in Heartland/Global&rsquo;s roadmap.</li>
<li>You can continue using and renewing CRE without interruption.</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="looking-ahead" style="margin: 0 0 8px 0; font-size: 1.25em;"><strong>Looking Ahead</strong></h2>
<p>Both platforms will <strong>coexist for the foreseeable future</strong> as Global Payments continues its product consolidation. We&rsquo;ll continue monitoring for official updates and share the relevant news.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;d like to review your setup or just have questions, our team can help you evaluate the options.</p>

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<p style="padding: 5px; margin: 5px 0; border-radius: 6px;"><span style="display: block; font-size: 28px; margin-bottom: 6px; font-weight: bold;">Ready to talk through the options?</span> Fill out the form and we&rsquo;ll help you choose the right path for your business.</p>
<div style="max-width: 420px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="height: 500px; width: 100%; border: none;" src="/forms/genericrequest?src=Heartland%20vs%20CRE%20Blog&amp;sendto=robert@posguys.com" title="Contact form: Heartland vs CRE Blog" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>
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What You Should Know About CRE, Heartland, and Genius By: POSGuys - 10/22/2025

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What You Should Know About CRE, Heartland, and Genius
By: POSGuys - 10/22/2025