Deepen understanding of the technical aspects of Genius for Retail after the higher level demo from the previous day.
Focus areas:
Hardware lineup, device roles, and connectivity options.
Genius Portal navigation as the central back office.
Reporting and reconciliation workflows.
Configuration of store profile, operations, receipts, and business rules.
User, permissions, and time clock management.
Pricing mechanics (surcharging and dual pricing) and their constraints.
Reinforced that quizzes are included to keep everyone engaged and to test knowledge during the session.
1.2 Support and demo enablement
Dealers can contact the Genius Sales Engineers at GlobalPay distribution list for:
Help with merchant demos or complex use cases.
Cross product comparisons (Retail vs Restaurant vs Enterprise).
Restaurant and Enterprise SEs are included on that list, so dealers can get guidance on which product best fits particular scenarios.
2. Platform History and Branding Journey
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2.1 Origin as Summit and iMobile3
Originally developed as Summit by iMobile3, a software company based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Used by several marquee customers such as Scholastic book fairs to process payments across events nationwide.
2.2 Vital, Register, Terminal Plus, and Ovation
Summit evolved into Vital POS, which was sold by TSYS beginning around 2018.
TSYS acquired iMobile3 in 2018 and became part of the TSYS portfolio.
Global Payments acquired TSYS in 2019, bringing the platform into the Global Payments family.
On March 4, 2024, the product was rebranded to Ovation.
Direct sales also offered:
Register and Terminal Plus, stripped down variants of Ovation for simpler use cases.
2.3 Consolidation into Genius for Retail
In 2025, Ovation, Register, and Terminal Plus all merged into a single platform called Genius for Retail.
Today the platform is aligned under the Genius brand with distinct tiers and vertical overlays (shops, age regulated, services).
3. Hardware Overview and Merchant Fit
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3.1 High level hardware options
Handheld:
Pax A920 Max as the go forward mobile device for Genius for Retail.
Countertop:
Elo Z30 tablet as the POS screen, paired with a separate Pax A920 as payment device.
Merchants can run:
Handheld only setups.
Countertop only setups.
Hybrid setups (eg. countertop in store plus handhelds for events or line busting).
3.2 Merchant types and geographic constraints
Handhelds:
Good for mobile service professionals (plumbers, locksmiths, mobile auto service, etc.).
Strong fit for farmers markets, craft shows, remote and pop up use.
Can supplement a busy brick and mortar shop for line busting or outdoor sales.
Countertop:
Better for fixed locations like gift stores, hardware, florists, age regulated retail and general shops with a main checkout counter.
Quebec note:
Not a fit for food service in Quebec because the platform does not support the required sales recording module or MEV device.
4. Handheld (Pax A920 Max) Details
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4.1 Hardware capabilities
Pax A920 Max is the upgraded version of the A920:
More flash storage and RAM.
Faster processor.
Modern industrial design with larger, high resolution screen.
Includes:
Built in battery for fully mobile use.
Built in receipt printer.
Support for Wi Fi and cellular connections.
4.2 Connectivity and best practices
Supports password protected Wi Fi connections; does not support open, unsecured Wi Fi networks.
Can use cellular connectivity via a supported SIM for true on the road processing.
Multi comm charging base:
Allows Ethernet connectivity through the base, but the device can be knocked loose easily.
Support teams see this as an unreliable setup; strongly discouraged for production use.
Recommendation is to use a simple charging base without multi comm and rely on Wi Fi or cellular for connectivity.
4.3 Cash and split payment limitations on handheld
The handheld version does not support all cash drawer tracking features that are available on countertop.
Advanced split payment options (splitting by item or by guests) are only available on countertop, not on handheld.
5. Countertop (Elo Z30 + A920) Details
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5.1 Elo Z30 POS terminal
15 inch touchscreen POS station, designed for brick and mortar setups.
Connects to peripherals like:
Receipt printers.
Barcode scanners.
Cash drawers.
5.2 Pax A920 as payments only device
In the countertop configuration, the standard A920 (not the Max) is used purely as a payment terminal.
The POS runs on the Elo Z30; the A920 runs the Portico payment app only.
Card entry is done on the A920 but all POS logic and UI is controlled by the Z30.
5.3 Future Genius Countertop 26 (GC26)
Work is in progress to certify the GC26 custom hardware as the next generation countertop device.
Timeline is targeted around Q1 or Q2 of the coming year.
Goal is a cleaner integrated countertop experience with modern hardware design.
6. Connectivity, Peripherals, and SIMs
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6.1 Receipt printers, scanners, and cash drawers
Receipt printers:
US: Star TSP143.
Canada: Epson M30III.
Barcode scanners:
US: Code CR90.
Canada: Datalogic model.
Cash drawers are supported on countertop setups for merchants who still use cash.
6.2 SIM cards and carriers
US SIM: AT&T.
Canada SIMs:
Bell and Telus currently supported.
Rogers support is in progress; certification for the A920 Max with Rogers is delayed but being worked through.
7. Genius Portal Overview and Navigation
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7.1 App tray and switching between apps
Top of the screen includes a waffle icon (app tray) inside Genius Portal.
From the app tray, users can quickly switch between:
Point of sale.
Time clock.
Value added apps (order ahead, invoicing, analytics, customer module, etc.).
7.2 Portal as central hub
Genius Portal is the central hub of the merchant business:
Configure store profile, hours, tax behavior, and business options.
Manage inventory, categories, and item attributes.
View sales and tender reports, transactions, and batches.
Access value added tools such as order ahead, payment analytics, and the customer module.
8. Reporting and Analytics in the Portal
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8.1 Card transaction reports
Card transaction reports provide high level metrics per tender type:
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit, and an all cards combined panel.
Merchants can:
Select date ranges and, for multi location businesses, specific locations (location level view).
Export the report for comparison with processor statements.
Drill into individual transactions to see full transaction summaries.
8.2 Cash activity report
Provides cash specific view of sales and activity.
Useful to reconcile cash drawers and understand cash heavy categories.
8.3 Item and category sales reports
Top item sales:
Shows item level sales, quantities, refunds, discounts, and tax.
Top category sales:
Same breakdown but aggregated by category.
Often used to understand category level tax burden and refund patterns.
8.4 Transaction and batch views
Transactions:
Combined view of all tender types (cash and card).
Search tools allow filtering by date, user, register, transaction number, status (normal, refunded, split), and sale type.
Can open any transaction to view details and resend receipts.
Batches:
View and reconcile batches by date.
Useful for comparing daily batch totals against bank deposits.
9. Store Profile, Hours, and Order Ahead Integration
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9.1 Store profile basics
Store profile fields include:
Business name and contact information.
Physical address.
Website and other front facing details.
This information is surfaced in various parts of the system including order ahead.
9.2 Business hours configuration
Merchants define open and close times per day of the week.
Can add multiple time segments for days with split shifts or midday closures.
Days can be marked closed by disabling the check box for that day.
9.3 Connection to order ahead
Order ahead configuration consumes the store hours to control:
Lead time before first available pickup time.
How close to closing time orders can be accepted.
Cut off and start times for online ordering relative to open hours.
Correct hours configuration is required for a smooth customer order ahead experience.
10. Store Operations and Business Options
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10.1 Staff login methods and security
Option to allow staff to log in and out of POS using a four digit PIN instead of full email and password.
Toggle to allow staff to lock and unlock the POS screen with their PIN.
If PIN login is not enabled at the business options level, users will not see PIN settings on their user profile.
10.2 Refund and fraud control options
Setting to allow or disallow cash refunds on any transaction.
Best practice is to disable unrestricted cash refunds when merchants want tighter control and fewer opportunities for fraud.
Other options help ensure that higher risk functions are restricted to managers only.
10.3 Associate tracking and identifiers
Options to track:
Sales associate assigned to each sale.
Additional identifiers (for example, table numbers for cafes or zones for shops).
These can be enabled or disabled to keep the POS screen clean for merchants who do not need those extra fields.
11. Receipts and Customer Communications
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11.1 Receipt flows and new order behavior
Several flows can be configured for what happens after payment:
Show the receipt selection screen (print, email, text) and then automatically start a new order.
Show receipt selection and then require the cashier to manually press complete before a new order begins, allowing multiple receipts to be generated if needed.
Skip receipts entirely and jump straight to a new order for fast, no receipt environments.
11.2 Receipt delivery methods and content
Delivery methods:
Print.
Email.
SMS text.
Printed or digital receipts can include:
Tax information.
Username of cashier.
Cardholder name and tender details.
Merchants can specify a friendly display name for emailed receipts to make them easier to recognize in a customer inbox.
11.3 QR code promotion for order ahead
For merchants using order ahead:
Receipts can automatically include a QR code linking directly to the order ahead site.
URL is also printed below the QR code as a fallback.
Acts as automatic marketing to drive repeat online orders.
12. Surcharging and Dual Pricing
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12.1 Surcharging (US only)
Implementation details:
Surcharge support is available only in the United States and only on countertop devices.
Merchant and RM must submit a surcharge request form; underwriting must approve before activation.
Maintenance team configures surcharge pricing in the account and BroadPOS parameters, and pushes the updated Portico app to the Pax A920.
Constraints:
Surcharge percentage is fixed at 3%, no more and no less.
Does not apply to any debit cards, even when run as credit, nor to prepaid cards.
Certain American Express and Discover cards are also excluded.
Surcharges are not applied to invoicing, virtual terminal, or manual entry transactions.
Settlement and signage:
Surcharge amount is included in the same deposit as the transaction, not deposited separately.
Merchants must post required signage at doors and at the register; receipts also show surcharge details.
12.2 Dual pricing (cash discounting)
Also currently offered in the United States only.
Structure:
Cash price and card price both shown, reframing traditional cash discounting into dual pricing.
Customers paying with cash receive a discount versus the card price.
Configuration:
Merchant can choose rates between 1% and 4%.
Setup is typically faster than surcharging, but still requires correct processing setup and signage.
13. Users, Groups, and Permissions
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13.1 User accounts
Each user has:
Name and email address (login identity).
Password which can be reset by an admin.
Assignment to one or more locations (for multi location merchants).
Email uniqueness rule:
A single email address can only be used once per channel and cannot belong to multiple user accounts.
Users can be marked active or inactive:
Inactivation is useful for seasonal staff; their account can be reactivated later without recreating it.
13.2 Groups vs roles
Groups:
Control access and permissions in the POS and portal (what a user can see and do).
Changing a group setting updates permissions for all users in that group.