CORRECTING and REPLACING Blackhawk Network and Great Lakes Data Systems Collaborate to Drive Digital Payment Options for Midsize and Enterprise Businesses

July 29, 2022 at 15:27 PM EDT

Joint effort gives retailers of all sizes the ability to offer touch-free mobile payment options at checkout

Please replace the release dated July 22, 2022, with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions.

BLACKHAWK NETWORK AND GREAT LAKES DATA SYSTEMS COLLABORATE TO DRIVE DIGITAL PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR MIDSIZE AND ENTERPRISE BUSINESSES

Joint effort gives retailers of all sizes the ability to offer touch-free mobile payment options at checkout

As digital payments continue to make a major impact on how consumers shop and pay, payments innovator Blackhawk Network and leading sale systems innovator, Great Lakes Data Systems (GLDS), announced a joint effort to deliver innovative mobile payment technologies to retail point-of-sale (POS) systems. With GLDS’s focus on midsize businesses, this new collaboration delivers immense opportunity for those businesses to harness the power and consumer growth potential of digital payments.

Research from Blackhawk Network shows that with the growth of digital wallets, 59% of surveyed consumers have been using their digital wallet more frequently than before the pandemic began¹. Of the digital payment tools available, 48% of consumers are using QR codes and barcodes on a mobile device more frequently over the last year, which is helping to bring a more seamless and connected payment experience to in-person shopping¹. This leads to significant growth potential for businesses to adopt new point of sale technologies that can accept digital and mobile payments.

"The strong consumer adoption of digital payment systems has truly highlighted the need for retailers of all sizes to ensure that they are providing consumers with an easy and seamless payment experience," said Tristan Roffey, VP & Group Head at Blackhawk Network. "Our partnership with Great Lakes Data Systems will allow a variety of businesses and retailers the same competitive access to digital payments as their competitors."

"We value providing our retail partners of all sizes the same access to the latest innovations and technologies to do business,” said Jason Baylis, President of Great Lakes Data Systems. “Our collaboration with Blackhawk Network and LOC Software allows us to provide retailers with new ways to engage their customers and gain consumer loyalty.”

Blackhawk is accelerating the digital payments transformation with the adoption and expansion of digital wallets, mobile apps and contactless payments. To learn more about Blackhawk Network’s suite of innovative payment solutions, please visit www.blackhawknetwork.com.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network delivers branded payment solutions through the prepaid products, technologies and network that connect brands and people. We collaborate with our partners to innovate, translating market trends in branded payments to increase reach, loyalty and revenue. We reliably execute security-minded solutions worldwide. Join us as we shape the future of global branded payments. Learn more at blackhawknetwork.com.

About Great Lakes Data Systems

Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc (GLDS), founded in 1969, sells retail information solutions. The Company provides hardware and software point of sale terminals and host computers. Systems are customized to the clients' specifications. Company revenue is generated from hardware sales, programming, maintenance contracts, on site services and software sales. Systems include point-of-sale, touch screen, scanners and imaging technologies. GLDS offers several brand names.

GLDS has earned an excellent reputation for the high level of support given to our clients. This commitment to its customers has set us apart from its competitors and has resulted in a high rate of referral business. For more information, visit www.glds.net.

¹ The "Payments EQ: Connecting Globally Through Digital Payments" is based on the findings of an internet-based survey conducted by Leger on behalf of Blackhawk Network between March 2 and April 5, 2021. The sample size included over 13,000 respondents in nine countries.