Heartland Expands K-12 Presence With MCS Acquisition

Heartland Payment Systems has acquired MCS Software, a vendor of foodservice point-of-sale, back office and online payment solutions for more than 4,000 K-12 schools nationwide.

The acquisition supports the continued expansion of Heartland’s presence in the K-12 school nutrition and POS technology industry. The company says it now serves more than 34,000 K-12 schools nationwide, representing a 35% share of the public schools in the U.S.

“MCS Software is an important addition to our School Solutions business,” says Michael Lawler, president of Heartland’s Strategic Markets Group. “Our latest acquisition in this growing industry further enhances our market-leading position, adding both an outstanding software product to our current platforms and a substantial nationwide customer base. We also have a significant opportunity to expand and improve upon the school payments solutions offered to parents and children in current MCS school districts.”

Heartland supplies child nutrition and payment management solutions to public and private schools throughout the country. Products include POS terminals, a secure online payment portal, mobile payment capabilities and integrated vending solutions. Heartland also sells a number of back office management features such as online free- and reduced-meal application processing, meal tracking, inventory management and menu planning. Its online payment portal allows parents to pay for school meals as well as school activitie fees, and other services offered by districts.