Critical Passport Software Upgrade Notice – Heartland HPS-C Generic Network Application
Enclosed is important information regarding a required software upgrade for Passport POS systems processing payments on the Heartland Payment Systems – Chicago (HPS-C) network via “Direct TLS” communications. Please share this information with your Sales and Service personnel immediately.
Issue Description: The Passport HPS-C software application contains security certificates that are used to authenticate “TLS” communications to the HPS network. These certificates routinely expire for security reasons, thus requiring a Passport POS software upgrade.
Sites Affected: Retailers processing payment transactions on the HPS-C network via Passport “Direct TLS” communications running v10.00, v11.02 or v11.04 software versions.
Timing: The current security certificate will expire on May 18, 2020. Retailers with systems running any of the above software versions MUST complete a software upgrade BEFORE May 18, 2020 to avoid a loss of credit/debit network communications.
Upgrade Options for sites identified as “Direct TLS” by HPS:
| Current Passport Software Version |
Security Software Update | Gilbarco Action |
| v10.00 | No patch update available for sites running v10.00. | Gilbarco sent a warning letter in April to all v10.00 sites (active & inactive PSO) notifying them to immediately contact their local Gilbarco ASC to schedule a software upgrade to v11.02, v11.04 or v12.02. |
| v11.02 | Install patch QF45 & 47 (last update to support TLS) |
Gilbarco will proactively ship a CD to v11.02 sites with active PSO in April. |
| v11.04 | Install patch QF184 & 210 (last update to support TLS) |
Gilbarco will proactively ship a CD to v11.04 sites with active PSO in April. |
Please be advised these are the LAST “TLS security” updates to be released for Passport versions v11.02 and v11.04. These final security certificates WILL expire in October 2021 and HPS-C retailers communicating to HPS via “Direct TLS” MUST upgrade to v12.02 or higher version before Oct. 2021.
Retailers wanting to activate outdoor EMV will need to upgrade to v20.01 when released later this year (estimated availability June/July 2020).
Retailers with Expired PSO: Gilbarco will attempt to contact v11.02 & v11.04 Retailers with expired PSO and notify them about the expiring security certificate and options to upgrade (purchase software or renew PSO). Retailers that renew their PSO agreement can then contact the Gilbarco Help Desk to request a software upgrade CD. Retailers that do not renew PSO are not eligible for complimentary software and will be instructed to contact their local Gilbarco ASC to discuss a software purchase or other options such as reprogramming POS communications to something other than “Direct TLS”.
Potential Outcomes: Retailers that upgrade their Passport POS software before the certificates expire on May 18, 2020 will continue to process payment transactions normally with no disruption to retail operations other than the software upgrade itself.
Conversely, Retailers that fail to upgrade their Passport software before the certificates expire WILL experience a “Network Offline” condition on May 18, 2020 and will not be able to process credit or debit transactions. If this situation occurs, the Retailer should contact the Gilbarco Help Desk at 800-800-7498 to obtain a temporary security code that will allow the Passport to communicate with the HPS-C network for an additional 7 days.
During this 7-day grace period, the Retailer MUST take immediate steps to upgrade their Passport POS software or network communications will continue to be disrupted every 7 days until the Passport POS software application is updated with the new security certificates.
