Acfn Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $38K – $58K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (2)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
ACFN is an ATM franchise where franchisees own and operate cash machines placed in hotels, bars, and other high-traffic businesses. Franchisees manage a route of ATMs, handling cash loading, servicing, and account relationships, typically as a home-based, part-time business.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ACFN franchise requires a total initial investment of $38K – $58K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 1.3% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $38K – $58K
- 2nd pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 1.3%
- 0th pct Retail
- Units
- 210
- 34th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $38K – $58K including a $25K franchise fee, 1.3% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 does not yield a per-outlet annual revenue figure we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 46/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -23 franchised outlets in the latest year (26 opened, 49 closed); 4 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -7.5% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- ACFN Franchised Inc.
- Predecessor
- A.F.F.A. Inc. (AFFA)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President/CEO
- Jeffrey D. Kerr
- Incorporated in
- California
- HQ
- 75 East Santa Clara Street, Suite 1450, San Jose, California 95113
- Auditor
- Simon & Edward, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $15.0M
- vs $15.3M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jeffrey D. Kerr
- Headquarters
- California
- Founded
- 2002
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 39
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 86% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $500 | $2K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $12K | $32K |
| Total initial investment | $38K | $58K |
Source: ACFN 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $38K – $58K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $500 – $2K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 1.3%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.3%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 2.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 1.3% of net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.3% of net sales |
| Technology fee | $12 |
| Training fee | $995 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 2.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for ACFN is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one ACFN unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 does not yield a per-outlet annual revenue figure we can compare across brands. We omit it from rankings.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 2.5% — below the Retail median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
Item 19 does not yield a per-outlet annual revenue figure we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System contracting at -7.5% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Retail medians
How Acfn Compares
Category median of published Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 210
- Opened
- 26
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 49
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 23.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -7.5%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -7.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Signed, not yet open
- 4
- 0.02 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 25
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 39 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
207 current owners across 39 states; 41 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- CA 37
- TX 15
- FL 14
- IL 12
- MD 10
- VA 9
- AZ 8
- NY 8
- NC 7
- NJ 7
- NV 7
- GA 6
- +27 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $71K
- Median loan
- $35K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (2)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 2 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (2)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (2)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
ACFN presents HIGH RISK due to contracting unit count, absence of financial disclosures, questionable franchisor financial health, unprotected territories, and lack of performance benchmarks.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Simon & Edward, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 46 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSystem shrinking rapidly: 210 units declining 9.9% year-over-year indicates deteriorating franchisee satisfaction and/or market demand
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure: Absence of Item 19 financial performance data prevents ROI assessment and suggests franchisor may lack strong performer data
- 03MINORUnprotected territory: Franchisees face direct competition from other franchisees in same area, increasing business risk and margin compression
- 04MINORLow royalty rate (1.25%) masks potential profitability concerns: May indicate franchisor cannot extract sustainable fees, suggesting unit economics are weak
- 05MINORModest franchise fee ($25,000) relative to total investment suggests low barriers to entry and potential oversaturation risk
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 2.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 100 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | State in which the Area of Operation is located (arbitration governed by Federal Arbitration Act) |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 8 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual (4 video conference calls)
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor and franchisee jointly (franchisor approves all ATM locations)
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
248 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a ACFN franchise?
The total investment to open a ACFN franchise ranges from $38K – $58K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do ACFN franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the ACFN FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns ACFN?
ACFN is franchised by ACFN Franchised Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the ACFN FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the ACFN FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ACFN's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ACFN (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many ACFN franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, ACFN has 210 total units in the United States, including 210 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 26 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is ACFN a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ACFN as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 46 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.