PayMoreFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A PayMore franchise requires a total initial investment of $132K – $257K, including a $35K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.2M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $132K – $257K
- 13th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- 15th pct Retail
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 58
- 21st pct Retail
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Retail avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 6.3x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Only 0.0% of 15 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 57 to 8 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $132K – $257K including a $35K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $1.2M/year (median $1.3M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 38/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System contracting at -86.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- PayMore Group LLC
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- North Hills Tower II, 4242 Six Forks Road, North Hills, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
- Auditor
- Pinnacle Accountancy Group of Utah
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.0M
- vs $573K prior year
Overview
About
PayMore franchisees typically operate money services businesses, including bill payment processing, money transfer services, check cashing, and possibly prepaid financial products. Day-to-day operations involve customer transactions, regulatory compliance, cash management, and point-of-sale system management across what may be single or multi-unit locations.
- CEO
- Stephen R. Preuss
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 20
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $77K | $162K |
| Total initial investment | $132K | $257K |
Source: PayMore 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$98K
8.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
42%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
29 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $132K – $257K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $60K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 5% of Gross Sales or $1,000 per month
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.3M
- Item 19 type
- Actual Results
- Sample size
- 20 units
- vs category median 49 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $550K→$1.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 2 / 5 · above
Compared against 304 Retail brands
Revenue is 6.3x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Retail averages
How PayMore Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 58
- Opened
- 38
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 1.7%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +60.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -86.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 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.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $3.9M
- Median loan
- $257K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
PayMore presents HIGH RISK due to a collapsing franchise network (60% unit decline), undisclosed profitability metrics, lack of territory protection, and going concern issues that raise questions about franchisor viability and franchisee ability to sustain operations.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Pinnacle Accountancy Group of Utah
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 38 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count collapsed 60% YoY (58 units remaining) — indicates severe system deterioration
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure — unable to assess actual franchisee profitability despite $1.2M average revenue
- 03MINORNo territory protection — franchisees face direct competition from other PayMore locations
- 04MINORHigh ongoing royalty floor of $1,000/month (~$12,000 annually) with no guaranteed minimum revenue
- 05MEDSubstantial investment range ($131,750-$256,500) with no disclosed Item 19 financial performance data
- 06HIGHGoing Concern status is False — potential financial instability at franchisor level
- 07MINOR15-year term locks franchisees into declining system with minimal flexibility
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | North Carolina |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 29 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 31 hrs
- POS system
- computer-based point-of-sale systems approved by us
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: computer-based point-of-sale systems approved by us
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
53 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
PayMore · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a PayMore franchise?
The total investment to open a PayMore franchise ranges from $132K – $257K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do PayMore franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the PayMore FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.2M. The median is $1.3M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is PayMore's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, PayMore has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many PayMore franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, PayMore has 58 total units in the United States, including 57 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 38 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is PayMore a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates PayMore as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 38 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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?
If you represent PayMore, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Retail franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Retail category
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.