United Check Cashing Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $226K – $297K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- 25.0%
- on 46 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
United Check Cashing is a financial services franchise offering check cashing, prepaid cards, money orders, and bill pay. Franchisees run retail centers, managing transactions, cash handling, and compliance for underbanked customers.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A United Check Cashing franchise requires a total initial investment of $226K – $297K, including a $10K – $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 1.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 25.0% charge-off rate across 46 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below 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: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
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 scored3 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $226K – $297K
- 84th pct Financial Ser…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Projection
- Royalty
- 1.0%
- 0th pct Financial Ser…
- Units
- 48
- 41st pct Financial Ser…
- SBA charge-off
- 25.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Financial Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Financial Services 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 $226K – $297K including a $30K franchise fee, 1.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 discloses "Actual Volume of Checks Cashed" (face amount of checks/instruments processed) for 39 franchised Centers in operation 24+ months for all of 2024, presented in quartiles across 10 rows each; this is transaction volume, not franchisee revenue or gross sales. Excludes electronic deposit, utility payment, phone card, and debit card revenue.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 28/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 25.0% across 46 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -4 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 4 closed) (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -32.4% 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
- United Financial Services Group, Inc.
- Predecessor
- United Check Cashing Co., Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Paul Del Borrello
- Incorporated in
- Pennsylvania
- HQ
- Laurel Oak Corporate Center, Suite 302, 1010 Haddonfield - Berlin Road, Voorhees, New Jersey 08043
- Auditor
- CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3M
- vs $1.4M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Paul Del Borrello
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 1991
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 8
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 178% above the typical financial services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $181K | $242K |
| Total initial investment | $226K | $297K |
Source: United Check Cashing 2025 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
- $226K – $297K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $25K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 1.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- $1,000 annually
- Total fee load
- 1.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 1.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for United Check Cashing 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 United Check Cashing 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, ad fund rate, 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 discloses "Actual Volume of Checks Cashed" (face amount of checks/instruments processed) for 39 franchised Centers in operation 24+ months for all of 2024, presented in quartiles across 10 rows each; this is transaction volume, not franchisee revenue or gross sales. Excludes electronic deposit, utility payment, phone card, and debit card revenue.
Not a revenue figure
- Item 19 type
- Actual Volume of Checks Cashed
- Sample size
- 39
- vs category median 94 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
Compared against 45 Financial Services brands
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 1.0% — below the Financial Services median of 16.5%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Actual Volume of Checks Cashed rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System contracting at -32.4% 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 Financial Services medians
How United Check Cashing Compares
Category median of published Financial Services 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 48
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 8.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -32.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -32.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 8 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
8
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 46
- Loan volume
- $8.0M
- Median loan
- $130K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 25.0%
- on 46 loans · 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)
- 75.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 12
- Defaults
- 8
- Typical loan rate
- 9.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 522390
- Jobs supported
- 20
- 1.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 50%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Top lenders financing United Check Cashing franchisees
Showing 3 of 12 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for United Check Cashing from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 63%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.50%
- Lender concentration
- 50.0%
- Job velocity
- 1.2 per $100K
- Jobs supported
- 20
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 50% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookline Bank, a Division of Beacon Bank and Trust | 2 | $1.3M | N/A |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 2 | $350K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| COColorado | 2 | 0 | -- |
| CTConnecticut | 2 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 25.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 25.0% — 56% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Regional Produce Cooperative Corp. v. DelBorello Financial Services, LLC and United Financial Services Group, Inc. (Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County). Plaintiff alleged civil conspiracy, negligence, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty claims related to check cashing that assisted in embezzlement by plaintiff's former CEO. United denied allegations; United's motion for summary judgment was granted Feb 14, 2023, and United was dismissed without payment of damages, costs, or fees.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 28 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNegative net worth: -$32,855
- 02HIGHLitigation alleging civil conspiracy and conversion
- 03MINORSystem contraction: net growth -32.4%
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 1.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1.5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 7 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | American Arbitration Association, Voorhees, New Jersey (mediation, at franchisor's option, before litigation) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Regional Produce Cooperative Corp. v. DelBorello Financial Services, LLC and United Financial Services Group, Inc. (Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County). Plaintiff alleged civil conspiracy, negligence, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty claims related to check cashing that assisted in embezzlement by plaintiff's former CEO. United denied allegations; United's motion for summary judgment was granted Feb 14, 2023, and United was dismissed without payment of damages, costs, or fees.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee with optional franchisor assistance; franchisor must approve site
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Tellermetrix or Cashwise
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Tellermetrix or Cashwise
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
58 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 United Check Cashing franchise?
The total investment to open a United Check Cashing franchise ranges from $226K – $297K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do United Check Cashing franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the United Check Cashing 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 United Check Cashing?
United Check Cashing is franchised by United Financial Services Group, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the United Check Cashing 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 United Check Cashing FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is United Check Cashing's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, United Check Cashing has a charge-off rate of 25.0% across 46 loans, meaning 25.0% 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 United Check Cashing franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, United Check Cashing has 48 total units in the United States, including 48 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is United Check Cashing a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates United Check Cashing as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 28 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
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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.