United Check Cashing Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
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 →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
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 avg · 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).
- 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 112% 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 average of 16.9%.
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 averages
How United Check Cashing Compares
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
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 7
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
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%
- 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into United Check Cashing's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 2 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 2 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
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
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%
- 04MINORfinancial_distress=true
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 | Radius |
| 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 |
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
FDD download
United Check Cashing · FDD (2025) PDF
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?
No average owner earnings figure for United Check Cashing is on file. Item 19 — where a franchisor may disclose what its outlets earn — is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and we have not established what this brand's FDD says. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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.