ACFN Franchised Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a ACFN Franchised franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2024), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
ACFN Franchised discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Projections for 1/5/10 ATM scenarios based on 2,654 operational ATMs' average transaction data. Uses $109.92 average dispense, $3.82 average surcharge. Excludes operating expenses, sales costs. Disclaims no assurance of earnings.
What a ACFN Franchised franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 1% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Total recurring fees | 1% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $39,234 – $63,817 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
1% Brand Fee on net revenue; $0.08/transaction; $12/ATM/month admin; interchange fees $0.15-$0.70/transaction.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
ACFN Franchised system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 227 |
| Ceased operations | 16 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 16 |
| Closure rate | 7.0% of outlets |
16 ceased operations in 2023; zero terminations reported; transfers often precede closures.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2024. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is ACFN Franchised worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 1% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $39,234 | cheaper than most (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 7.0% of outlets | worse than 81% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a ACFN Franchised
The franchisor's framing: Projections for 1/5/10 ATM scenarios based on 2,654 operational ATMs' average transaction … We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
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ACFN Franchised franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a ACFN Franchised franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $39,234–$63,817, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do ACFN Franchised franchise owners make?
- Projections for 1/5/10 ATM scenarios based on 2,654 operational ATMs' average transaction data. Uses $109.92 average dispense, $3.82 average surcharge. Excludes operating expenses, sales costs. Disclaims no assurance of earnings. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the ACFN Franchised franchise fees?
- ACFN Franchised's FDD discloses a $25,000 initial franchise fee, a 1% royalty on gross sales, for roughly 1% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 1% Brand Fee on net revenue; $0.08/transaction; $12/ATM/month admin; interchange fees $0.15-$0.70/transaction.
- What is the ACFN Franchised franchise profit margin?
- ACFN Franchised does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Projections for 1/5/10 ATM scenarios based on 2,654 operational ATMs' average transaction data. Uses $109.92 average dispense, $3.82 average surcharge. Excludes operating expenses, sales costs. Disclaims no assurance of earnings. Recurring fees alone take about 1% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the ACFN Franchised franchise failure rate?
- 16 ceased operations in 2023; zero terminations reported; transfers often precede closures.
- How many ACFN Franchised locations are there?
- ACFN Franchised's FDD reports 227 total outlets, with 16 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 16 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does ACFN Franchised have complaints or lawsuits?
- ACFN Franchised discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a ACFN Franchised franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. ACFN Franchised scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 1% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare ACFN Franchised to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 30089-202312-02 (Clean FDD 2024). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with ACFN Franchised or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.