Payroll Vault Franchise Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Payroll Vault Franchise franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Payroll Vault Franchise discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
50 franchisees operating full-year 2025 reported. Gross profit ranges $15K-$95K+; EBITDA $8K-$65K+. Cherry-picking: excludes 12 non-full-year outlets; no median/mean provided; wide variance.
What a Payroll Vault Franchise franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $68,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 0% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 6% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $77,000 – $140,010 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Minimum royalty $400/mo; 10+ recurring monthly fees; exception fees at actual cost+10%; extensive upcharge potential.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Payroll Vault Franchise system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 63 |
| Ceased operations | 6 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 3 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 9.5% of outlets |
6 ceased operations (2025); 3 terminations; minimal transfers suggest retention but modest growth.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Payroll Vault Franchise worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 6% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $77,000 | cheaper than most (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 9.5% of outlets | worse than 89% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 1 | about average |
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 Payroll Vault Franchise
The franchisor's framing: 50 franchisees operating full-year 2025 reported. Gross profit ranges $15K-$95K+; EBITDA $… 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
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Payroll Vault Franchise franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Payroll Vault Franchise franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $77,000–$140,010, including a $68,500 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Payroll Vault Franchise franchise owners make?
- 50 franchisees operating full-year 2025 reported. Gross profit ranges $15K-$95K+; EBITDA $8K-$65K+. Cherry-picking: excludes 12 non-full-year outlets; no median/mean provided; wide variance. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Payroll Vault Franchise franchise fees?
- Payroll Vault Franchise's FDD discloses a $68,500 initial franchise fee, a 6% royalty on gross sales, a 0% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 6% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Minimum royalty $400/mo; 10+ recurring monthly fees; exception fees at actual cost+10%; extensive upcharge potential.
- What is the Payroll Vault Franchise franchise profit margin?
- Payroll Vault Franchise does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 50 franchisees operating full-year 2025 reported. Gross profit ranges $15K-$95K+; EBITDA $8K-$65K+. Cherry-picking: excludes 12 non-full-year outlets; no median/mean provided; wide variance. Recurring fees alone take about 6% 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 Payroll Vault Franchise franchise failure rate?
- 6 ceased operations (2025); 3 terminations; minimal transfers suggest retention but modest growth.
- How many Payroll Vault Franchise locations are there?
- Payroll Vault Franchise's FDD reports 63 total outlets, with 6 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 0 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Payroll Vault Franchise have complaints or lawsuits?
- Payroll Vault Franchise discloses 1 legal matter in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a Payroll Vault Franchise franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Payroll Vault Franchise scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 6% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Payroll Vault Franchise or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.