CCCCCC Intelligent Solutions
Mandatoryhat advise us on advertising and marketing policies and programs. Computer Hardware and Software Mitchell is currently a CARSTAR preferred provider of business management systems. CCC is currently a C
From the filings
+3.516% units YoYHQ-led decisions
CARSTAR Franchisor
Automotive servicesCARSTAR requires every location to run one of two designated management-system packages — Mitchell's system paired with CCC One Perform, or CCC's own CCC One Innovate — installed and used throughout the franchise term, alongside a required QuickBooks or approved accounting package. Across 471 franchised locations and a 5-year initial term, that dual-vendor mandate is the fastest way to size the opportunity.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
471
471 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+3.516%
vs prior filing
AUV
$2.20M
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
1.5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
$10K
per unit
Investment range
$24K–$165K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
2.5%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
4 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
CCC ONECCC Intelligent Solutions
Mandatorydicators provide measurements benchmarking performance at the local and national levels. CCC is currently a CARSTAR approved provider of business management systems which combines CCC One Innovate pro
Mitchell 1Mitchell 1
MandatoryAgreement, Section 12.A.). There currently are no franchisee advertising councils that advise us on advertising and marketing policies and programs. Computer Hardware and Software Mitchell is currentl
QuickBooksIntuit
Mandatoryd with CCC One Innovate. The discounted price for CCC One Innovate is $1,545 per month, plus tax, for unlimited users. You also must purchase and use the current version of either QuickBooks or other
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall also purchase the current version of QuickBooks or other accounting program approved by Franchisor and purchase, utilize, and maintain computer hardware compatible with Franchisor’s software requirements and reporting requirements.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
The Management System allows Franchisor unlimited, independent access to critical operational data (including Customer Data) and other information to be used in the continual support of Franchisee’s business and to develop key business partner relationships to deliver value to franchisees operating under the System…
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Within sixty (60) days after the end of Franchisee’s fiscal year, Franchisee shall submit to Franchisor financial statements (including a balance sheet and cash flow and profit and loss statements) for the Facility prepared by Franchisee’s accountants.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Except for CARSTAR Solution®, there currently are no products or services for the Facility that you must buy or lease from us or one of our affiliates or for which we or one of our affiliates is an approved supplier or the only approved supplier, but we currently restrict the suppliers with whom you deal.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
CARSTAR has an advisory board composed of franchisees who meet periodically with CARSTAR representatives regarding System issues (the “Advisory Board”).
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
CARSTAR and its predecessors have established, and reserve the right under the Franchise Agreement to continue to establish and change, specifications for equipment, services, training and other matters for each CARSTAR Facility.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
17473636Item 8
In the fiscal year ended December 28, 2024, our affiliates derived revenue from the sale of items or provision of services to franchisees, including rebates and commissions received from approved vendors and suppliers of products or services, in the amount of approximately $17,473,636.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In the fiscal year ended December 28, 2024, our affiliates derived revenue from the sale of items or provision of services to franchisees, including rebates and commissions received from approved vendors and suppliers of products or services, in the amount of approximately $17,473,636.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
10Item 8
We estimate that the cost of required products and services from approved suppliers is less than 10% of your initial investment to establish your Facility and less than 10% of the ongoing operating costs of your Facility.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee authorizes the transfer to Franchisor of all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with Franchisee’s operation of such Facility.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must comply with the Franchisor’s System standards, other directions from Franchisor, prevailing industry standards (including payment card industry data security standards), and all applicable laws and regulations, as any of them may be modified from time to time, regarding the organizational, physical…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Conduct periodic inspections of the Facility, as CARSTAR considers appropriate (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.F.);
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right to add to, and otherwise modify, the Operations Playbook to reflect changes in authorized products and services, and specifications, standards and operating procedures of a CARSTAR Facility, from time to time.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You may not sign any lease or purchase agreement for, or commit to any other binding obligation to purchase, occupy or improve, any proposed location until we have approved the location.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not create and maintain your own website(s) for the Facility.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
In addition to the contributions to the IMF, you must spend for local advertising and promotion of the Facility (excluding discounts, coupon redemptions and the cost of products or services given without charge) not less than 2% of the Gross Sales of the Facility each month.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If, at the time of execution of this Agreement, a Business Group has previously been established for a Market Area that encompasses the Facility operated by Franchisee, or if such a Business Group is established during the term of this Agreement, Franchisee shall execute such documents as are required upon…
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
CARSTAR currently requires that any equipment, products, services and/or supplies used in operating the Facility be purchased exclusively from CARSTAR or its affiliates, and/or other designated or approved suppliers.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
CARSTAR currently requires that any equipment, products, services and/or supplies used in operating the Facility be purchased exclusively from CARSTAR or its affiliates, and/or other designated or approved suppliers.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall execute and maintain in effect any documents necessary to permit payment of fees to Franchisor by electronic funds transfer.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to maintain at all times a staff of trained employees sufficient to operate the Facility in compliance with Franchisor’s standards.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall utilize the CARSTAR Solution® throughout the term of this Agreement.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have unlimited, independent access to all information and data generated and stored in the Facility’s business management system (including Customer Data (defined in Item 14)).
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
Also, depending on your experience and knowledge, we may require you and/or your personnel to participate in additional training (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.E.).
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall attend each CARSTAR Annual Business Conference (the “Conference”) for franchisees.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 8
The vendor opportunity at CARSTAR
CARSTAR franchises 471 collision-repair locations, all franchisee-operated, under a 5-year initial term. Item 19 reports average Gross Sales of $3,205,928 across 397 facilities, and franchised outlets grew 3.5% year over year.
Who controls software purchasing
Item 2 of the FDD names CARSTAR's officers and their roles. The operator base is broad and mostly single-unit: 442 mapped operators run roughly 479 units, with 5 multi-unit operators including one running 25 or more locations. California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Washington hold the largest clusters.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
CARSTAR requires every location to install the CARSTAR Solution software — built on CCC's Update Promise, Engage, Contact Center, Indicators, and Repair Methods — and use it throughout the franchise term. Franchisees must also purchase and use one of two designated management-system packages: MRC paired with CCC One Perform (Mitchell Management System and CCC Estimating), or CCC One Innovate (CCC Management System and Estimating); CCC provides this software to franchisees at discounted prices. A current version of QuickBooks, or another accounting package CARSTAR approves, is also required, as are Microsoft Windows, high-bandwidth business-class Internet service, and staff completion of Collision University online courses. Where CARSTAR designates Driven Product Sourcing as the supplier, franchisees generally must purchase through the DrivenAdvantage Platform, and paint used in the paint booth must come only from approved suppliers.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
CARSTAR's Item 8 model is designated suppliers only: equipment, products, services, and supplies must generally be purchased exclusively from CARSTAR, its affiliates, or other designated or approved suppliers, though CARSTAR estimates required purchases at less than 10% of both initial investment and ongoing operating costs. The initial term is 5 years, with one additional 5-year renewal available to franchisees not in default who give 180 days' notice and meet training and qualification requirements. Item 19 of the FDD makes a financial performance representation.
How to read the CARSTAR FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below holds CARSTAR's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems that match this profile.
Questions vendors ask
CARSTAR Franchisor, answered from the filing
CARSTAR's Item 11 technology requirements are set centrally: franchisees must install and use the required CARSTAR Solution software package and one of two designated management-system options throughout the franchise term, leaving little room for a location-level vendor decision.
CARSTAR requires CCC software, Microsoft Windows, and QuickBooks or another approved accounting package. Franchisees must run one of two packages — Mitchell's MRC with CCC One Perform, or CCC One Innovate — and install the CARSTAR Solution software built on CCC's Update Promise, Engage, Contact Center, Indicators, and Repair Methods.
471 franchised locations in the automotive-services segment, with no company-owned units.
Designated suppliers only. CARSTAR requires that equipment, products, services, and supplies be purchased exclusively from CARSTAR, its affiliates, or other designated or approved suppliers.
The initial term runs 5 years, with an additional 5-year renewal available to franchisees not in default who give 180 days' notice, meet training and qualification requirements, and sign the then-current agreement — a shorter cycle than most, and a recurring point to revisit the vendor stack.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds CARSTAR's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment CARSTAR Franchisor files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
442 operators run 479 mapped locations. 5 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit437
2–9 units4
25+ units1
Top states by locations
| CA | 73 |
|---|---|
| TX | 46 |
| IL | 30 |
| NY | 26 |
| WA | 26 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind CARSTAR Franchisor
unknown of carstar franchise systems.
Related Automotive services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.