QuickBooksIntuit
ate your Business: 1. A recent version of Microsoft Office providing access to all marketing collateral and graphics, operational data, forms, and newsletters via the Intranet; 2. QuickBooks Pro; Quic
From the filings
+80% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Journey Payroll & HR
Financial servicesSoftware purchasing decisions at Journey Payroll & HR are controlled at the headquarters level, with Kevin Welch listed as the agent for service of process in the 2025 FDD. The franchise mandates the Journey Central system and uses QuickBooks products, creating a defined tech landscape for vendors to navigate. The addressable market is small but growing rapidly, with 11 total units (9 franchised, 2 company-owned) and 80% year-over-year unit growth.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
11
9 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+80%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2.25%
national + local
Initial fee
$70K
per unit
Investment range
$39K–$82K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No 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.
7.25%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
QuickBooks OnlineIntuit
s: 1. A recent version of Microsoft Office providing access to all marketing collateral and graphics, operational data, forms, and newsletters via the Intranet; 2. QuickBooks Pro; QuickBooks Online; a
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
21 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 10 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
The Franchisee shall establish and maintain, at its own expense, bookkeeping, accounting and data processing systems which conform to the specifications which the Franchisor may prescribe from time to time.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to information and data that you collect electronically.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Financial statements, prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and consisting of a quarterly profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the Franchised Business, mailed to the Franchisor postmarked no later than the 20th day of the month or electronically…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
JPI or we are the designated provider for tax services, marketing, web support, and social media management.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
Buying programs may change and we reserve the right to designate additional or different items which must be purchased through us or another designated source.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to receive rebates, incentives or overrides from third-party suppliers from whom you buy items.
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?
70Item 8
We estimate that 45% to 53% of purchases required to open your Journey Payroll & HR Business and 70% to 80% of purchases required to operate your Journey Payroll & HR Business will be from us or from other approved suppliers or under our specifications.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
Supplier and Product Costs of inspection As incurred We may charge a fee if we Evaluation Fee (estimated to be inspect a new product, service approximately $100 to or proposed supplier nominated $500) by you.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you propose to purchase or lease any equipment, products, supplies or services for use in or sale through your Business of a type not previously approved by us, or purchase or lease these items from a supplier we have not approved, you must notify us in writing and obtain our approval in advance.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee acknowledges that, as between the Franchisee and the Franchisor, the Franchisor has the sole rights to and interest in all telephone or facsimile machine numbers and directory listings associated with any Mark.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisor shall have the right to examine the Office Location and the fixtures, products, equipment, materials, supplies and services used or sold to ensure compliance with all standards and specifications set by the Franchisor.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisor reserves the right to revise the Operations Manual from time to time as it deems necessary to update or change operating and marketing techniques or standards and specifications.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
If you choose to open an office, you will need our written approval of your site.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee shall not develop, create, distribute, disseminate or use any Internet communication, including, without limitation, any website, blog, instant messaging service, social media site or networking account or other electronic or other communication method now in existence or to be created (including…
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee shall purchase all services, products, supplies, equipment, insurance and materials required for the operation of the Franchised Business from the Franchisor, from the Franchisor’s affiliates, from suppliers designated or approved by the Franchisor
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee shall purchase all services, products, supplies, equipment, insurance and materials required for the operation of the Franchised Business from the Franchisor, from the Franchisor’s affiliates, from suppliers designated or approved by the Franchisor
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee will be required to execute the ACH authorization form and credit card authorization form contained in Exhibit G of the Franchise Disclosure Document no later than 30 days prior to the opening of the Business.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
You must have an employee of your Business answering telephone calls from your Clients and potential Clients during regular business hours, which we currently consider to be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (national holidays excluded).
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee shall give the Franchisor access to all information and data from the Computer System through a high- speed internet connection or by other means designated by the Franchisor.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisor may charge a tuition or fee for additional training.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
The Franchisee or the Principal Manager shall be required to attend any ongoing mandatory seminars, conventions, programs or meetings as may be offered by the Franchisor.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Journey Payroll & HR
Journey Payroll & HR, a financial services franchise based in Colorado, presents a compact but high-growth target for software vendors. The system comprises 11 total units—9 franchised and 2 company-owned—reflecting an 80% year-over-year unit growth rate. While the brand's average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD, the rapid expansion signals increasing demand for scalable operational and financial technology. For vendors, the opportunity lies in displacing or integrating with an existing mandated stack at a franchisor that exerts centralized control over technology decisions.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing authority rests at the headquarters level. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document identifies Kevin Welch as the agent for service of process, a strong indicator that strategic software decisions are made by corporate leadership rather than individual franchisees. No multi-unit operators are mapped in our corpus, reinforcing the HQ-centric buying model. Vendors should prepare to engage directly with Mr. Welch or the executive team, framing solutions around system-wide compliance, payroll efficiency, and HR integration.
Mandated and current tech stack
The franchisor mandates Journey Central as the core operational system. In addition, the FDD lists COTD, QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks Pro by Intuit Inc. as technologies currently in use across the network. This stack suggests a heavy reliance on Intuit's accounting ecosystem alongside a proprietary or specialized central platform. A vendor's path to entry likely involves demonstrating superior integration with QuickBooks or offering a compelling replacement for the mandated Journey Central system, though any displacement would require HQ approval.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The initial franchise agreement runs for 10 years. Franchisees in good standing may renew for two additional successor terms of 5 years each, provided they give written notice at least 180 days before expiration, pay a renewal fee, execute a new agreement and a general release, and upgrade their business and services. The renewal clause explicitly warns that the new contract may contain materially different terms, creating a natural trigger for technology re-evaluation. The specific procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not detailed in the available Item 8 extract, so vendors should clarify supplier requirements early in conversations with HQ.
How to read the Journey Payroll & HR FDD
The full 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for your review. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (franchisor's obligations) for mandated technology, Item 8 (restrictions on sources of products and services) for procurement rules, and Item 17 (renewal, termination, transfer) for contract cycle timing. The document is filed with state franchise regulators and provides the legal foundation for all technology mandates and purchasing controls discussed here. For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Journey Payroll & HR, answered from the filing
The 2025 FDD names Kevin Welch as the agent for service of process, indicating centralized control. Vendors should direct pitches to HQ leadership, as no multi-unit operators are mapped in our corpus.
The franchise mandates Journey Central. The FDD also lists COTD, QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks Pro by Intuit Inc. as current systems in use.
There are 11 total units: 9 franchised and 2 company-owned. The brand shows 80% year-over-year unit growth, signaling a rapidly expanding footprint.
The procurement model is not explicitly detailed in the 2025 FDD's Item 8 extract. Vendors should inquire directly about designated or approved supplier requirements during the pitch process.
The initial franchise term is 10 years. Renewal allows for two successor terms of 5 years each, requiring 180 days' written notice. This creates potential re-evaluation points tied to agreement cycles.
The 2025 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below for the full legal document and tech disclosures.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Journey Payroll & HR files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| CO | 1 |
|---|
Related Financial services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.