StripeStripe
Mandatoryand point-of-sale system (i.e., the “Payment Processing System”) we require, which we have the right to change at any time. Currently, our designated Payment Processing System is Stripe; however, this
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
PingPod
Youth servicesSoftware purchasing at PingPod flows through a lean HQ led by Chief Product Officer Jon Ebuen (Ernesto Ebuen). The brand mandates PodPlay Technologies and Stripe across its 18 total units—12 company-owned, 6 franchised—giving vendors a concentrated, tech-dependent target. With an AUV of $385,110 and a 10-year initial term, the addressable market is small but the tech stack is tightly controlled, making HQ the essential entry point.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
18
6 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$385K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$155K–$473K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
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.
7%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 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.
FacebookMeta
c media, including the Internet, or any social media, for viewing by the public that contains our registered trademarks without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Facebook®, TikTok®,
InstagramMeta
wing by the public that contains our registered trademarks without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Facebook®, TikTok®, SnapChat®, or similar page, post through Instagram® or on You
SnapchatSnapchat
he Internet, or any social media, for viewing by the public that contains our registered trademarks without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Facebook®, TikTok®, SnapChat®, or simila
TikTokTikTok
cluding the Internet, or any social media, for viewing by the public that contains our registered trademarks without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Facebook®, TikTok®, SnapChat®,
TwitterX
®, TikTok®, SnapChat®, or similar page, post through Instagram® or on YouTube®, or utilize other, similar social media, without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Twitter® feed or oth
YouTubeGoogle
c that contains our registered trademarks without our prior written approval. You may not establish a Facebook®, TikTok®, SnapChat®, or similar page, post through Instagram® or on YouTube®, or utilize
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
PingPod has the right to independently access any and all information on your Payment Processing System, at any time, without first notifying you.
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to designate one supplier for any given item or service.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In our last fiscal year, ending on December 31, 2025, we and our affiliates received $0 in revenue from all required purchases and leases of products and services by franchisees, including purchases of items to be resold in the Pod, and rebates we receive from third-parties.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and/or our affiliate(s) may receive payments or other compensation from Approved Suppliers or any other suppliers on account of these suppliers’ dealings with us, you, or other Franchised Businesses in the System, such as rebates, commissions or other forms of compensation.
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
about 70% of your purchases to continue the operation of the Pod
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must pay our then- current supplier or non-approved product evaluation fee when submitting your request, as well as cover our costs incurred in evaluating your request.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to undertake either of these actions, you must request and obtain our approval in writing before: (i) using or offering the non-approved product or service in connection with your Franchised Business; or (ii) purchasing from a non-approved supplier.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 11
You acknowledge and agree that we will own all rights and interest in each telephone number (regardless of whether such telephone number pre-existed any franchise agreement) and telephone directory listing, email address, domain name, social media platform, and comparable electronic identity that is associated in any…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You shall at all times be compliant with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, any and all requirements imposed by all applicable payment processors and payment networks, including credit card and debit card processors, and any and all state and federal laws, rules and regulations relating to data…
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
You must present customers with such evaluation cards or forms as the Franchisor may periodically prescribe, for return by the customers to PingPod
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 6
to inspect and/or audit your business records at any time during normal business hours, without notice, to determine whether you are current with suppliers and/or otherwise are operating in compliance with the terms of the Franchise Agreement and Operations Manual.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
PingPod may make changes to any of these standards and specifications, at any time, in PingPod’s sole and absolute discretion.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 14
We must approve your site before you open your PingPod Business franchise.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Unless otherwise approved in writing by PingPod, You shall not establish a separate Website or Web App.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If a Cooperative has been established in Your area prior to opening the Pod, You shall become a member of the Cooperative no later than thirty (30) days after opening the Pod.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Currently, we have Approved Suppliers for the following items that you must purchase in connection with the establishment and/or operation of your Franchised Business:
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use the complete computer software services and point-of-sale system (i.e., the “Payment Processing System”) we require, which we have the right to change at any time.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
(vi) Pod décor; (vii) payment processing system (the “Payment Processing System”) and then-current software from our affiliate, PodPlay Technologies LLC, that we require you to use in connection with that Payment Processing System and your Pod; and (viii) uniforms and any items bearing our Marks.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use the complete computer software services and point-of-sale system (i.e., the “Payment Processing System”) we require, which we have the right to change at any time.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
PingPod has the right to independently access any and all information on your Payment Processing System, at any time, without first notifying you.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
In the event you wish (or are required) to attend any additional or refresher training, we may charge you our then-current Tuition Fee to attend this training (subject to class availability and the schedule/availability of our personnel).
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
PingPod may, in its sole and absolute discretion, require you to attend a mandatory conference once per calendar year during the Term.
The filing answers no to 6 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?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?Item 11
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
- Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?Franchise agreement
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at PingPod
PingPod operates 18 total units—12 company-owned and 6 franchised—across a footprint concentrated in New York (10 units), Florida (2), Wyoming (1), and New Jersey (1). The brand’s average unit volume sits at $385,110, with a 6.0% royalty and a 10-year initial franchise term. For software vendors, the opportunity is narrow but deep: a small, tech-reliant concept where HQ mandates the core operational and payments stack, leaving little room for franchisee-led purchasing. The 2026 FDD shows no year-over-year unit growth disclosed, meaning the current unit count is the addressable base. Vendors should view this as a relationship sale into a centralized buying structure, not a volume play.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2026 FDD names Jon Ebuen (Ernesto Ebuen) as Chief Product Officer. In a system with only 18 units and mandated technology, the CPO is the natural gatekeeper for any software evaluation or procurement. There is no parent company on file—PingPod appears independently owned—so decisions are not filtered through a larger corporate hierarchy. The operator footprint includes 8 mapped operators, 3 of whom are multi-unit, but the unit-band split shows no operators with 10 or more units. This reinforces HQ’s dominance: franchisees are small-scale and unlikely to drive independent software adoption. Vendors should prepare to engage Ebuen directly with a clear integration or efficiency narrative tied to the existing mandated stack.
Mandated and current tech stack
PingPod mandates two systems: PodPlay Technologies, the operational platform, and Stripe by Stripe, Inc., for payments. Both are named in the 2026 FDD as required for franchisees. No other mandated or recommended technology vendors are disclosed. This creates a defined integration surface: any new software must either complement PodPlay’s operational workflows or sit adjacent to Stripe’s payment processing without disrupting the mandated core. Vendors offering analytics, scheduling, marketing automation, or back-office tools should position themselves as additive layers that plug into PodPlay and Stripe, not replacements. The absence of a named POS outside PodPlay suggests the operational platform may serve that function, but the FDD does not elaborate on its full scope.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the 2026 FDD provides no extract on procurement—no designated supplier, approved supplier, or open-market language was disclosed. This absence means vendors cannot assume a formal procurement process or approved vendor list exists. Instead, purchasing likely runs through direct HQ evaluation. Renewal terms in Item 17 offer one successive 10-year term (or the shorter of the lease term) for franchisees in good standing, with a renewal fee at then-current rates. Because the initial term is 10 years and the FDD year is 2026, the earliest franchise agreements would be approaching renewal windows, potentially triggering technology reassessments. Vendors should monitor unit-level renewal cycles and any HQ-driven tech refresh initiatives that may accompany those milestones.
How to read the PingPod FDD
The 2026 PingPod Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators and available in the embedded viewer below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (identifying the CPO as the primary executive), Item 11 (mandated PodPlay and Stripe), and Item 17 (renewal conditions and term length). Item 8 contains no procurement signals, so vendors should not expect to find a supplier policy there. The unit count, AUV, and operator footprint in Items 19 and 20 confirm the small, concentrated nature of the system. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize where to pitch next.
Questions vendors ask
PingPod, answered from the filing
The 2026 FDD lists Jon Ebuen (Ernesto Ebuen) as Chief Product Officer. In a small, tech-mandated system, he is the most likely software buying authority at HQ.
PingPod mandates PodPlay Technologies (operational platform) and Stripe by Stripe, Inc. (payments). Both are named in the 2026 FDD as required systems for franchisees.
18 total units: 12 company-owned and 6 franchised. The operator footprint shows 8 mapped operators across roughly 14 located units, concentrated in NY (10), FL (2), WY (1), and NJ (1).
The 2026 FDD does not disclose a specific procurement model in Item 8. No designated or approved supplier language was extracted, so the model remains unclear from public filings.
Renewal terms allow one successive 10-year term (or the remaining lease term, if shorter) for franchisees in good standing. With an initial 10-year term and recent FDD filing in 2026, renewal-driven tech evaluations may align with those cycles.
The 2026 PingPod FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can read the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below this page.
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.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment PingPod files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
6 operators run 8 mapped locations. 1 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit5
2–9 units1
Top states by locations
| NY | 4 |
|---|---|
| FL | 2 |
| WY | 1 |
| NJ | 1 |
Related Youth services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.