Quick Verdict · who it fits
Commission Express fits first-time franchise buyers with $150,000+ liquid looking for an emerging financial services concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$108K - $299K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$20K
Royalty (Item 6)
9% + 1% ad
System size (Item 20)
38 +3
Liquid capital
$150K
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
32+ yrs
Company-owned units
1
Item 3 litigation
None disclosed
Model Commission Express's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓No bankruptcy disclosed✓No Item 3 litigation
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 9% + ad fund 1% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (9%)
—
Ad fund (1%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
38
Total units open
4
Units opened last year
6
Units closed last year
-2
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Commission Express ranks against 29 Financial Services peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
93rd pct · of 29 peers
Franchise fee
17th pct · of 29 peers
System size
27th pct · of 29 peers
Financial Services industry averages
Avg investment
$58K - $182K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
450
Franchises analyzed
29
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission Express | None | $20K | $108K - $299K | 9% | 38 |
| Loyalty Business Services Llc D/B/a LedgersSimilar price | None | $150K | $155K - $314K | 50% | 3 |
| Ameriprise Financial ServicesBiggest system | Disclosed | $2K | $10K - $138K | 72–91% | 3,738 |
| Brightway InsuranceTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $25K | $43K - $187K | — | 351 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
The 2025 FDD prices the initial franchise fee at $2,500, one of the lowest in our library, then sets the royalty at 30% to 60% of revenue. The franchised side of the system has shrunk by 574 offices in three years while the franchisor projects zero new ones.
Investment Guide
A franchise net worth requirement and a liquid capital requirement measure two very different things — and most rejected applicants fail the one they never checked. Here's how the math works at every investment tier.
Financial Analysis
Item 19 hands you an average revenue number and stops there. Here's the step-by-step way to haircut that top-line, layer in COGS, labor, occupancy, the fee stack, and debt service, and land on the profit you'd actually take home.
Commission Express requires a $20,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $107,800–$299,300, per the most recent FDD on file.
Commission Express is franchised by COMMISSION EXPRESS NATIONAL INC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. Commission Express does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 9% and an advertising fund contribution of 1% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, Commission Express typically expects $150,000 in liquid capital. Actual approval thresholds may vary by territory and program.
As of their 2026 FDD, Commission Express has 38 total locations, with 3 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Commission Express grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Commission Express discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $1,250, a transfer fee of $6,250. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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