AlphaGraphics vs The UPS Store: franchise research comparison

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$25,000 to $49,750 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

7% · Tiered % of Gross Sales, paid monthly on the 15th: 7%, dropping to 5% after $1,371,933 in sales and 3% after $2,744,216 in sales in a Royalty Year (single center); subject to a yearly minimum royalty

Marketing contribution

2.5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Managed Services Program fee: mandatory $1,025.75-$1,839.66 per month, optional $0-$1,783.78 per month; accounting software $900 per year

Other fees

Brand Fund capped at $28,069/year for first center; Network Conference registration $725 per person per year; Non-Compliance Fee 2.5% of Gross Sales if default uncured

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Item 7 gives Additional Funds for 12 months (not 3 months): $50,000 - $74,000 for New Business Center Pathway; $0 - $25,000 for Acquire and Convert Pathway

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average, median, and top/bottom quartile annual Gross Sales; cost percentages and median EBITDA % for a subset

Reporting period

Calendar year 2025

Sample

215 of 229 U.S. franchised Business Centers (open one or more years and reporting) for Gross Sales; 159 centers for expense/EBITDA table

Reported average

$1,523,124

Reported median

$1,092,445

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

227

Year-end outlets

229

Net change

+2

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

6

Terminations

4

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

8

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

SBA loan history

Loan activity

45 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$443,250

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

22 loans

Historical charge-off share

15.79%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

12 / 76

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$19,950 to $39,950 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

5% · 5% of 'Subject to Royalty' (STR), payable via EFT monthly; STR = Gross Sales plus Gross Commissions less Allowable Exclusions

Marketing contribution

2.5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$2,868/year (new Center franchise/transfers) or $2,748/year (Rural Center or 2nd+ franchise), billed monthly

Other fees

The UPS Store Marketing Fee 1% of STR; Collaborative Dues $100-$500/month; iShip Processing Fee $0.22/transaction

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$40,000 to $70,000, covering operating losses/expenses during roughly the first 3 months; actual needs vary and may exceed this range depending on ramp-up time

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

average annual adjusted gross sales (system-wide, and for top-performing and bottom-performing 10% of Traditional Centers); no profit/EBITDA data disclosed

Reporting period

Full calendar years 2023, 2024, and 2025

Sample

5,058 franchised Traditional Centers reporting for full-year 2025 (4,931 in 2024; 4,825 in 2023)

Reported average

$724,293

Reported median

Not captured

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

5350

Year-end outlets

5487

Net change

+137

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

187

Terminations

5

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

44

Reacquisitions

1

Transfers

237

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

SBA loan history

Loan activity

878 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$349,600

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

572 loans

Historical charge-off share

0.58%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

3 / 519

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.