Start a Payroll Vault Franchise in 2026

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $77K - $112K

Units as of 2025: 64 3.2% over 3 years

Payroll Vault was founded in 2007 to help businesses deal with payroll processing and workforce management. Billions of dollars are paid in penalties for companies that don't comply with payroll laws, most of which do not understand the laws in the first place. Compliance standards change every year along with labor laws, and this is hard for many companies, especially small businesses, to continue to track.

The company began franchising in 2012 and now has over 60 franchised locations throughout the United States.

Payroll Vault aims to help small businesses avoid penalties by focusing on core business operations.

Why You May Want to Start a Payroll Vault Franchise

Payroll Vault is a leading, fast-growing, innovative brand whose core focus is helping businesses manage their payroll operations. It also allows franchisees to utilize their skills and see growth proportional to their hard work. The company offers inclusive services in their portfolio, such as human resources, labor poster programs, pays cards, pays as you go, worker's compensation, time and attendance services, and scheduling services. This automatic diversification of business operations may result in a better chance of customer conversion.

The brand is renowned nationally in the accounting industry, which may give potential franchisees a ripe positioning in the industry and an opportunity for licensing.

Payroll Vault allows its franchisees to operate as absentee owners, which may make the business a more desirable option for you. The company also allows franchisees to operate out of their own homes, which may make it so you can spend more time with your friends and family.

What Might Make a Payroll Vault Franchise a Good Choice?

Payroll Vault believes in franchisees taking care of their clients, so they leave the marketing and sales to the franchisee, which may give them flexibility in their own business. Branding and payroll processing are also done at the franchisee's offices for purposes of customization and personalization. This allows franchisees to have greater control over their business processes so they can maximize their output. Payroll Vault also offers comprehensive training to help you with your business operations.

To be part of the Payroll Vault team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. You also should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Payroll Vault has partnered with third party financial lenders to help franchisees cover the costs of the franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, and payroll.

How To Start a Payroll Vault Franchise

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Speak to existing franchisees and ask the Payroll Vault team questions. Additionally, make sure you take time to explore the company. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Payroll Vault franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

After an initial inquiry, a Payroll Vault franchise representative may reach out to you to begin the franchising process.

Company Overview

About Payroll Vault

Industry	Financial Services
Related Categories	Business Financial Services, Miscellaneous Business Services
Founded	2007
Parent Company	Payroll Vault Franchising LLC
Leadership	Tricia Petteys, CEO
Corporate Address	1860 W. Littleton Blvd. Littleton, CO 80120
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2012 (14 years)
# of employees at HQ	24
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	64 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Payroll Vault franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$68,500 - $88,500
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$77,375 - $111,885
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$100,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	$405/mo.
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	5 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Payroll Vault has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

Classroom Training	99 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	Yes
# of employees required to run	1
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes