How many Payless franchise locations are there?

As of the 2025 FDD, Payless has 12 franchise locations. The company has been franchising since 1971.

Is Payless a good franchise to buy?

Whether Payless is a good franchise investment depends on your personal goals, available capital, and local market conditions. We recommend reviewing the full FDD, speaking with existing franchisees listed in Item 20, and consulting with a franchise attorney before making a decision.

Payless

Payless Car Rental franchises operate businesses renting automobiles without drivers to the general public for periods of 180 days or less under the Payless trademarks and a uniform system. Franchisees provide additional services like loss damage waivers, optional insurance, child seats, and refueling, using the Wizard computerized reservation system, and participate in corporate rate programs. The business model serves business and leisure customers in competitive markets, often at non-airport locations, competing with national chains and independents.

Locations

$626K–$1608K

Investment

Since 1971

Franchising

ServicesParsippany, NJAvis Budget Group, Inc.www.PaylessCar.comDisclaimer

Franchise Costs

Franchise Fee

$50,000

Item 5 of FDD

Initial Investment Range

$625,500 – $1,608,400

Low: $625,500High: $1,608,400

Item 7 of FDD

Royalty Rate

7.50%

of gross sales

Brand Fund

0.00%

Item 6 of FDD

Fixed Monthly Fees

$327 – $1,204

Item 6 of FDD

7.5% royalty + 0% ad fund + $327-$1,204/mo technology, support, admin, and network fees

Financial Performance

Item 19 Financial Performance

This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.

Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.

Extracted Item 19 Section

How Payless Compares

Key Insights

Higher investment than 100% of Vehicle Rental franchises
Top 10 largest franchise system in Vehicle Rental

Franchise	Investment	Fee	Royalty	Locations
Payless Current	$626K – $1.6M	$50K	7.5%	12
PacLease	$454K – $904K	$4K	1.0%	437
U-Save Car & Truck Rental	$168K – $1.5M	N/A	6.0%	72
Fireside RV Rental	$38K – $80K	$35K	10.0%	37
Priceless Car and Truck Rental	$214K – $1.8M	$30K	4.0%	37
Priceless Car and Truck Rental	$315K – $1.6M	$30K	4.0%	12
Vehicle Rental Average 7 franchises	$283K – $1.3M	$33K	5.5%	–

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 7 Vehicle Rental franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth

Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2024)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States

1PA

2ND

3FL

4MO

5CA

6MT

7NJ

Franchisee Contacts

12 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

Name	Address	Phone	Email	SBA Loan
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC	123 Main St Anytown, CA 90210	(555) 123-4567	john@example.com	$350,000 2023 · Active
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC	123 Main St Anytown, CA 90210	(555) 123-4567	john@example.com	$350,000 2023 · Active
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC	123 Main St Anytown, CA 90210	(555) 123-4567	john@example.com	$350,000 2023 · Active
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC	123 Main St Anytown, CA 90210	(555) 123-4567	john@example.com	$350,000 2023 · Active
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC	123 Main St Anytown, CA 90210	(555) 123-4567	john@example.com	$350,000 2023 · Active

12 Contacts Available

Unlock all Payless franchisee contacts with verified contact information

Due Diligence

Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases3

Two cases alleging misclassification of agency operators (licensees) as independent contractors under California labor laws, and one case alleging misrepresentations about the operation and closure of a Budget rental location.

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryNo

No bankruptcy history reported

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations

Non-Renewals

Reacquired

Ceased Ops

Transfers

Sold to Franchisees

Projected New

Frequently Asked Questions

The total initial investment to open a Payless franchise ranges from $625,500 to $1,608,400. This includes a franchise fee of $50,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 7.5% of gross sales.