CHRGD

Overview

CHRGD is software for franchisors that calculates and collects royalties from franchisee sales data. It suits businesses seeking to automate recurring royalty administration while giving franchisees a clear view of their balances. Its configurable rules and nightly collection can reduce routine reconciliation work, though the small transaction fee means free does not mean cost-free.

Key features

Franchisors can set royalty and marketing-fund rules with percentages, caps, minimums, deferrals, and grace periods. That flexibility helps accommodate different agreements, but it also makes CHRGD a better fit for organizations prepared to define and manage their own rules than for those seeking a fixed, one-size-fits-all process.

Collections run nightly by default, with weekly and monthly schedules as alternatives. Square, FareHarbor, Stripe Connect, Clover, QuickBooks, and Xero are active integrations; Lightspeed Retail, Lightspeed Restaurant, Loyverse POS, and Toast are coming soon. The current integrations make CHRGD more compelling when a franchise network already uses a supported system. Businesses relying on one of the coming integrations should not treat it as available today.

Through a franchisee ledger, users can see daily sales, royalty calculations, transfer amounts, and transfer status. That visibility can make payment accounting easier to follow for both sides. Stripe Connect supports ACH and card collection, transfers to franchisor accounts, and platform-fee handling.

The product includes a multi-location dashboard, franchisee portal, standards checklists, operational audits, and compliance tracking. Its developer API uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE and provides access to live sales, financial, and franchise data, making it relevant to organizations connecting CHRGD with other systems. Security controls include AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit, SOC 2 Type II controls, role-based access, and audit logs.

Pricing

Free Forever

CHRGD’s Free Forever plan has no monthly fee and includes unlimited franchisee locations, POS integrations, automated royalty calculations, email support, and standard security features. It is a strong starting point for franchisors that want to automate collections without a recurring subscription. The trade-off is a small transaction fee on royalty payments processed through the platform, so payment volume still carries a cost.

Email support is included in the plan. CHRGD also says email, chat, and phone support are included 24/7, offering a broader support promise for customers who need help outside email.

Platforms

CHRGD supports Android, iOS, web, and API access. Its progressive web app is designed to work across devices, which suits teams moving between desktop and mobile access without limiting the product to a single operating system.

Who it's for

CHRGD is best suited to franchisors that need recurring royalty calculations and collections across multiple locations, especially when their POS and accounting tools are among the active integrations. Configurable rules, a franchisee ledger, and compliance tools make it useful for managing both financial administration and operational oversight. Networks that depend on an integration still marked as coming soon, or that want to avoid transaction-based payment costs, should weigh other options.

Pros and cons

• Pros: No monthly fee and unlimited franchisee locations make it accessible for networks of different sizes, while transaction fees apply only to royalty payments processed through CHRGD.
• Pros: Configurable rules and nightly, weekly, or monthly collections accommodate varied royalty arrangements and payment cadences.
• Pros: The franchisee ledger exposes calculations and transfer status, giving both sides a clearer account of royalty payments.
• Cons: The small transaction fee means the free plan still has a usage cost for processed royalties.
• Cons: Four POS integrations are coming soon rather than active, which can rule out CHRGD for networks depending on those systems.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison of restaurant-focused options, see Restaurant Franchise Management Software.

Ozchain is another freemium option with a web platform; its Professional plan costs A$50 a month and caps usage at two products, 1,000 records, and 1,000 transactions per month, with 10 GB of storage. It may suit a business that wants defined monthly quotas and email plus phone support, while CHRGD emphasizes franchise royalty workflows and unlimited franchisee locations.

FranConnect is a paid alternative with Android, API, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows support. Pricing depends on modules, integrations, data migration, and rollout scope, so it may be worth considering when those factors shape a franchise platform purchase.

Franchora is a paid alternative available on Android, iOS, and web.

IFX is a paid alternative offering a la carte modules, with user accounts and storage described as unlimited. Its modular approach may suit buyers who prefer to choose components individually.

OpsAnalitica is a paid Android, API, iOS, and web option with a free trial and custom pricing based on business size, required features, and contract terms. That may suit organizations wanting to assess the product before committing to a tailored contract.

Janus 360 is a paid Android, iOS, and web alternative with no free plan; its Quick Route Optimizer is priced per optimization. It may suit buyers focused on route optimization rather than CHRGD’s royalty administration.

BrandWide is a paid, franchise-focused platform developed by Soffront Corporation and supports Android, API, iOS, and web.

Melp is a freemium alternative available on web, iOS, and Android.

Verdict

Choose CHRGD if you run a franchise network and want configurable royalty calculations, scheduled collections, and transparent franchisee payment records without a monthly subscription. Its broad location allowance and operational oversight tools strengthen the case, but transaction fees remain and integration coverage is not complete. Look elsewhere if a required POS connection is still coming soon or processed-payment fees are a poor fit for your costs.