Cartridge World franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Cartridge World franchise takes $75,150 – $106,800 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $50,500 – $51,000. To qualify, Cartridge World asks for $50,000 in liquid cash and a $150,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Cartridge World franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $50,500 | $51,000 | $50,500 to $51,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $75,150 | $106,800 | $75,150 to $106,800 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $75,150 | $106,800 | $75,150 to $106,800 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Cartridge World cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Cartridge World's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Cartridge World's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $75,150 — about in line with the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $50,500 — about 1.3× the Professional Services median of $39,700.
Category medians are computed from the Professional Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Professional Services franchises
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How Cartridge World's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2022: began the window at 563 units; 26 units opened, 239 closed, ending at 139 units. (partial records: 2017, 2018, 2019 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Cartridge World or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Cartridge World for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Cartridge World is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Cartridge World grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Cartridge World can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Cartridge World franchise
Cartridge World is a professional services franchisor with 139 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2022, it began the window at 563 units; its filings record 26 unit openings and 239 closures, ending at 139 units (partial records: 2017, 2018, 2019 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Cartridge World North America, LLC.
Disclosure filings report 2 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
You will operate a franchised Cartridge World business (a "Unit Franchise") which will provide products and services related to printer (and other) cartridges, inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges, toner, computer hardware (including printers) and software, ancillary products and services, and such additional products and services as we may specify
Cartridge World franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Cartridge World franchise cost?
- $75,150 – $106,800 all-in to open, per Cartridge World's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Cartridge World units are there?
- 139 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Cartridge World's units held up?
- 66.1% of units at risk between 2020 and 2022 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).