What is the Atwell Suites franchisee responsible for regarding hardware and software to connect to the FreedomPay system?
Atwell_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
PIM Compliance: Hotel shall be responsible for procuring and maintaining, at its sole cost, all hardware, software and data communication and connectivity required to connect to the FreedomPay system and services (the "FreedomPay Solution").
Delivery of PCI-Validated Point-to-Point Encryption Secure Switching is subject to Hotel's compliance with the FreedomPay P2PE Instruction Manual (the "PIM") and Hotel's acknowledgement of such compliance in the form set forth on Exhibit 1 to Attachment 1 (PIM Acknowledgement) to this Attachment.
In the event Hotel does not comply with any obligation under the PIM, IHG may, but shall not be obligated, to perform any such obligation or otherwise mitigate such non-compliance, in which event IHG may charge Hotel reasonable fees to compensate IHG for such mitigation, including, without limitation, charging the then current list price for the applicable IHG services.
Further, a failure to comply with the PIM or the requirements of Section 3 below will result in the disallowance of the benefits to Hotel described in the PIM.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 99–486)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Atwell Suites's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee, referred to as 'Hotel' in this context, is responsible for procuring and maintaining all necessary hardware, software, data communication, and connectivity required to connect to the FreedomPay system and services, also known as the 'FreedomPay Solution.' This procurement and maintenance are to be done at the franchisee's sole cost.
This means that an Atwell Suites franchisee will bear the financial burden of acquiring and keeping up-to-date all the technology needed to integrate with the FreedomPay payment gateway. This includes not only the initial purchase of hardware and software but also ongoing maintenance, updates, and any necessary upgrades to ensure compatibility and security.
Furthermore, the FDD states that the delivery of PCI-Validated Point-to-Point Encryption Secure Switching is contingent upon the franchisee's compliance with the FreedomPay P2PE Instruction Manual (PIM) and acknowledgement of such compliance. Failure to comply with the PIM may result in IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) performing the obligation or mitigating the non-compliance, for which IHG may charge the franchisee reasonable fees. Non-compliance with the PIM may also lead to the disallowance of benefits described in the PIM.
In addition, the Atwell Suites franchisee is responsible for obtaining any necessary PIN keys and KSNs from their acquiring bank to facilitate pin-debit payment card transactions. They are also responsible for configuring their eCommerce system to pass through full SKU level data with each transaction, as required by the FreedomPay system. Failure to provide this data may adversely affect FreedomPay's systems and could result in suspension of the franchisee's access to the FreedomPay system if the failure is not remedied within thirty (30) days.