Who is responsible for the costs associated with the review, approval, certification, and registration of Merchant Providers for an Atwell Suites franchise?

According to Atwell Suites's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee is responsible for covering all costs and expenses associated with the review, approval, certification, and registration of any Merchant Providers. This includes any recertification that may be required by Atwell Suites or Card Organization Rules.

Before engaging a Merchant Provider, the Atwell Suites franchisee must provide the provider's legal name, contact information, and intended function in writing to Atwell Suites. The franchisee must also obtain approval from Atwell Suites before allowing the Merchant Provider to access cardholder data, including confirmation of registration with applicable Card Organizations if required.

The franchisee must ensure that both they and their Merchant Providers comply with the registration process, which may involve site inspections, background investigations, and the provision of financial statements. Compliance with periodic reporting and all applicable Card Organization Rules, including those related to cardholder data security, is also mandatory. The franchisee can only allow Merchant Providers access to cardholder data for authorized purposes that align with Card Organization Rules.

This means that if you choose to use a third-party vendor to process credit card transactions at your Atwell Suites location, you will bear the financial burden of ensuring they meet all required standards and approvals. This could potentially include application fees, inspection costs, and other expenses mandated by Atwell Suites or the relevant Card Organizations.