Is a Ben Jerrys franchisee required to purchase a specific point-of-sale (POS) system?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
hese carefully. Exterior signage is subject to permits.
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- You should review the lease, Franchise Agreement, and a business plan with an attorney, accountant and/or other consultants.
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- As more fully described in Item 11, you are required to purchase a Ben & Jerry's approved point-of-sale system ("POS System") and enter into a purchasing contract for the system hardware, software/software license, configuration, credit card, gift card, Dashboard, and help desk. The POS vendor provides integrated and PCI compliant credit card and gift card processing. If contracted, credit card processing and interchange fees are paid directly to the vendor. If you do not contract with the POS vendor to process credit cards, you will need to purchase the hardware, software and support for processing credit/debit/cards on your own (pricing will vary). You should note that our Manual requires that all locations that accept credit card payments must comply with the requirements of the Cardholder Information Security Program ("CISP") promulgated by Visa®, including compliance with all requirements mandated by the Payment Card Industry ("PCI"). You must also enter into a purchasing contract for the POS SaaS based software and support, and contract with local service provider(s) for the installation of cable or DSL internet access, and phone line.
The POS equipment includes: POS terminal or POS stand and Tablet, cash drawer, receipt printer, phone line, and internet connectivity.
The POS license includes the monthly SaaS (software as a service – which is currently $100 per month per location). This includes access to Square Priority Support Services, POS software, Dashboard access, and Employee Management.
The total cost of the equipment, software, configuration, and Dashboard is approximately $1,800-$2,300 (depending on POS hardware type) plus tax. All items described in this paragraph will be payable to an approved supplier or vendor.
In addition to the POS System, you are required to purchase hardware to support online
Source: Item 7 — ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (FDD pages 28–37)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Ben Jerrys's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to purchase a Ben & Jerry's approved point-of-sale (POS) system. This includes entering into a purchasing contract for the system hardware, software/software license, configuration, credit card, gift card, Dashboard, and help desk. The POS vendor provides integrated and PCI compliant credit card and gift card processing.
The required POS equipment includes a POS terminal or POS stand and Tablet, cash drawer, receipt printer, phone line, and internet connectivity. The POS license includes the monthly SaaS (software as a service), which is currently $100 per month per location. This includes access to Square Priority Support Services, POS software, Dashboard access, and Employee Management.
The total cost of the equipment, software, configuration, and Dashboard is approximately $1,800-$2,300 (depending on POS hardware type) plus tax. All items described in this paragraph will be payable to an approved supplier or vendor. In addition to the POS System, franchisees are required to purchase hardware to support online ordering (which can include orders for cakes, catering and on-demand delivery) at an expected cost of approximately $1,000-$1,500 for such hardware, which includes an iPad, printer and stand.