From whom must a Brightstar Care franchisee procure their accounting software and Athena Business System?

According to Brightstar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must procure their accounting software and cash application and collection software from Brightstar Care or any third party they designate. The Athena Business System and its successors must be procured from Brightstar Care or one of its affiliates, currently BrightStar Technology.

Brightstar Care reserves the right to designate changes or enhancements to the Computer Infrastructure Package used in the agency, including computer hardware, software, and other equipment. When such changes or enhancements are designated, franchisees may be required to make certain payments to Brightstar Care or its designated suppliers. Franchisees will have 3 months to install and commence use of any changes.

The initial cost to purchase the Computer Infrastructure Package ranges from $4,000 to $9,500. The monthly maintenance, repair, or upgrade of the Athena Business System and any annual costs for optional or required maintenance, support, upgrades, and updates to that system are covered by the Athena Business System Monthly Service Fee. However, all hardware and computer network maintenance and upgrades of other software are the franchisee's responsibility and must be done in a timely manner. Upgrades could cost between $1,000 and $3,000 or more annually.