According to Chatime's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, all fees paid to Chatime or its affiliates are generally non-refundable. However, there is one specific exception: if a franchisee provides Chatime with a notice of termination within seven days of signing the Franchise Agreement, Chatime will refund the Initial Franchise Fee. This refund will be issued within 14 days of receiving the termination notice.

It is important to note that this refund policy applies only to the Initial Franchise Fee and only if the franchisee acts quickly within the seven-day window after signing the agreement. All other fees paid directly to Chatime or its affiliates are considered non-refundable under any circumstances once they have been paid. This includes fees like the Brand Marketing Fee, Royalty fees, and any fees for additional marketing assistance.

Fees paid to third-party vendors or suppliers, such as those for uniforms or initial training, may be refundable, but this depends entirely on the policies of those individual vendors and suppliers, not on Chatime's policy. A prospective franchisee should carefully review the refund policies of all vendors and suppliers they work with during the setup and operation of their Chatime franchise.

This policy is fairly standard in the franchise industry, where most fees are non-refundable to cover the franchisor's administrative and support costs. The limited exception for the Initial Franchise Fee provides a short window for franchisees to reconsider their decision shortly after signing the agreement.