Refund Policy

Franchise Builder US (a trade name of Grant Search US, Inc.) offers a two-part pricing structure: a one-time build-out fee and a recurring monthly management fee. This Refund Policy explains the circumstances under which fees may be refunded.

The build-out fee covers the initial setup and configuration of your franchise system, including AI-assisted generation of manuals, FDD drafts, financial models, and other foundational documentation.

Refund Window: The build-out fee is refundable within 14 days of purchase, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

• The refund request is received within 14 days of the original purchase date;
• No more than one (1) franchise manual or FDD draft has been generated;
• No document has been exported, downloaded, printed, or published;
• No document has been filed with any state franchise registration authority or regulatory body;
• No document has been shared with any prospective franchisee, broker, attorney, or other third party;
• No document has been used in any commercial manner, including but not limited to sales presentations, discovery days, franchise exhibitions, marketing materials, or negotiations;
• No AI credits, training tools, territory management tools, financial modeling tools, marketing toolkit features, or other platform features have been used beyond initial evaluation of the generated drafts; and
• The account is in good standing and has not been terminated for violation of the Terms of Service.

Strict Anti-Abuse Policy: The 14-day guarantee is intended to protect purchasers who receive structurally deficient output — not to provide free franchise documentation. Any use of generated documents, platform features, or AI tools beyond initial evaluation constitutes acceptance of the deliverable and voids the guarantee. By generating more than one draft, exporting any document, sharing any document with any third party, filing any document, or using any document commercially, you acknowledge that the service has been substantially consumed and the build-out fee becomes non-refundable. We reserve the right to deny any refund request where platform logs, AI usage records, or document activity indicate that the service has been substantially used.

After 14 days or after any of the usage thresholds above have been exceeded, the build-out fee is non-refundable.

The monthly management fee covers ongoing access to the platform, AI credits, franchisee portal, and support. Monthly fees are billed in advance and are non-refundable for the current billing period.

Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You will continue to have access to the Service until the end of the period you have paid for. No further charges will be applied after cancellation.

If you have purchased an annual subscription, you may request a pro-rated refund within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, annual subscriptions are non-refundable, but you may cancel to prevent renewal at the end of the annual term.

To request a refund, contact us through the Support section of the platform with your account email and the reason for your request. Approved refunds will be processed to the original payment method within 7-10 business days.

Refunds will not be issued in the following circumstances:

• The 14-day window for the build-out fee has expired and the usage threshold has been exceeded
• The monthly management fee for the current billing period (cancellation prevents future charges only)
• Account termination due to violation of our Terms of Service
• Refunds requested more than 30 days after an annual subscription purchase
• Fees incurred for third-party services or add-ons that have already been rendered

If the Service experiences a significant outage or disruption that prevents you from using core features for more than 24 consecutive hours, you may request a credit or pro-rated refund for the affected period. Minor disruptions, maintenance windows, and issues caused by third-party providers are not eligible for refunds.

Some states require specific refund rights that supersede the general terms above. If you are a resident of one of the following states, the additional terms below apply to you and, where they conflict with the general terms, the state-specific terms control:

California Residents (Cal. Civ. Code § 1761, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17500 et seq.): If you purchased a subscription with an automatic renewal feature, you may cancel the automatic renewal at any time and receive a pro-rated refund of any prepaid fees for the remaining unused portion of your subscription term. California law prohibits automatic renewals without clear and conspicuous disclosure of the renewal terms and requires affirmative consent before charging your payment method. You have the right to cancel online through your account settings or by contacting support — you are not required to call or visit any physical location to cancel.

New York Residents (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 5-901, 5-903): If you purchased a subscription with an automatic renewal feature, you may cancel at any time and receive a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of your subscription. New York law requires that automatic renewal terms be presented clearly and conspicuously before the subscription is charged. If you were charged without proper notice of the automatic renewal, you are entitled to a full refund of the most recent billing cycle. Cancellation may be completed through your account settings or by contacting support.

Washington Residents (Wash. Rev. Code § 19.230.130, 19.105.305): Washington consumers have the right to cancel a subscription at any time. If the service was not provided as described, you may be entitled to a refund under the Washington Consumer Protection Act. For automatic renewals, Washington requires clear disclosure of renewal terms and the ability to cancel online. If you cancel, you will not be charged for the next billing cycle, and you retain access through the end of your current paid period.

How to Exercise These Rights: To request a refund under these state-specific provisions, contact us through the Support section of the platform with your account email, state of residence, and the reason for your request. Approved refunds will be processed to your original payment method within 7-10 business days, or as otherwise required by your state's law.

In addition to the FTC Negative Option Rule (16 CFR Part 425), the following states have enacted specific auto-renewal, continuous service, or negative option disclosure and cancellation laws. Franchise Builder US complies with all applicable state auto-renewal laws. If your state is listed below, the additional protections described apply to you and, where they conflict with the general terms of our Refund Policy or Terms of Service, the state-specific terms control.

FTC Negative Option Rule (16 CFR Part 425) — Federal Baseline: Effective July 14, 2025, the FTC's final "Click-to-Cancel" rule requires all sellers offering negative option features (including automatic renewals and continuous service plans) to: (a) provide clear and conspicuous disclosure of all material terms before obtaining billing information; (b) obtain the consumer's informed consent before charging; (c) provide a simple cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the method the consumer used to initiate the subscription; and (d) not misrepresent any material fact while using negative option marketing. Franchise Builder US complies with all requirements of the FTC Negative Option Rule.

California (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600-17602 — AB 2863, effective July 1, 2025): California's amended Automatic Renewal Law (CARL) requires: (a) clear and conspicuous disclosure of all automatic renewal terms before obtaining billing information; (b) affirmative consent before charging (no pre-checked boxes); (c) a retainable post-transaction acknowledgement containing all terms; (d) online cancellation that is as easy as the sign-up process if the subscription was initiated online; (e) a renewal reminder notice 15-45 days before renewal for subscriptions of one year or longer; (f) a free trial notice 3-21 days before the paid period begins if the free trial lasts more than 31 days; and (g) no charge without express consumer consent. Violations are subject to fines up to $2,500 per violation and private lawsuits under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

New York (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 527-a — effective November 5, 2025): New York's amended auto-renewal law requires: (a) clear and conspicuous disclosure of all material terms before billing; (b) affirmative consent (no pre-checked boxes); (c) a retainable post-transaction acknowledgement; (d) online cancellation if signed up online; (e) a renewal reminder 15-45 days before the cancellation deadline for contracts of six months or more; and (f) no charge without express consent. Violations are subject to fines, restitution, and class action lawsuits.

Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 6-1-1308.5): Colorado requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism. Cancellation must be available through the same medium used for enrollment.

Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-126b): Connecticut requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy as the enrollment method.

Hawaii (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 481H-1 et seq.): Hawaii requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism. Hawaii also grants consumers a 7-day right of rescission for certain subscription purchases.

Illinois (815 ILCS 915/1 et seq.): Illinois requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism. Illinois also requires that consumers be able to cancel through the same medium used for enrollment.

Louisiana (La. Rev. Stat. § 51:1431 et seq.): Louisiana requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism.

Maryland (Md. Com. Law Code § 14-3101 et seq.): Maryland requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism. Maryland also grants consumers a 7-day right of rescission for certain subscription purchases.

Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 325G.40 et seq.): Minnesota requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism. Minnesota's law covers both consumer and business subscriptions.

North Carolina (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-101 et seq.): North Carolina requires clear disclosure of automatic renewal offer terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism.

North Dakota (N.D. Cent. Code § 51-23-01 et seq.): North Dakota requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms and a cancellation mechanism.

Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat. § 646A.830 et seq.): Oregon requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism. Oregon's law applies to both consumer and business subscriptions.

Tennessee (Tenn. Code § 47-18-501 et seq.): Tennessee requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism.

Vermont (9 V.S.A. § 2463 et seq.): Vermont requires clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a simple cancellation mechanism.

District of Columbia (D.C. Code § 28-4411 et seq.): D.C. requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of auto-renewal terms, affirmative consent, and a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy as the enrollment method.

Other States: Many additional states have consumer protection laws that may apply to automatic renewals and subscription billing, including but not limited to: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Franchise Builder US monitors all state auto-renewal laws and updates its practices to comply with each state's requirements as they take effect.

How to Cancel in Any State: Regardless of your state of residence, you may cancel your subscription at any time by: (a) navigating to Account Settings → Subscription within the platform; (b) using the Direct-to-Cancel button on our Cancel Subscription page at /legal/cancel-subscription; or (c) contacting us through the Support section of the platform. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You will not be charged for the next billing cycle if you cancel before the renewal date. The cancellation process requires no more steps than the original subscription process, as required by the FTC Negative Option Rule and all state auto-renewal laws.

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page. Changes do not affect refunds that were already approved prior to the change.