Fee Index · Q2 2026
Australian Franchise Fee Index — Q2 2026 update
Our quarterly read on what it costs to buy a franchise in Australia, across 1,214 systems and 25 categories.
Across 1,214 Australian franchise systems, the Q2 2026 median royalty holds at 6.5% of gross sales and the median marketing levy at 2.5%. Establishment costs remain widest in fitness ($200,000–$900,000) and lowest in cleaning ($30,000–$120,000), where higher royalties offset low entry costs.
The headline numbers are stable quarter-on-quarter, but the spread within categories continues to widen as premium and low-entry models pull apart. Below are the figures journalists and researchers most often ask for — all republishable with attribution.
- Coffee & Café: 6.5% median royalty, from $118,000 all-in (n=74).
- Food & Beverage: 7.0% median royalty, from $250,000 all-in (n=210).
- Home & Trade Services: 8.0% median royalty, from $45,000 all-in (n=148).
- Cleaning: 9.0% median royalty — the highest — because entry costs are lowest (n=88).
Why do cleaning franchises carry the highest royalty? Because the franchisor's support cost is spread over a smaller sale. A high royalty percentage on a low-cost model is not the same as a high royalty on a large one — always read the fee against the category median.
The full category table, with sample sizes and the methodology behind every median, is published on the Fee Index page and updated each quarter.
Journalists and researchers may republish these figures with attribution to FranchiseScope (CC BY 4.0). Media enquiries: press kit.