A corporate store is a location that HQ itself owns, as opposed to a franchisee's location. In a franchise network, the HQ Owner can mark those locations on the HQ Locations page. A corporate store is treated differently in two ways, and you choose its fees separately.
This only appears in a network whose organization type is Franchise. A Multi-location network doesn't have it.
What changes for a corporate store
- The HQ role lock doesn't apply. In a franchise network, nobody can both work at a franchisee's location and hold an HQ role. At a corporate store that rule is lifted, so HQ staff can also work there. See How HQ members work inside every location.
- It pays no HQ fees until you turn them on. You choose royalty, marketing fund and one-off HQ fees one by one. See Choosing which HQ fees a corporate store pays.
The confirmation also says that HQ already sees every location's details, so marking a store corporate doesn't widen what HQ can see.
Who sees it and who can change it
HQ members who can see HQ's own setup see a Corporate store badge on a marked location. Franchisee-side viewers don't. Only the HQ Owner sees the buttons below. An HQ Admin does not. In the Test Drive the buttons are switched off.
Mark a location
- Switch to your HQ view and open Locations under Network.
- Open the Hierarchy tab and find the location's row.
- Hover over the row, or tab to it with the keyboard, until the small Corporate store button appears. Click it.
- A dialog asks "Make [location] a corporate store?" and explains the effects. Click Make corporate store.
The row now shows the Corporate store badge and a Fees button. Every fee starts off.
Remove corporate store status
- On the same row, hover until Remove appears and click it.
- A dialog asks "Remove corporate store status from [location]?" It says HQ will treat the location as a regular franchisee location again, its fee settings are cleared, and it is billed by your normal royalty rule from the next statement.
- Click Remove.
If you mark the same location again later, its fees start from all off again.
If a corporate store leaves the network
When a location is unlinked from the organization or moved out, its corporate store status is cleared. If it is linked back, mark it again.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who can mark a location as a corporate store?
A: Only the HQ Owner. HQ Admins can see the badge but not the buttons.
Q: Why don't I see Corporate store on my Locations page?
A: It only appears in a Franchise network, and only for HQ members who can see HQ's own setup.
Q: Does marking a store corporate let HQ see more of its customers?
A: No. The confirmation says HQ already sees every location's details.
Q: What happens to its fee settings if I remove the status?
A: They are cleared. The location is billed by your normal royalty rule from the next statement, and marking it again starts with every fee off.
Q: What if a corporate store is unlinked from the network?
A: Its corporate store status is cleared. Mark it again if it is linked back.