TAPinto franchise
2026 filing · May 14, 2026Fewer locations
TAPinto at a glance
A free local online news site for a territory, run by a local publisher who sells advertising on it. At the end of 2025 there were 101 TAPinto locations in the US, 93 franchised and 8 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Business services
- Franchisor
- Tap Into Local LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2013
- 13 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- New Providence, New Jersey
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $8K–$11K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $5,000
- The first year's initial license fee, which may be reduced or waived for some territories
- Royalty
- $600–$700 a month
- A monthly license fee of $600 to $700 in the first year, set by your territory's population, plus a continuing license fee on the advertising you sell, currently 10% for ads placed only on your own site
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Agreement length
- 4 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 101
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 93
- Company-owned
- 8
- Change in 3 years
- −2
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in New Jersey, Florida and New York
From Tap Into Local LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
TAPinto among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | TAPinto | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $9,550 | Costs less than 100% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $5,000 | Lower than 97% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 101 | More than 76% of franchises |
How much a TAPinto franchise costs
Opening one TAPinto costs an estimated $7,775 to $11,325. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $10K.
The biggest costs are initial license fee ($5,000) and monthly license fees -3 months ($1,800 to $2,100). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial License Fee | $5,000 | ||
| Monthly License Fees -3 months | $1,800 | $2,100 | |
| Computer System, Phone, Supplies and Materials | $0 | $2,000 | |
| Insurance Premiums | $725 | $1,225 | |
| Additional Funds– 3 Months | $250 | $1,000 | |
| Total | $7,775 | $11,325 | |
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
TAPinto franchise fee
The franchise fee is $5,000, the first year's initial license fee, which may be reduced or waived for some territories. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A monthly license fee of $600 to $700 in the first year, set by your territory's population, plus a continuing license fee on the advertising you sell, currently 10% for ads placed only on your own site. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Transfer Fee | At our option to impose; maximum of $2,000 |
| Additional Training | $200 per training session |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, pages 9 and 18
Other fees as filed, from page 10. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures TAPinto does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, page 28
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | TAPinto | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −3.1% / −2.1% | 0% / +3.6% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 5.2% / 6.3% | 5.9% / 25% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 3.1% / 8.4% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical business services brand is the median of the 114 brands in business services franchises with three years of counts.
How TAPinto compares
Of the 324 business services franchises on this site, TAPinto is the 8th cheapest to open and the 81st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | TAPinto | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $8K | $77K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $11K | $136K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $5K | $45K | $40K |
| US locations | 101 | 32 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 324 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 324 brands in business services franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 96 (+1) | 3 | +4 | −3 |
| 2024 | 96 (0) | 6 | +3 | −3 |
| 2025 | 93 (−3) | 8 | +5 | −8 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, page 29
Where TAPinto locations are
At the end of 2025, TAPinto had locations in 4 states. The most are in New Jersey, Florida and New York.
- New Jersey93
- Florida6
- New York1
- Pennsylvania1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 85 | 8 | 93 |
| Florida | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, page 29
Who owns TAPinto?
TAPinto franchises are sold by Tap Into Local LLC. It is a subsidiary of Alternative Press, LLC.
From Tap Into Local LLC’s 2026 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Tap Into Local LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
TAPinto filings
The figures on this page come from Tap Into Local LLC’s 2026 filing, issued May 14, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | May 14, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
