Franchise Zone of Primary Responsibility (ZPR)

A Zone of Primary Responsibility (ZPR) is a geographic area assigned to a franchisee where they are expected to actively market and serve customers, but which may not carry the same exclusivity protections as a formal territory. Unlike an exclusive territory where no competing franchise locations can open, a ZPR typically means the franchisee is responsible for developing the market within their zone but the franchisor may still approve nearby locations. ZPRs are common in service-based and home-based franchises where the business comes to the customer rather than the customer coming to a fixed location.