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IRS FAVR-compliant reimbursement

Stop paying your drivers the wrong rate

IRS FAVR-compliant — audit-ready before your first payment.
Location-specific rates, not a national average.
Save $1,000–$6,500 per driver, per year.
3 locations
Updated Mar 2025
Rate Table
Compliance
Onboarding
Audit Log
Locations
3
Active Drivers
12
IRS Rate
$0.725/mi
Your Avg Rate
$0.44/mi
LOCATIONVEHICLE CLASSINSURANCE/YRFIXED/MOTOTAL/MIvs IRS $0.725
Canton, MI 48187New Compact Sedan$2,291$433/mo$0.4348−$0.265
Plymouth, MI 48170New Compact Sedan$1,962$388/mo$0.3981−$0.302
Southfield, MI 48034New Compact Sedan$4,892$725/mo$0.5668−$0.133
$0.725
IRS standard rate 2026 (record high)
$0.44
Average RatesReady rate — Metro Detroit
38%
Average savings vs IRS flat rate
$49
Per location per month
How it works

Location-specific rates. Automatically.

RatesReady automatically pulls up to date location and insurance data to calculate the right rate for each of your locations — so you are never overpaying or underpaying based on a national average.

Address-level precision

RatesReady automatically pulls up to date location and insurance data to calculate the right rate for each of your locations — so you are never overpaying or underpaying based on a national average.

Monthly rate refresh

Rates update monthly using current gas pricing models and carrier data. Your admin gets a clean summary every month so you always know where things stand.

IRS FAVR compliant

Stay compliant with ease. RatesReady uses state of the art modeling, AI, and deep industry experience to keep your reimbursement program fully IRS-compliant — without the complexity.

19 vehicle classes

New, old, and used — sedans, SUVs, trucks, and EVs across three model year ranges. Every driver gets the rate that matches their vehicle.

SMS driver onboarding

Drivers onboard in 3 text messages — name, license photo, VIN photo. No app download required. Annual MVR checks run automatically.

Full audit trail

Every rate change, MVR check, and compliance action is timestamped and logged. IRS audit-ready from day one.

Browse by state

Rates across all 50 states

Select your state to see how FAVR rates compare to the IRS standard in your market.

Browse by delivery type

Find your franchise category

Savings vary by vehicle mix, driver miles, and market. See estimates for your specific delivery type.

Get started

Request a demo

Tell us about your operation and we will be in touch within one business day.

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Thanks for reaching out. Someone from our team will contact you within one business day to walk you through RatesReady and scope the right plan for your locations.

About RatesReady

The reimbursement platform built for franchise operators

Franchise delivery operators are caught in a compliance trap. The IRS flat rate of $0.725/mile is the easy answer — but it is almost never the right one. It overestimates what driving actually costs in your specific markets, which means you are paying drivers more than you have to, or worse, underpaying and creating wage liability.

RatesReady was purpose-built for franchise operators managing 3–20 delivery locations. We give you a fully IRS-compliant FAVR reimbursement rate for every location — calculated at the address level, refreshed monthly, and backed by a complete compliance record your accountant and your drivers can trust.

The experience is built to match your actual workflow: operators manage everything from one dashboard, drivers onboard in three text messages, and compliance status is visible at a glance across your entire portfolio.

Why franchises choose RatesReady

01
IRS-compliant from day oneEvery rate is generated under IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-25. All six required FAVR components are included — insurance, depreciation, fuel, maintenance, registration, and taxes. Your program is audit-ready before your first payment.
02
Location-specific accuracyA one-size-fits-all flat rate is always wrong for someone. RatesReady calculates the right rate for each of your locations based on actual local insurance costs and vehicle data — not a national average.
03
Best-in-class operator experienceThe dashboard is built for busy operators, not HR departments. Your entire fleet — rates, compliance, driver records, and audit trail — in one place, accessible in seconds.
04
Drivers onboard in three textsNo app download. No portal login. Drivers reply to a text with their name, license photo, and VIN. That is the entire onboarding process — and it takes under five minutes.
Why franchises need this

Three reasons operators switch to FAVR

The IRS flat rate is the default — not the right answer. Here is what changes when you switch.

Save money
Up to $6,500 saved per driver, per year
The IRS rate of $0.725/mile is a national average. FAVR is your actual rate. In suburban markets the gap is $0.28–$0.33/mile — at 20,000 miles that is $5,600–$6,600 per driver, compounding across your entire fleet.
39%
avg savings
Stay compliant
Defensible in any audit, from day one
FAVR is the IRS-approved method for documenting vehicle reimbursement. RatesReady generates all required components automatically — so when a notice arrives, you have answers ready, not spreadsheets to reconstruct.
100%
IRS compliant
Retain drivers
A better deal for the people doing the work
Drivers know when they are underpaid. A documented, location-specific rate shows your team you have done the math — and gives you a real answer when they ask why their reimbursement changed. Transparency builds retention.
3 min
to onboard
Savings calculator

See your savings

Simple, transparent pricing

Pay per location. Not per driver.

Unlimited drivers per location. No per-seat fees. Annual contracts — request a demo to get started.

IRS 2026 standard mileage rate: $0.725/mile  ·  RatesReady avg Michigan rate: $0.44/mile  ·  Your savings: up to 39%

STARTER
$49
per location / month
Best for operators testing FAVR or with 1-3 locations.
Address-level FAVR rates — 19 vehicle classes
Monthly rate refresh + email notification
CSV export — IRS audit-ready format
Basic compliance checklist
90-day audit trail
MVR checks
SMS driver onboarding
Most popular
COMPLIANCE
$79
per location / month  ·  includes 2 MVR checks/yr
Includes 2 MVR checks per driver per year (avg $11/check value).
Everything in Starter
SMS driver onboarding — name, license, VIN in 3 texts
2 MVR checks per driver per year included
Full compliance dashboard
Unlimited audit trail
Admin alerts — expiry warnings, compliance flags
Continuous MVR monitoring
ENTERPRISE
Contact us
Custom pricing  ·  50+ locations
Association pricing for IPHFHA, franchise groups, and multi-brand operators.
Everything in Compliance
Continuous MVR monitoring
Unlimited MVR checks
API access + white-label option
Custom rate engine configuration
Dedicated support + onboarding
Full comparison

Everything you need, nothing you do not

Feature Starter
$49/loc
Compliance
$79/loc
Enterprise
Contact us
RATE ENGINE
Address-level FAVR rates
Vehicle classes191919
Monthly rate refresh
CSV export
COMPLIANCE
IRS FAVR checklistBasicFullFull
Audit trail90 daysUnlimitedUnlimited
License + insurance tracking
DRIVER MANAGEMENT
SMS driver onboarding
MVR checks / driver / year2Unlimited
Continuous MVR monitoring
Drivers per locationUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
PLATFORM
Multi-franchise dashboard
API access
White-label
SupportEmailEmail + chatDedicated
The math

RatesReady pays for itself in weeks

At 4 drivers per location doing 20,000 miles/year, switching from the IRS $0.725 rate to the FAVR rate saves $1,160/driver/year in reimbursement cost.

$0.725
IRS rate 2026 (record high)
$0.44
Avg Michigan FAVR rate
$1,160
Savings per driver / yr
3 wks
To break even on Compliance plan
FAQ

Common questions

Do I have to use FAVR? Can I just use the IRS rate?
You can use $0.725/mile — but it means overpaying. FAVR calculates the actual driving cost in your specific location. In suburban Michigan, that is almost always $0.28–$0.33 less per mile than the IRS flat rate.
What does "unlimited drivers" mean?
You pay per location, not per driver. 2 drivers or 12 — same price. Other platforms charge per driver per month, which adds up fast. With RatesReady, your cost is fixed per location regardless of how many drivers you add.
Why did the IRS rate go up in 2026?
The IRS raised the standard mileage rate from $0.70 to $0.725 — the highest it has ever been — reflecting higher insurance, fuel, and depreciation costs nationally. This makes FAVR more valuable: the gap between the IRS flat rate and your actual location cost just got larger.
How does the contract work?
RatesReady is sold on annual contracts. Pricing is set per location and locked for the term. To get started, request a demo and we will walk you through the program, confirm your locations, and scope the right plan for your operation.
Case studies

See the real numbers behind FAVR

Two detailed case studies — pizza delivery in Michigan and pharmacy delivery in California. Enter your work email to access.

No spam. Used only to send relevant RatesReady updates.
Real operators · Real results

What FAVR looks like in practice

Two franchise operators. Two markets. The same question: are we overpaying our drivers?

Case study 01

Detroit-Area Pizza Franchise Cuts Reimbursement Costs by 38%

A 6-location Domino's operator in the Detroit metro was reimbursing all drivers at the IRS flat rate — not knowing the actual FAVR cost in their markets was nearly 40% lower.

Locations
6
Wayne & Oakland County
Drivers
24
W-2, avg 22,000 mi/yr
Annual savings
$63K
vs. IRS $0.725/mi rate
Payback period
3 wks
RatesReady ROI
The problem

Paying the IRS rate felt safe. It was not cheap.

The operator had been reimbursing all 24 drivers at $0.725/mile. The IRS rate is the industry default — and it felt like the right thing to do. But the IRS rate is a national average. For a delivery operator in Canton and Plymouth, Michigan, the actual FAVR cost was nearly 40% lower.

At 24 drivers doing 22,000 miles each, the operator was spending $382,800/year on mileage. The FAVR rate said they should be spending $319,600. The gap was over $63,000/year — money leaving the business with no compliance benefit in return.

The legal context

The 6th Circuit changed the calculus in 2024.

In March 2024 the 6th Circuit ruled in Parker v. Battle Creek Pizza that pizza franchisees cannot rely on flat-rate reimbursements or loose reasonable approximations. The ruling covers Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The court made clear that the risk of financial harm from borderline reimbursements falls entirely on the employer.

Using the IRS flat rate is common — but it is not a documented methodology. FAVR is. It calculates the actual cost of driving in a specific location, produces a documented output, and updates automatically. That documentation is what protects operators in an audit or lawsuit.

Location-by-location rate comparison

Adjust the sliders to model your own driver count and annual miles.

Drivers per location 4
Miles per driver / yr 22,000
LocationZIPFAVR RateIRS $0.725Savings/miAnnual savings
Total annual savings across all 6 locations
vs. IRS $0.725/mile
$63,206

How the rollout happened

Week 1
Demo & rate confirmation
RatesReady pulled confirmed FAVR baselines for all 6 ZIP codes. Operator reviewed rates with their accountant. No surprises.
Week 2
Contract signed, driver onboarding begins
Annual contract at $79/location/month. 24 drivers onboarded over 3 days via SMS — name, license photo, VIN photo.
Week 3
First FAVR reimbursements processed
Payroll updated to FAVR rates. Drivers received rate transparency documentation explaining their specific vehicle class and location-adjusted rate.
Month 2
MVR checks complete, compliance dashboard live
All 24 drivers cleared MVR review. Full audit trail exported for accountant records.
Ongoing
Monthly auto-refresh, zero admin
Rates update automatically every month. New hires onboard via the same 3-text SMS flow.

"I had no idea we were overpaying by that much. The IRS rate seemed like the safe choice — turns out it was just the expensive one."

Franchise Operator · 6 Domino's locations, Wayne County, Michigan

$63K
Annual savings in mileage reimbursement
3 days
To onboard all 24 drivers via SMS
100%
IRS FAVR compliant from first payment

See your locations' rates

We will pull the confirmed FAVR rate for each of your locations at no charge.

Case study 02

California Pharmacy Chain Achieves Full FAVR Compliance Across 8 Locations

An independent pharmacy group operating 8 delivery locations across LA and Orange County needed a defensible reimbursement program that could survive California's aggressive wage enforcement environment.

Locations
8
LA & Orange County
Drivers
32
W-2, avg 25,000 mi/yr
Annual savings
$58K
vs. prior flat rate
Compliance risk
Closed
Full audit trail active
The problem

California's wage laws made their old approach untenable.

California Labor Code Section 2802 requires employers to indemnify employees for all expenses incurred in performing their duties. For delivery drivers, that means actual vehicle costs — not a national average. The pharmacy group had been reimbursing at $0.60/mile, above the IRS rate, which they believed would protect them.

Under California law the question is not whether you paid the IRS rate. It is whether you reimbursed actual costs. With 32 drivers running stop-and-go urban routes across LA, their actual vehicle costs were measurably higher — and they had no documentation proving otherwise.

The California context

The most aggressive wage enforcement environment in the country.

California's Labor Commissioner actively audits employer expense reimbursement practices. Class action attorneys have made delivery driver reimbursement a priority target since 2020. For an 8-location operator with 32 drivers — at $0.10–$0.15 underpayment per mile over 2–3 years — the exposure runs into six figures easily.

FAVR addresses California's actual costs standard directly. It calculates insurance from local carrier filings, fuel from regional EIA data, and depreciation from IRS vehicle schedules. The audit trail RatesReady produces is exactly what a California employer needs in a Labor Commissioner investigation.

California location rate comparison

California insurance costs vary significantly by ZIP. Adjust your prior rate to see your specific savings.

Drivers per location 4
Miles per driver / yr 25,000
Your current rate ($/mi) $0.60
LocationAreaFAVR RateYour RateSavings/miAnnual savings
Total annual savings across all 8 locations
vs. your current rate — plus full CA Labor Code 2802 compliance
$58,400

How the rollout happened

Week 1
Legal review & rate modeling
Operator's employment counsel reviewed the FAVR methodology against California Labor Code 2802. RatesReady provided documentation showing how each rate component was calculated and sourced.
Week 2
Contract signed, Compliance tier selected
Annual contract at $79/location/month. Compliance tier chosen to include MVR checks — California requires annual MVR reviews for delivery employees.
Weeks 3–4
Driver onboarding & vehicle classification
32 drivers onboarded via SMS. Each driver's vehicle class confirmed via VIN photo — critical in California where vehicle class affects both the rate and compliance documentation.
Month 2
First FAVR cycle complete, audit trail established
All 32 MVR checks passed. Compliance dashboard showed complete records across all 8 locations. Full audit trail exported for legal file.
Ongoing
Monthly auto-refresh, zero compliance gaps
Rates update monthly with current California fuel prices and carrier data. Annual MVR re-checks automatically scheduled.

"Our attorney said the FAVR documentation was exactly what we would need if California ever came knocking. That alone was worth the price."

Director of Operations · 8-location independent pharmacy group, Los Angeles

$58K
Annual savings vs. prior flat rate
CA 2802
Labor Code compliance fully documented
32
Drivers onboarded and MVR-cleared in 2 weeks

Get your locations' FAVR rates

We will pull California-specific FAVR rates for each of your locations and walk you through the compliance documentation.