A right or privilege officially granted to a person, a group of people, or a company by a government.

先来看看权威的法律词典中对这两个词是如何定义的：

布莱克法律词典BLACK’S Law Dictionary中两者的定义如下：

Concession

A grant; ordinarily applied to the grant of specific privileges by a government

Franchise

The right conferred by the government to engage in a specific business or to exercise corporate powers. — Also termed corporate franchise; general franchise

元照英美法词典中关于concession和franchise做特许讲时的定义如下：

concession

中文

(1)(政府授予的)权限；特许权

(2)国家核准并根据合同条款赋予外国企业的某种经营权 如采矿。

franchise

中文

(1)特许；特许权。政府授予个人或团体的做某事的特权，而非公民普遍享有的权利，例如准予经营有线电视的特许，在英国指臣民享有的王室特权。

(2)特许使用权；特许经营权。例如使用名称或出售产品或提供服务的权利；生产商或供货商可授权零售商根据约定的条款使用其产品及名称。也指商标或商号的权利人允准他人以其商号或商标出售产品或提供服务的特许。

由上可知，concession主要是由政府、机关单位授予的，常常与土地等财产相关；在涉及赋予外国企业权利时，通常使用的也是concession。比如，FIDIC国际施工合同中常使用特许权协议——政府通过协议授予私人投资者以一定期限的特许专营权，许可其融资建设和经营特定的公用基础设施——即使用concession来表述。以下为law insider中关于concession使用的几个场景：

Concession Fee. In consideration of the grant of Concession, the Concessionaire shall pay to the Authority by way of concession fee (the “Concession Fee”) a sum of Re. 1 (Rupee one) per annum.

（关键词pay the authority政府机关）

Concession Fee. The LESSEE shall pay to LESSOR an annual Concession Fee in twelve (12) monthly installments determined as follows:

（关键词lessee、lessor出租人、承租人，表明与土地租赁相关）

Concession Fee. For the privilege of conducting the concession operations hereunder, and the exclusive use of the Concession Space, the Concessionaire shall pay to the City____ Dollars () in 2007, ________Dollars () in 2008, ____ Dollars () in 2009, _____Dollars () in 2010, and ____ Dollars () in 2011 as the Concession Fee.

（关键词concession space，表明与土地、场所相关；pay to the City向政府支付）

Concession Fee. In addition to Premises Rents and Fees, beginning on the DBO, CONCESSIONAIRE shall pay to TRUST a Concession Fee equal to the greater of the Minimum Annual Guarantee (MAG) or ten percent (10%) of CONCESSIONAIRE’S Gross Revenues for each Contract Year throughout the Term of this Agreement.

（关键词premise，表明与土地、场所租赁相关）

而franchise则主要与商业特许经营相关，包括商业产品和服务：

Franchise. The Purchaser or its designee shall have received, at the Purchaser's option and expense, an assignment or transfer of any existing franchise agreement currently applicable to the Hotel or a new franchise agreement from Choice Hotels International, Inc. (the "Franchisor"), together with an estoppel certificate from the existing franchisor in form and substance acceptable to the Purchaser, which the Seller agrees to use its best efforts to obtain.

（关键词hotel，与酒店经营相关）

Franchise. A “franchise” is any contract between a refiner and a distributor, between a refiner and a retailer, between a distributor and another distributor, or between a distributor and a retailer, under which a refiner or distributor (as the case may be) authorizes or permits a retailer or distributor to use, in connection with the sale, consignment, or distribution of motor fuel, a trademark which is owned or controlled by such refiner or by a refiner which supplies motor fuel to the distributor which authorizes or permits such use.

（关键词retail、distributor，与零售经销相关）