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The Best Rent to Own Companies in 2023

And a Surprising Editor's Top Recommended Pick You Should Know About.

The Best Rent to Own Companies in 2023

We found a gem for you. It has the best overall payment program, can save you hundreds in fees, and offers a loyalty rewards program that will even give you cash back. But it also has one powerful benefit the others don’t offer that could help your financial goals. Here’s what we found:

# 1 National Credit Direct Best Overall Value and Cost Savings
2 Rent A Center Best for Most Locations
3 Aarons Rental Best Flexible 12-, 18- and 24-Month Terms
4 Flexshopper Most Product Options
5 Grover Best One Month Lease Term
6 Leaseville Best Musical Instrument Selection

Rent to own is a multi-billion-dollar industry. There are thousands of retail locations throughout the United States and a dozen or so online rent- or least-to-own companies. Below is a summary of each of these companies and what they do best in our opinion.

National Credit Direct – Best Overall Value and Cost Savings

If you are a rent to own customer, then you should know about National Credit Direct. While they are not exactly what you’d expect, their program beats out every rent to own program we evaluated. That’s why it’s our top pick.

National Credit Direct is like a hybrid finance/lease to own company, where they offer similar products and payments like rent to own, but instead they provide no-credit-check financing. That means your approval is guaranteed and they will even report your payment history.

The only downside is that new customers are required to make an initial payment and establish a short consecutive payment history, but that’s only on your first purchase. Thereafter, you order and they ship.

Here are The Company’s Major Product Categories

  • TV & Home Entertainment
  • Laptops & Computers
  • Cell Phones & Tablets
  • Gaming PCs, Consoles & VR
  • Drones
  • Wearable Technology
  • Music and Sound
  • Home, Furniture & Décor
  • Major Appliances
  • Small Home Appliances
  • Better Sleep
  • Jewelry & Fashion
  • Outdoor, Fitness & Health
  • Children’s Corner

National Credit Direct Saves You Money

What really surprised us was how much less expensive National Credit Direct is compared to other rent to own options. Here’s an example of the popular Sony PlayStation 5 compared to the three biggest competitors.

National Credit Direct has one of the best loyalty programs on the market. Similar to credit card points, you get 100 Points for each dollar you spend. Not only can you redeem the Points for FREE Merchandise, you also have the option to redeem them for cash back. But there’s one more advantage none of the rent to own companies can offer.

If you’re trying to get your finances in order or want to finance a new car or home one day, then National Credit Direct is the place to go. They offer better value and the opportunity to build a payment history and get it reported. Not only are they less expensive, but they also have a loyalty program that gives you free merchandise and can report on your credit.

PROS:

  • No Credit Check
  • Guaranteed Approval Financing*
  • Your established account can be used over and over on future purchases
  • 0% interest
  • Customers can set up payment plans around their payday schedule
  • Smartphone app to manage your account
  • Reward Points program to accumulate Points and redeem them for free merchandise or cash back
  • 90-Day cash discount where you pay closer to traditional retail prices
  • 50% payoff discount on balance after 180 days that allows you to pay off your balance for 50% off (e.g., after 180 days a $500 balance has a $250 payoff amount)
  • Over 15,000 products to shop
  • Reports on your credit
*According to Account Terms

CONS:

  • Must establish payment history prior to receiving your first purchase.
  • If your account becomes inactive you might have to establish a payment history again.
  • Does not offer 24/7 support.

REPUTATION:

National Credit Direct has a reputation of following through on its promises for customers, and its limited reviews are satisfactory. Listening to the customer testimonials gives you good insight into what their customers think of them. National Credit Direct has a 3.8 stars out of five with Google Reviews and an A+ Rating with the BBB.

Rent A Center – Best for Most Locations

If you need the convenience of a close-by location, Rent A Center is where you should go. They are the leader with more than 3,000 locations nationwide. Because of this, your options increase significantly when it comes to finding very high demand products. When you shop online, you can see whether the item you want is in stock at that particular store. In larger metropolitan areas, this gives you much greater flexibility when it comes to getting what you want sooner.

The company offers thousands of products you can rent. Rent A Center major product categories, include:

  • Furniture
  • Appliances
  • Computers
  • Smartphones
  • Handbags
  • Fitness & Outdoors.

What makes Rent A Center so popular is the sheer volume of locations. It seems like no matter which town you’re visiting, there’s a Rent A Center location in it. Because of this convenience, it’s significantly easier for them to deliver your order, so you don’t have to go through the challenge of needing a truck and three strong dudes to carry your furniture up and down stairs. Rent A Center does it for you.

Other benefits to using Rent A Center, include:

  • Frequent specials where you can get your first week at a reduced rate
  • You can save money by selecting previously rented items
  • You can transfer your contract to another location if you move
  • You can cancel anytime by returning the merchandise
  • You can save significant money if you pay the 90-Day Same as Cash Option

PROS:

  • Amazing selection of Ashley Furniture items to set up almost any home
  • Broad product lineup of electronics, furniture and everyday life items
  • Customers can set up payment plans around their payday schedule
  • Smartphone app to manage your account
  • 90-Day same as cash
  • Convenience with thousands of locations
  • Up to a 50% payoff discount after the same as cash period ends

CONS:

  • They sometimes do check credit and use other third-party databases to determine whether to approve you
  • No loyalty program
  • Does not report on your credit

Reputation:

Rent A Center is an established company with a high reputation and extremely large customer following. While you would expect all reviews to be stellar, there have been some mixed satisfaction ratings from customers. As of this writing, Rent A Center has a:

Aarons Rental – Best Flexible 12-, 18- and 24-Month Terms

If your budget requires flexibility, then Aaron’s Rents is the place to be. They offer the most flexibility when it comes to the term of your rental contract. You can choose from 12, 18 and 24 month contracts.

While this might seem like no big deal, it can make a big difference if your budget is limited and your payment amount is the driver in a purchase decision.

Here’s a payment comparison of a Sony PlayStation 5 between the three amortization options:

  • 12 Month -- $166.99 / month
  • 18 Month -- $126.99 / month
  • 24 Month -- $99.99 / month

Of course, the total cost of ownership goes up with the longer payment term options, as described below:

  • 12 Month -- $2,003.88
  • 18 Month -- $2,285.82
  • 24 Month -- $2,399.76

By extending the payments out from 12 months to 24 you will pay an extra $395.88 but it’s easier on your budget with the lower payment amount. It’s a decision, though, that you have the option to make unlike the other companies.

Aaron’s also offers a huge selection, especially with furniture. While Rent A Center carries Ashley Furniture, Aaron’s carries Ashley and Lane, Woodhaven, Steve Silver Co., Elements and Beautyrest. These additional brands can make a big difference when it comes to decorating your home with the right furniture.

Along with furniture, Aaron’s other major category offerings, include:

  • Electronics
  • Appliances
  • Tools and Equipment
  • Fitness and Recreation

What makes Aaron’s a popular choice is its flexibility of payment terms. Here are some additional pros and cons of the company.

PROS:

  • $5 to get you started with approved validation of creditworthiness
  • Amazing selection of Furniture items to set up in almost any home
  • Broad product lineup of electronics, furniture and everyday life items
  • Customers can set up payment terms to fit their budget
  • Smartphone app to manage your account
  • Cash Price, which is lower than the total cost of ownership if you pay within specified time period per the local store
  • Convenience of many locations throughout larger metropolitan areas

CONS:

  • They will check credit history and creditworthiness to determine whether to approve you
  • No loyalty program
  • Does not report on your credit
  • No 50% payoff discount after the same as cash period ends

Reputation:

Aaron’s Rents is an established company with a high reputation and extremely large customer following. While you would expect all reviews to be stellar, there have been some mixed satisfaction ratings from customers. As of this writing, Aaron’s has a:

FlexShopper – Best for Most Product Options

If you want selection and options, FlexShopper is where you want to be. This company is a relative newcomer to the lease-to-own space, but it gives its customers more selection than any other company we reviewed. Not only does FlexShopper offer over 100,000 products, but you can even lease automobile tires and merchandise from some major retail stores. This is an amazing amount of flexibility to lease the products you want and need at affordable payments.

Major product categories include:

  • Appliances & Vacuums
  • Audio
  • Baby & Kids
  • Cameras & Camcorders
  • Cell Phones
  • Computers & Tablets
  • Furniture
  • Garage & Outdoor
  • Health & Fitness
  • Jewelry & Watches
  • Mattresses
  • Musical Instruments
  • Online Tires & Wheels
  • Smart Home & Office
  • Sports & Recreation
  • TV & Home Theater
  • Video Games & Tech
  • Tires

Many of FlexShopper’s online products come from popular retailers like Best Buy, Amazon and Overstock. We admit the selection can be overwhelming at times, but it can be great if you’re looking for specialty or niche items that the other companies do not offer.

Other benefits of leasing with FlexShopper include:

  • You can shop other websites by using the FlexShopper Personal Shopper service
  • You can download the FlexShopper FlexWallet app and submit products you find in a retail store for FlexShopper to offer you a lease to own option
  • You can choose delivery or in-store pickup
  • Protecting yourself from involuntary unemployment payment waiver protection

What makes FlexShopper a popular choice is its vast product selection. Here are some additional pros and cons of the company.

PROS:

  • Find the product you want to lease at any retailer and submit a picture and description of it to the company and they will present a lease to own option
  • Customers can set up payments around their payday
  • They offer automobile tires
  • Smartphone app (FlexWallet) to manage your account
  • Cash Price, which is lower than the total cost of ownership if you pay within 90 days

CONS:

  • They will check credit history and creditworthiness to determine whether to approve you
  • No loyalty program
  • Does not report on your credit
  • No 50% payoff discount after the same as cash period ends

Reputation:

FlexShopper is an established company with a high reputation and extremely large customer following. While you would expect all reviews to be stellar, there have been some mixed satisfaction ratings from customers. As of this writing, FlexShopper has a:

Grover – Best One Month Lease Term

If you need to lease a product for as little as one month, then Grover.com is the place to go. It’s a German company that decided to get into the rent to own market in 2015. The company’s focus is to rent tech products through monthly subscriptions.

The idea is you set up a short-term lease and the company counts on you continuing to rent at the same payment rate. After 12 months you typically can own the item for an additional $1. But here’s the catch.

The Trick to Grover.com’s Success
With one month lease terms, the likelihood of you getting previously rented merchandise is high. Plus, you have little say in what you get. The other companies present the option to save money by renting a previously rented item. Grover.com does not.

Who wants to rent previously rented merchandise, especially a hot electronic you most likely will want to keep. That’s what pushed this company to our #4 pick.

Major product categories include:

  • Computers
  • Phones & Tablets
  • Wearables
  • Cameras
  • Gaming & VR
  • Home Entertainment
  • Audio & Music
  • Smart Home

PROS:

  • Has a limited but good selection of electronics
  • Can save money on some items compared to others
  • Offers a protection plan on rented items (with limitations)
  • Free Returns
  • Does offer phone app to manage your account

CONS:

  • Performs credit check (can take up to one business day)
  • Does not offer 90-day cash price
  • Often send previously rented electronics items
  • Limited product selection
  • Does not offer payment schedules around customer paydays
  • No loyalty program
  • Only about 3,000 products to choose from
  • Does not report on your credit
  • No 50% payoff discount after the same as cash period ends

Reputation:

Grover.com is a newcomer to the lease to own market. While you would expect all reviews to be stellar, the company has zero BBB presence and some mixed satisfaction ratings from customers. As of this writing, Grover.com has a:

LeaseVille – Best Musical Instrument Selection

At some point online rent to own companies become indistinguishable, given that there are between 15 to 25 companies out there. But LeaseVille dominates when it comes to musical instruments.

LeaseVille can Outfit a Professional Band
We looked at their product lineup and most of it was exactly what every other company offered, so we weren’t impressed until we looked at the kind of musical instruments you can lease. Guitars, drums, keyboards and even professional mixers are available.

They also have DJ equipment, recording equipment, microphones and live sound speakers. This is everything any member of a live band could use. They do not offer reed or brass instruments for marching bands or symphonies. It’s too bad since a lot of school kids are forced to lease these kinds of instruments for school and there is a big market for it.

Here is every music category LeaseVille offers:

  • Acoustic Guitars
  • Electric Guitars
  • Bass Guitars
  • Guitar Amplifiers
  • Guitar Stands and Cases
  • Electric Drums
  • Portable Keyboards
  • Digital Pianos
  • Synthesizer Keyboards
  • Keyboard Benches & Stands
  • Analog & Digital Mixers
  • Microphones
  • Portable PA Systems
  • DJ Turntables, Mixers and Controllers
  • DJ Lighting Effects
  • Audio and Portable Recorders
  • USB Mixers
  • Karaoke
  • Power Amps
  • Live Sound Speaker Systems

The company was founded in 2009 and has a number of pros and cons that we discovered.

PROS:

  • Excellent musical instrument selection
  • Broad product lineup
  • Offers 100-day same as cash option
  • 50% one-time payout on balance after 100 days

CONS:

  • They will check credit history to determine whether to approve you
  • No loyalty program
  • No Smartphone app
  • Does not report on your credit

Reputation:

LeaseVille is an established company with a good reputation. As of this writing, LeaseVille has a:

Rent to Own Comparison Chart