Rent-to-own, explained in plain words.
You pick something you need. You pay a little at a time. You can own it at the end, or give it back whenever you want.
No credit needed. Here is how it works, what it costs, and how VRTO helps you find the stores near you.
How renting to own actually works.
Four steps. That is the whole thing.
Pick what you need
A bed, a fridge, a TV, a set of tires. You take it home the same day in most cases.
Pay a little at a time
You pay every week or every month. The store tells you the amount and how many payments there are.
Own it at the end
Make all the payments and the item is yours. No balloon payment at the end.
Or give it back
Change your mind or hit a hard month. Return the item, the payments stop, and you do not owe the rest.
You do not need credit.
Most stores do not run a credit check. That is the point. You usually need ID, proof of income, and an address.
The store owns it until you finish.
You are renting it, not borrowing money to buy it. It becomes yours on the last payment, or sooner if you pay it off early.
Before you sign, ask for these in writing
The cash price, the payment amount and frequency, the total number of payments, all fees, the early-purchase deadline and its price, and what happens if you return the item or miss a payment. Terms vary by store and by state, so get the specifics before you commit.
Renting to own costs more than paying cash.
That is the honest tradeoff. You can take the item home and choose whether to continue toward ownership. Screening, return requirements and amounts due vary by agreement and state law. In return, you pay more than the cash price by the end.
The number that tells you the truth is the Total cost. That is the full amount you would pay if you make every payment. Ask the store for it alongside the payment and the number of payments, and get all three in writing.
Paying it off early usually costs less. Ask the store what you would pay to buy it out early, and by when.
That is $880 more than the $1,200 cash price. Now you know before you sign, not after.
Made-up numbers, used to show the math. Every store sets its own. Always ask the store for its exact numbers.
We put every store in one place.
Stores near you and online options together, with the address, hours, categories and rating for each. You know where to go before you drive anywhere.
Every store in one search
Stores near you and online options together, big chains and small local shops, in one list.
The details written down
The address, the phone number, the hours and the categories each store carries, so you know where to go before you leave.
Named and dated
Each store record shows when it was last confirmed. Where we do not have a field, we leave it out instead of guessing.
Every store record shows the same things.
The address, the phone number, the hours, the categories it carries and its Google rating, with the date the record was confirmed. Where we do not have a field, the record leaves it out instead of guessing.
Listings and rankings on VRTO are never paid for.
Ask the store what a payment is and how many payments there are before you sign.
The same item can cost hundreds more at the store down the road.
Every store picks its own payment and its own number of payments, so the same item can total hundreds more down the road. VRTO puts every store near you in one list, so you know which ones to call and what to ask each of them.
Start with your ZIP codeFree for shoppers. We're a data company, and you never pay us.
VRTO is free for shoppers, and no store can pay for a better spot. We're not owned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by any rent-to-own company. Our directory is organized by location and relevance and is never reordered by who pays us. We make money one way: stores and virtual rent-to-own companies pay us to organize, clean, and present their data on VRTO. We do not sell referrals, placement, or your information. When you ask us to find a store, no store pays us for that introduction. We do not sell your information to data brokers or advertisers. Some state privacy laws may treat sharing a match request with the selected store as a sale or sharing; you can opt out through Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.
Editorial standards
Our listings use publicly available business information and retailer-supplied data when available. Our guides explain rent-to-own in plain English. VRTO participates in the industry through memberships in APRO, TRIB Group, and Nationwide Marketing Group.
Short answers to the common questions.
Still not sure about something? Ask the store before you sign. A good one will answer plainly.
The terms and models behind rent-to-own
See what is near you.
Type your ZIP code. We show the stores around you, with hours, ratings and how to reach them.