VRTO

Complete Provider Guide

Online Rent-to-Own Companies

Every virtual lease-to-own provider in one place. Compare credit requirements, lease terms, early buyout options, and product categories — so you can choose the right fit before you apply.

Updated March 2026 19 providers compared

What Is Online Rent-to-Own?

Online rent-to-own — also called virtual lease-to-own — lets you acquire furniture, electronics, appliances, and other products through a digital application and payment plan, without visiting a physical store. You make regular payments and own the item at the end of the lease, or return it at any time with no further obligation.

Unlike traditional rent-to-own stores that lease from their own inventory, online providers either partner with retailers at checkout or operate their own digital marketplaces. Most use alternative credit data instead of FICO scores, making approval accessible to consumers with limited or poor credit history.

Retailer-Partner Model

The provider integrates into a store's checkout. You apply while shopping at a partner retailer (online or in-store). The provider buys the item and leases it to you.

Examples: Progressive Leasing, Acima, Snap Finance, Katapult

Direct-to-Consumer Model

The provider runs its own online store. You browse their marketplace, select products, and lease directly from them. No third-party retailer involved.

Examples: FlexShopper, RTBShopper, LeaseVille, RentDelite

Quick Comparison

Side-by-side look at every online rent-to-own provider. Scroll right to see all columns.

Provider Model Credit Check Lease Term Early Buyout Max Approval Availability
Progressive Leasing Retailer partner Soft pull 12 mo 90-day Varies 50 states
Acima Retailer + D2C Soft pull 12-24 mo 90-day Varies 50 states
Katapult Retailer (ecomm) No trad. check Up to 18 mo 90-day Varies 46 states + DC
Snap Finance Retailer partner Alt. CRAs 12-18 mo 100-day $5,000 50 states
American First Finance Retailer partner Multi-product Up to 12 mo Yes Varies 50 states
Koalafi Retailer partner Alt. CRA 12-24 mo Yes $7,500 Most states
Kafene Retailer partner AI/alt. data 12 mo Yes Varies 50 states
Okinus Retailer partner No formal check Up to 24 mo 90-day SAC $8,000 Expanding
Crest Financial Retailer partner No credit needed 12 mo 90-day Varies 46 states
Kornerstone Credit Retailer partner No credit needed 12 mo 90-day Varies 50 states
Uown Leasing Retailer partner No credit check 13 mo Yes Varies 50 states
SmartPay Wireless retail No (optional) 6-24 mo Yes Varies 50 states
FlexShopper D2C marketplace No credit needed 12 mo 90-day SAC $2,500 Most states
RTBShopper D2C marketplace No credit check 12 mo Yes $5,000 50 states
RentDelite D2C marketplace No credit check 12 mo 90-day $2,500 50 states
LeaseVille D2C marketplace No credit check 12 mo 12-mo SAC Varies 50 states
Zebit D2C (installment) No credit check ~6 mo N/A (own day 1) $1,500 50 states
Perpay Payroll deduction No hard check Payroll-based N/A (own day 1) Varies 50 states
Aaron's Online Omnichannel No credit check 12-24 mo 120-day SAC Varies 50 states

SAC = Same as Cash. Alt. CRA = Alternative Credit Reporting Agency. D2C = Direct-to-Consumer. Terms and availability subject to change — verify directly with each provider.

Retailer-Partner Providers

These companies integrate into other stores' checkout processes. You apply while shopping at a participating retailer — the provider purchases the item and leases it to you.

Progressive Leasing

Largest virtual LTO provider — partners with Best Buy, Lowe's, Samsung, Zales, and thousands more

Est. 1999 All 50 states + DC

Credit Check

Soft pull only (no FICO impact)

Lease Term

12 months

Early Buyout

90-day early purchase option

Payments

Weekly, biweekly, or monthly — aligned to your pay schedule

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Jewelry Tires Mattresses Mobile Devices

Subsidiary of PROG Holdings (NASDAQ: PRG). The largest retail partner network in the industry.

Acima

Virtual lease-to-own with LeasePay card — shop anywhere, build credit with Experian

Est. 2013 All 50 states

Credit Check

Soft pull only — approval based on income ($750+/mo) and checking history

Lease Term

12, 18, or 24 months

Early Buyout

90-day buyout at cash price + ~$25 fee

Payments

Weekly, biweekly, twice-monthly, or monthly via bank account, debit, or credit card

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Tires Mattresses Phones Jewelry Eyewear

Subsidiary of Upbound Group (formerly Rent-A-Center). Offers a virtual Mastercard (LeasePay) for shopping anywhere. Reports to Experian.

Katapult

Ecommerce-focused lease-to-own — approval in seconds, return anytime

Est. 2013 46 states + DC (not MN, NJ, WI, WY)

Credit Check

No traditional credit check — uses alternative data

Lease Term

Up to 18 months

Early Buyout

90-day early purchase at cash price + 5%

Payments

Weekly, biweekly, or semi-monthly

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Mattresses Jewelry Tires Fitness

Publicly traded (NASDAQ: KPLT). Strong ecommerce focus with 200+ online retail partners. Formerly known as Zibby.

Snap Finance

Up to $5,000 approval — 100-day purchase option across 26+ retail verticals

Est. 2012 Nationwide

Credit Check

Uses secondary CRAs (Clarity, DataX) — not solely FICO-based

Lease Term

12-18 months

Early Buyout

100-day option — pay off early and save significantly

Payments

Monthly payments via bank account or card

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Tires Jewelry Mattresses HVAC Musical Instruments

Offers both lease-to-own and installment loan products. Uses the phrase "Virtual Rent-to-Own" in its own marketing. Up to $5,000 approval.

American First Finance

Multi-product platform — lease-to-own, installment contracts, and bank-issued loans

Est. 2013 Nationwide

Credit Check

Considers all credit profiles including poor or no credit

Lease Term

Up to 12 months

Early Buyout

Early buyout options available

Payments

Monthly via automatic deduction

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Tires Jewelry Mattresses HVAC Home Improvement

Owned by FirstCash Holdings (acquired for ~$1.17B in 2021). Routes consumers to the best-fit financing product based on their profile.

Koalafi

Up to $7,500 approval — one of the highest limits in the industry

Est. 2014 Most states

Credit Check

Prequalification is soft pull; lease acceptance uses alternative credit bureaus only

Lease Term

12, 18, or 24 months

Early Buyout

Early buyout available throughout lease

Payments

Flexible — based on your pay frequency

Product Categories

Furniture Appliances Mattresses Tires Home Improvement Outdoor Power

Formerly West Creek Financial. No interest charged — lease fee model. Also offers a virtual lease-to-own card. Up to $7,500 approval.

Kafene

AI-driven underwriting with 20,000+ data points — no traditional credit check

Est. 2019 Nationwide

Credit Check

No traditional credit check — AI approval using alternative data

Lease Term

12 months

Early Buyout

Significant discount for early payoff; return anytime

Payments

Monthly lease payments

Product Categories

Furniture Appliances Electronics Tires

Fintech startup that has raised $134M+ in funding. Uses machine learning to underwrite consumers traditional models would decline.

Okinus

Up to $8,000 approval — reports to Equifax and TransUnion to build credit

Est. 2004 Nationwide (expanding)

Credit Check

No formal credit investigation — verifies residence, income, and references

Lease Term

Up to 24 months

Early Buyout

90 days same as cash

Payments

Biweekly or monthly — aligned with paycheck deposits

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances HVAC

One of the highest approval limits at $8,000. Reports to both Equifax and TransUnion. No interest — lease fee model.

Crest Financial

$40 down payment to start — reports to Equifax to build credit

Est. 2005 46 states

Credit Check

Approves consumers with no credit history

Lease Term

12 months

Early Buyout

90-day buyout option

Payments

Flexible — first payment due 10-45 days after signing

Product Categories

Furniture Appliances Electronics Mattresses

Only $40 down payment required. 4,000+ retail partners. Reports to Equifax. "In-Home Layaway" program.

Kornerstone Credit

Founded by 100+ industry veterans — affordable leasing programs with early payoff discounts

Est. 2018 Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit needed

Lease Term

12 months

Early Buyout

90-day payoff with most leasing cost waived

Payments

Monthly lease payments

Product Categories

Furniture Appliances Electronics Mattresses

Mobile and cloud-based platform. Claims to offer some of the most affordable leasing programs in the industry.

Uown Leasing

True no-down-payment program — no FICO score used

Est. 2008 Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check — approval based on job, income, and other factors

Lease Term

13 months to ownership

Early Buyout

Early buyout available; return anytime

Payments

Weekly or biweekly

Product Categories

Furniture Appliances Electronics

One of the last true no-down-payment LTO programs — no payment required at signing, not even processing fees.

SmartPay

Wireless device specialist — lease smartphones with no credit check

Est. 2009 Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check by default (optional check for better terms)

Lease Term

6-24 months

Early Buyout

Early buyout options available

Payments

Monthly, every 4 weeks, twice monthly, or biweekly

Product Categories

Smartphones Wireless Accessories

Specializes exclusively in mobile/wireless devices. Partners with major wireless retailers.

Direct-to-Consumer Providers

These companies operate their own online stores or marketplaces. You browse their catalog, apply, and lease products directly — no third-party retailer involved.

FlexShopper

Online marketplace with 100,000+ products — 90-day same as cash

Est. 2003 Most states

Credit Check

No credit needed — applying does not impact FICO score

Lease Term

12 months (52 weekly payments)

Early Buyout

90-day same as cash; declining buyout after 90 days

Payments

Weekly (standard), biweekly, or monthly

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Tires Computers Gaming Tools

Up to $2,500 spending limit. One of the largest D2C lease-to-own marketplaces. Also partners with retailers. Note: Filed Chapter 11 in December 2025.

RTBShopper

Online rent-to-own store — up to $5,000 approval, free delivery

Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check regardless of credit history

Lease Term

12 months to ownership

Early Buyout

Early buyout options available

Payments

Weekly and monthly — set up to match paydays

Product Categories

Electronics Furniture Appliances Computers Gaming PCs Laptops TVs

Free delivery (often same-day in select areas). Up to $5,000 approval. Accepts all major credit cards for down payments.

RentDelite

Online + mobile app — lease electronics, furniture, phones with no credit check

Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check — accepts all credit situations

Lease Term

12 months (1-month minimum)

Early Buyout

Cash price within 90 days; full ownership after 12 months

Payments

Weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly

Product Categories

Electronics Furniture Phones Appliances Computers TVs Gaming Fashion

Available via iOS, Android, and Windows apps. All products are new. Payments start only after receiving the product. Up to $2,500 spending limit.

LeaseVille

BBB A+ rated online lease-to-own store — 12 months same as cash

Est. 2009 Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check — based on income ($2,000+/mo) and banking history

Lease Term

12 months (with same-as-cash option)

Early Buyout

12 months same as cash

Payments

Flexible payment options

Product Categories

Electronics Appliances Tools Fitness Musical Instruments Cameras Smart Home

BBB A+ and Business Consumer Alliance AAA ratings. All products brand new and factory sealed. Wider product range including musical instruments and cameras.

Zebit

0% interest marketplace — millions of products, pay over time

Est. 2015 Nationwide

Credit Check

No credit check — verifies identity, employment, and/or income

Lease Term

6 months of payments (typical)

Early Buyout

Not applicable — you own the product from day one

Payments

6-26 payments based on income frequency; 25-35% down at checkout

Product Categories

Appliances Electronics Jewelry Home Goods Fashion Toys

0% interest and no fees — one of the few providers to offer this. Installment model (not a lease — you own from day one). No credit building available.

Perpay

Payroll-deduction shopping — 0% interest, optional credit building

Est. 2014 Nationwide (requires payroll integration)

Credit Check

No hard credit check — limits based on income and employment stability

Lease Term

Divided across paychecks (you choose number of payments)

Early Buyout

Not applicable — you own the product from day one

Payments

Automatic payroll deduction — 0% interest, no fees

Product Categories

Electronics Appliances Home Goods Fashion Fitness

Unique payroll-deduction model. 0% interest and no fees. Perpay+ credit-building program reports to bureaus (avg. +32 points in 3 months).

Aaron's Online

Traditional RTO chain with full ecommerce program — 120-day same as cash

Est. 1955 Nationwide (online + 1,200+ stores)

Credit Check

No credit check

Lease Term

12-24 months

Early Buyout

120-day same as cash (180 days for Gold Club members)

Payments

Weekly, biweekly, or monthly

Product Categories

Furniture Electronics Appliances Computers

Traditional RTO chain (NYSE: AAN) with a distinct online program. Free delivery, setup, and service. Separate online and in-store approval systems.

Online Rent-to-Own vs. Other Payment Options

Online RTO vs. Traditional RTO Stores

Traditional stores (Aaron's, Rent-A-Center, Buddy's) lease from their own showroom inventory and include free delivery, setup, and service. Online RTO providers partner with retailers or run marketplaces — giving you access to far more products and brands, but you typically handle delivery and service yourself.

Online RTO vs. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

BNPL services (Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm) split a purchase into a few interest-free installments over weeks — you own the item immediately and owe the full balance. Online RTO is a lease: you make ongoing payments to use the item and can return it anytime. You only own it after completing the lease or using an early purchase option.

Online RTO vs. Store Credit Cards

Store credit cards require a credit application and hard inquiry. If approved, you take on debt. RTO is not credit and not debt — it is a terminable lease. If your situation changes, you return the item with no further obligation. Most online RTO providers use soft pulls or alternative data, so applying does not affect your FICO score.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online rent-to-own (also called virtual lease-to-own) lets you acquire furniture, electronics, appliances, and other products through a digital application and payment plan — without visiting a physical store. You make regular payments (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) and own the item at the end of the lease term, or you can return it at any time.
Traditional rent-to-own stores (like Aaron's or Rent-A-Center locations) lease you products from their own inventory. Online rent-to-own providers work differently — they partner with retailers or operate their own online marketplaces, purchasing items on your behalf and leasing them to you. The entire process happens digitally: application, approval, and payment setup.
Most online rent-to-own providers use alternative underwriting methods instead of traditional credit checks. Some use soft pulls (no FICO impact), others use alternative credit bureaus, and some use AI-driven models with thousands of data points. Very few require a hard credit inquiry. Consumers with poor, limited, or no credit history are commonly approved.
Most online lease-to-own providers offer a 90-day (or 100-day) early purchase option. If you pay off the item within this window, you typically pay close to the original retail cash price plus a small fee. After 90 days, you can still buy the item early, but the total cost will be higher. The 90-day option is the most cost-effective way to use lease-to-own if you can manage it.
Retailer-partner providers (like Progressive Leasing, Acima, Snap Finance) integrate into other stores' checkout processes — you apply while shopping at a partner retailer. Direct-to-consumer providers (like FlexShopper, RTBShopper, LeaseVille) operate their own online stores where you browse and lease products directly. Some providers, like Acima, offer both models.
Yes. Rent-to-own is not a loan or credit — it is a terminable lease. You can return the item at any time during the lease period with no further payment obligation. This flexibility is one of the key benefits of rent-to-own compared to traditional financing.
If you complete the full lease term (typically 12 months), you may pay 1.5x to 2.5x the retail cash price. However, most providers offer early purchase options — if you buy within 90 days, you typically pay close to the cash price. The total cost depends on the provider, lease term, and how quickly you pay off the item.
No. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services like Afterpay or Klarna split a purchase into a few interest-free installments over weeks — you own the item immediately and owe the full balance. Virtual rent-to-own is a lease agreement — you make ongoing payments to use the item, and you only own it after completing the lease or exercising an early purchase option. You can return the item at any time with no further obligation.

Prefer a Local Store?

VRTO (Virtual Rent To Own) lists every rent-to-own store in America — both local shops and national chains. Search by city or zip code to find stores near you.

VRTO is an independent directory service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Aaron's, Rent-A-Center, or any other rent-to-own company. Store information is provided for reference purposes only. Some directory descriptions and guides are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.

VRTO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any of the online rent-to-own providers listed on this page. All information is provided for comparison purposes only and was accurate at the time of publication. Terms, availability, and approval criteria change frequently — verify directly with each provider before applying. This page does not constitute financial advice.