Aztec Pawn & Jewelry in Phoenix, AZ

FirstCash, Inc. is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas and operates as the leading international pawn store chain with over 3,300 retail locations across 29 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the United Kingdom, and Latin America (including Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and El Salvador). The company employs approximately 22,000 people and is publicly traded as a component of both the S&P MidCap 400 Index and Russell 2000 Index, indicating significant scale and operational maturity in the consumer lending space.

FirstCash's core business model focuses on serving cash and credit-constrained consumers through pawn loans and retail merchandise sales. Their stores buy and sell a wide variety of items including jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and musical instruments. Pawn loans are non-recourse loans secured by pledged personal property—customers can retrieve items by repaying the loan amount. Beyond pawn loans, FirstCash offers layaway services (with 10% down), gold and precious metal buying programs, and retail sales of merchandise. The company also operates AFF, a subsidiary providing lease-to-own and retail finance payment solutions through over 15,000 merchant partner locations.

FirstCash distinguishes itself through its massive geographic footprint and scale—with 3,300+ locations, it offers unprecedented accessibility compared to independent pawn shops. The company provides layaway alternatives alongside traditional pawn loans, giving consumers multiple paths to acquire merchandise or secure quick cash. Their gold-buying program specifically targets customers with precious metals needing immediate cash. The breadth of merchandise categories they purchase creates flexibility for consumers with diverse items to pledge.

As a pawn lender, FirstCash serves an important function for credit-constrained populations but operates within the traditional pawn model: loans are typically short-term (30-90 days), interest rates on pawn loans can be substantial depending on state regulations, and consumers risk losing pledged items if unable to repay. While the non-recourse nature protects borrowers from debt collection, the real cost of borrowing via pawn loans is often higher than advertised rates suggest when calculated as APR. The layaway service requires upfront capital (10% minimum), which may be challenging for the poorest consumers.