FirstCash, Inc. is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas and operates as the largest international pawn shop chain with over 3,300 retail locations spanning 29 U.S. states, Washington D.C., the United Kingdom, and Latin America (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, reflecting its scale and legitimacy as a major consumer finance operator.
FirstCash primarily serves cash and credit-constrained consumers through its core pawn lending business. The company buys and sells a wide variety of merchandise including jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and musical instruments. Their main lending product is non-recourse pawn loans secured by pledged personal property, meaning borrowers are not personally liable beyond the collateral. Additionally, FirstCash offers layaway services (10% down payment plans), gold/precious metal buying, and retail merchandise sales through their store network.
FirstCash distinguishes itself through its massive scale and multi-national presence, making it significantly larger than typical independent pawn shops. The company also operates AFF, a wholly owned subsidiary providing lease-to-own and retail finance payment solutions through over 15,000 retail merchant partner locations nationwide. This dual business model (pawn shops plus point-of-sale payment solutions) differentiates FirstCash from competitors focused solely on traditional pawn lending.
While FirstCash offers legitimate pawn lending without personal liability, consumers should understand that pawn loans are short-term, collateral-based transactions with typical terms measured in days or weeks. Interest rates and fees are not disclosed on their public website, making it difficult to assess true borrowing costs before visiting a location. The company's strength lies in short-term cash access and merchandise sales, but it should not be viewed as a substitute for traditional credit products or long-term financial solutions.
