Valu + Pawn in Irving, TX

FirstCash, Inc. is a publicly traded company (component of S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 2000 indexes) headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with approximately 22,000 employees. Founded to serve cash and credit-constrained consumers, the company has grown into the largest international pawn store operator by location count and market presence.

FirstCash operates a diverse lending and retail model centered on pawn loans secured by pledged personal property (non-recourse loans). The company buys and sells jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and musical instruments. Beyond pawn lending, FirstCash offers layaway services (10% down payment plans), gold/precious metals buying, and retail inventory sales. Through its wholly owned subsidiary AFF, FirstCash also provides lease-to-own and retail finance payment solutions across 15,000+ merchant partner locations nationwide.

What distinguishes FirstCash is its scale—3,300+ retail locations make it the dominant player in the U.S. pawn market with national and international geographic reach. The company is a public entity with transparent financial reporting, reducing concerns about predatory practices common in smaller, independent pawn shops. Their layaway and gold-buying services provide alternative pathways to quick cash beyond traditional pawn loans. The subsidiary AFF expands their addressable market into point-of-sale financing for retail goods and services.

For consumers, FirstCash offers legitimate quick access to cash through collateral-based loans without credit checks, but pawn loans come with the inherent limitation of losing personal property if unable to repay. While larger and more regulated than typical independent pawn shops, interest rates and terms are not disclosed on their website, requiring store visits for specifics. The non-recourse nature (no debt collection beyond loss of item) is protective compared to traditional loans.