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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Rent-A-Center Franchise

Rent-A-Center is one of North America’s largest rent-to-own retailers, offering furniture, appliances, electronics, computers and smartphones through flexible lease-to-own agreements with no long-term obligation and no credit requirement. Its customers are typically cash-constrained or credit-challenged households who want access to brand-name household goods with the option to own after completing payments.

The brand traces back to 1973 and today sits within Upbound Group, Inc., the publicly listed company formerly known as Rent-A-Center, Inc. before its 2023 rebrand. Franchised stores operate through Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that also oversees the ColorTyme and RimTyme rent-to-own trade names. Alongside roughly 2,200 company-operated stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, the system includes a national network of independently owned franchise locations.

Stores run as staffed brick-and-mortar outlets within exclusive territories, combining showroom sales, in-house lease agreements, delivery and account servicing. The brand differentiates on its no-credit-needed positioning, same-day delivery and decades of recognition in the lease-to-own category.

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Why buy a Rent-A-Center Franchise?

Buying a Rent-A-Center franchise gives an owner an established name in the rent-to-own category, a segment that has proved resilient across economic cycles because demand for affordable, no-credit access to household essentials tends to hold up even when consumer credit tightens. It is one of the most recognised brands in lease-to-own, backed by the scale and infrastructure of publicly listed parent Upbound Group.

Franchisees operate within exclusive, protected territories and draw on proven operating systems, purchasing co-ops, proprietary leasing software and national and regional marketing — support an independent operator would otherwise have to build alone. The owner-present retail format rewards strong local management, customer service and account relationships.

Rent-A-Center Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1973

    • Franchising Since

      2013

    • New Startup Cost

      $349,660 – $701,150

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $2,500

    • Royalty Fee

      5.50%

      of Gross Rental Payments/Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      $1,050

      per Month

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      1997

    • New Units Opened *

      1

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Rent-A-Center – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming Rent-A-Center owners receive structured onboarding built around 14.5 hours of classroom training plus ongoing on-the-job training, with no prior rent-to-own experience required. Ongoing support covers proprietary leasing software, a franchisee intranet, purchasing co-ops, a toll-free support line, field operations guidance and regular meetings and conventions, alongside national and regional marketing, loyalty-app and digital advertising support. Resale buyers should confirm with the franchisor what transfer training and software access carry over to incoming owners and existing staff when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The model suits hands-on, operations-led owners comfortable running a staffed retail store and managing a team of roughly four to six. Strong skills in customer service, account collections and local sales matter more than industry experience, which the training replaces. Absentee ownership is not permitted, so owners should expect daily involvement in showroom operations, inventory and lease-agreement management. Community-minded operators who can build repeat custom and manage a credit-sensitive customer base tend to fit the format well.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    As one of the most recognised names in rent-to-own, Rent-A-Center marked its 50th anniversary in 2023 and is part of publicly listed Upbound Group. It appears in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 and has earned category rankings including #74 on Entrepreneur's Top Franchises for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (2024) and #87 on its Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners (2025). For resale buyers, this national profile should be weighed alongside the specific store's local reviews, customer base and community standing.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US rent-to-own market was valued at around $12 billion in 2024 and is forecast to keep growing at a mid-single-digit annual rate. The industry serves an estimated 4.8 million American households a year (APRO), largely consumers with limited access to traditional credit who want furniture, appliances and electronics without a large upfront cost. Demand tends to be resilient and even counter-cyclical, holding up when credit tightens, giving resale buyers a category with steady underlying need across economic conditions.

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