Acima
Acima is a digital-first lease-to-own financing platform serving credit-challenged consumers across 14,000+ retail locations and 100+ online merchants, with a 3M+ install mobile app and the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Upbound Group (NASDAQ: UPBD).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersDraper, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Acima does
Acima, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Draper, Utah, is a digital-first lease-to-own (LTO) financing platform that enables consumers with imperfect credit to acquire big-ticket retail items — furniture, electronics, appliances, mattresses, tires, jewelry, and eyewear — without traditional credit or debt obligations. The platform is anchored by a proprietary multi-data credit assessment engine that uses soft pulls on TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax to approve approximately 80% of applicants who have been denied by primary lenders. Acima's product surface spans the core Acima Leasing LTO program, the patent-pending Acima Digital platform, the Acima MarketPlace (100+ online merchants), pre-built eCommerce plugins (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, ChargeAfter) plus a REST API, the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard (issued by The Bank of Missouri, serviced by Concora Credit), the Acima Private Credit revolving account, and a mobile app with 3M+ installs. Distribution is omnichannel: 14,000+ retail locations across 11,000+ partners including Ashley Furniture, Bob's Discount Furniture (exclusive), Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and Target. Acima is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPBD), acquired in 2021 for $1.65 billion.
Acima monetizes primarily through transactional LTO payments: customers make periodic lease renewal payments (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) until ownership, with early purchase options available within 90 days at the Acima Cash Price plus a small fee, and an alternative 65%-of-remaining lease purchase path thereafter. Total lease cost generally exceeds the retailer's cash price (often by roughly 2x if all renewal payments are made), and approval amounts range from $300 to $5,000. Additional revenue streams include the Acima Private Credit Account (where the consumer owns the item and pays Acima over time) and interchange/interest on the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard. GTM motion is hybrid: a product-led growth layer through the mobile app and online marketplace enables self-serve applications with decisions in seconds, a channel-partner motion drives volume through thousands of retail relationships, and an API-first layer embeds Acima directly into eCommerce checkout flows.
The business operates within a $45-55B virtual LTO TAM and serves 3.5 million credit-constrained consumers under the Upbound parent. Recent scale signals include Q1 2026 segment revenue of $649M (up ~1.8% YoY) and 9 consecutive quarters of GMV/revenue growth through Q4 2025. Notable headwinds include state-level restrictions (services unavailable in MN, NJ, WI, and WY), a $7.5M legal accrual tied to settlements with the CFPB, New York AG, and a multistate AG coalition, and material revenue deceleration into 2026. The business is run with 501-1,000 employees and is one of three core operating segments of Upbound Group alongside Rent-A-Center and Brigit.
Acima firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acima
- Legal name
- Acima Digital, LLC
- Website
- https://acima.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Acima is a digital-first lease-to-own financing platform serving credit-challenged consumers across 14,000+ retail locations and 100+ online merchants, with a 3M+ install mobile app and the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Upbound Group (NASDAQ: UPBD).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acima industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Lease-to-Own Financing
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rent-to-Own (RTO) Consumer Leasing (FSAKANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing (FSAMAGAE)
Keywords
Where Acima is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Draper
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Acima business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Lease-to-Own Payments: Acima purchases merchandise from retailers and leases it to consumers. Customers make periodic lease renewal payments (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly based on pay dates) until they own the item or purchase early. The total cost of leasing exceeds the retailer's cash price.
- Early Purchase Options: Customers can purchase merchandise early at a discount. Within 90 days (3 months in California), customers can purchase for the Acima Cash Price plus a small purchase fee (typically $25). After 90 days, customers can purchase for a percentage (generally 65%) of remaining total lease amount.
- Acima Private Credit Account: Alternative financing option where customers own the product after purchasing it from the retailer and make payments on an Acima Private Credit Account.
- Acima Classic Credit Mastercard: Physical Mastercard issued by The Bank of Missouri and serviced by Concora Credit Inc., allowing cardholders to make purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted in the U.S. Payment history is reported to all three major credit bureaus.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Lease-to-Own with flexible payment terms |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Acima Private Credit Account |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Acima Classic Credit Mastercard |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Acima product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acima is a digital lease-to-own (LTO) financing platform that enables consumers with imperfect or limited credit to acquire big-ticket retail items (furniture, electronics, appliances, mattresses, tires, jewelry) without traditional credit. The company purchases merchandise from retailers and leases it to consumers under 12, 18, or 24-month terms, with flexible early purchase options. Acima distributes through 14,000+ retail locations, an online marketplace, a mobile app, and eCommerce integrations, and also offers the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard for credit-building.
Product overview
Acima is a digital-first lease-to-own (LTO) financing platform operated by Upbound Group that enables consumers with imperfect credit to acquire big-ticket items without traditional credit or debt obligations. The portfolio consists of the core Acima Leasing product (foundational LTO program), Acima Digital (patent-pending end-to-end digital platform), Acima MarketPlace (digital marketplace with 100+ online merchants), Acima eCommerce Solutions (API and shopping cart plugins for retailer integration), Acima Solutions (comprehensive retailer platform with in-store, digital, and hybrid options), the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard (credit-building card), and Acima Mobile App (with 3M+ installs for shopping and lease management). The ecosystem serves millions of credit-challenged consumers through 15,000+ retail locations including Bob's Discount Furniture, Ashley Furniture, Best Buy, and Amazon, with an estimated virtual LTO total addressable market of $45-55 billion annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Acima Classic Credit Mastercard: A physical Mastercard credit card issued by The Bank of Missouri and serviced by Concora Credit Inc., designed for people with less-than-perfect credit to build payment history.
Products and services
- Acima Leasing Foundational lease-to-own (LTO) program that enables consumers with imperfect credit to acquire big-ticket items (furniture, electronics, appliances) without traditional credit or debt. Customers make lease renewal payments until ownership or can purchase early; the total cost exceeds the retailer's cash price.
- Acima Digital Patent-pending end-to-end digital platform combining mobile, web, and in-store technology to support the full LTO customer experience from shopping through lease origination to ongoing servicing. Includes a pipeline of new capabilities from Acima's innovation lab.
- Acima MarketPlace Digital marketplace that facilitates eCommerce sales for merchant partners and enables frictionless lease-to-own transactions for consumers who do not qualify for traditional financing. Features over 100 online merchants and in-app shopping with retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
- Acima eCommerce Solutions Integration platform offering a REST API and pre-built shopping cart plugins (BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, ChargeAfter) that enable online retailers to offer Acima lease-to-own options at checkout with quick setup and no implementation costs.
- Acima Classic Credit Mastercard Physical Mastercard credit card issued by The Bank of Missouri and serviced by Concora Credit Inc., accepted wherever Mastercard is accepted in the U.S. Designed for people with less-than-perfect credit; reports payment history to all three major credit bureaus; includes Mastercard ID Theft Protection and Zero Liability protection.
- Acima Mobile App Mobile application with over 3 million installs enabling customers to apply for leases, shop online or in stores, complete agreements, and manage leases. Offers in-app shopping with retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
- Acima Solutions Comprehensive platform solution for retailers providing in-store assisted, self-guided digital, and hybrid model options for lease-to-own transactions. Operates as a division of Upbound Group focused on giving underserved consumers access to lease what they need.
- Acima Private Credit Alternative credit option where the customer owns the product after purchasing it from the retailer and makes payments on an Acima Private Credit Account. Part of the application process that first considers customers for Private Credit before considering them for an Acima Lease.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of customers denied credit by primary lenders are approved by Acima
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Acima
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Acima technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Acima partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bob's Discount FurniturecoreExclusive lease-to-own provider for Bob's Discount Furniture stores nationwide and online. Partnership began in 2012 and enhances access to flexible financing options for customers seeking home furnishings.
- Ashley FurniturecoreMajor retail partner for lease-to-own transactions. Available in-store, online, and through the Acima marketplace.
- AmazoncoreOnline retail partner available through Acima mobile app. Customers can shop Amazon using their Acima approval amount.
- Best BuycoreElectronics retailer partner available in-store, online, and through mobile app for lease-to-own transactions.
- WalmartcoreRetail partner available through Acima mobile app for lease-to-own shopping.
- TargetcoreRetail partner across multiple categories including furniture, mattresses, electronics, and appliances.
- eBaycoreOnline marketplace partner for lease-to-own transactions.
- PC Richard & SonminorRegional electronics and appliance retailer partner in the Northeastern US.
- IKEAcoreFurniture retailer partner for lease-to-own solutions.
- Mattress FirmcoreMattress retailer partner available through Acima marketplace.
- WayfairminorOnline furniture and home goods retailer partner for eCommerce integration.
- NectarminorMattress brand partner for lease-to-own transactions.
- Big O TiresminorTire retailer partner enabling customers to get tires with lease-to-own financing.
- Rooms To GominorFurniture retailer partner for lease-to-own solutions.
- ASUSminorTechnology products retailer partner.
- The Bank of MissouricoreIssues the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Located in Perryville, MO.
- Concora Credit Inc.coreServices the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard and handles customer service for credit card account management.
- AmazoncoreNew partnership enabling Amazon pickup and returns at over 1,700 Rent-A-Center stores, expanding the physical pickup/return network for Amazon customers.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform with pre-built Acima plugin for seamless checkout integration.
- WooCommercecoreE-commerce platform with pre-built Acima plugin for WordPress-based stores.
- AbundaminorOnline retailer partner that aligned with Acima as part of its mission to make shopping simple.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Acima competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Klarna: Klarna is a global BNPL incumbent offering both short-term Pay-in-4 and longer-term installment plans at major retailers. Its longer-duration installments compete with Acima's LTO terms and pressure pricing on shared merchant integrations.
- Affirm: Affirm is a leading BNPL provider offering pay-later financing at major retailers Acima also serves (Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target). It overlaps Acima on longer-duration, higher-ticket installments and increasingly targets near-prime customers who are adjacent to Acima's core subprime base.
- Afterpay: Afterpay, owned by Block, is a BNPL incumbent accepted at many of the same retailers Acima serves. While primarily short-term installments, it competes for the same checkout-button real estate and consumer mindshare at high-volume retail partners.
- Bread Financial: Bread Financial provides private-label credit cards and sales financing for retail partners across apparel, electronics, and home goods. It is a broad incumbent in the retail credit space and overlaps with Acima on retailer relationships and consumer credit decisioning.
Direct peers
- Progressive Leasing: Progressive Leasing is the largest virtual lease-to-own competitor in the U.S., serving credit-challenged consumers through retailers with a product and underwriting model nearly identical to Acima. Both partner with national chains like Best Buy and Walmart and compete head-to-head for the same retailer shelf space and subprime consumer pool.
- Snap Finance: Snap Finance offers lease-to-own and installment financing for credit-challenged consumers at furniture, mattress, tire, and electronics retailers. It directly competes with Acima for retailer partnerships and shares the same underserved customer base and soft-pull underwriting approach.
- Katapult Holdings: Katapult is a digital lease-to-own platform for non-prime consumers purchasing furniture, mattresses, tires, and electronics — overlapping Acima's core verticals, retailer base, and customer profile. Both monetize via lease payments and offer eCommerce checkout integrations.
- Zebit: Zebit provides lease-to-own and pay-over-time financing for subprime consumers buying big-ticket items online. It competes with Acima for the same demographic and similar merchandise categories via an eCommerce-led model.
- Rent-A-Center: Rent-A-Center is Acima's sister subsidiary under Upbound Group and the traditional brick-and-mortar lease-to-own leader. While RAC uses physical stores and Acima uses a virtual model, both serve credit-challenged consumers acquiring furniture, electronics, and appliances under LTO contracts — making them both peers and internal substitutes.
Emerging players
- Sezzle: Sezzle offers BNPL and longer-term installment plans and has been expanding into higher-ticket categories. It is an emerging competitor overlapping with Acima at retail checkout and targeting similar consumer demographics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Acima social profiles
Digital presenceAcima financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acima leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Acima funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acima M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acima
What does Acima do?
Acima is a digital lease-to-own (LTO) financing platform that enables consumers with imperfect or limited credit to acquire big-ticket retail items (furniture, electronics, appliances, mattresses, tires, jewelry) without traditional credit. The company purchases merchandise from retailers and leases it to consumers under 12, 18, or 24-month terms, with flexible early purchase options. Acima distributes through 14,000+ retail locations, an online marketplace, a mobile app, and eCommerce integrations, and also offers the Acima Classic Credit Mastercard for credit-building.
Is Acima a public or private company?
Acima is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Acima founded?
Acima was founded in 2013. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Acima based?
Acima is headquartered in Draper, United States, in the North America region.
How does Acima make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Lease-to-Own Payments are the primary driver. The others are early Purchase Options, acima Private Credit Account and acima Classic Credit Mastercard.
Who are Acima's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay and Bread Financial. Direct peers are Progressive Leasing, Snap Finance, Katapult Holdings, Zebit and Rent-A-Center. Sezzle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Acima have an API?
Yes. Acima offers a REST API with predictable, resource-oriented URLs that uses HTTP response codes to indicate API errors. The API supports sandbox and production credentials for end-to-end testing before going live. The eCommerce page features pre-built shopping cart plugins for major platforms including BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and ChargeAfter.
What industry is Acima in?
Acima's product category is Consumer Lease-to-Own Financing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKANAE, Rent-to-Own (RTO) Consumer Leasing, with a secondary code of FSAMAGAE, Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing. Its NAICS code is 52222.