Credit First National Association

What Credit First National Association does

Credit First National Association (CFNA) is a privately held national banking association and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio. Founded around 1972, CFNA has operated for more than 50 years as a captive consumer finance company specializing in tire and automotive service credit. The company's core product is a private-label credit card issued under retailer brands across the Bridgestone retail footprint — including Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Wheel Works, and Best-One — and accepted by more than 10,000 independent tire and auto service merchants nationwide. A secondary CFNA Mastercard product extends acceptance to the broader Mastercard network.

CFNA's technology stack centers on the 1stMILE commerce platform, which merchants use to process credit card applications and point-of-sale transactions, alongside a Salesforce-based merchant enrollment workflow, a consumer-facing website (cfna.com), and the myCFNA Mobile App for iOS and Android with biometric login, two-step authentication, and 256-bit encryption. The signature financing feature is a 6-month deferred interest promotional credit plan on purchases of $149 or more, with retroactive interest accrual at the standard APR if the balance is not paid in full within the promotional period. The company reports no AI or machine-learning capabilities across its product surface in the source data.

CFNA's revenue model is anchored in interest charges on revolving and post-promotional balances (Private Label APR 34.99%; CFNA Mastercard APR 33.24% as of January 31, 2026), supplemented by merchant discount fees on card transactions and ancillary servicing. The company operates two customer segments simultaneously: individual vehicle owners seeking point-of-sale financing for tires, maintenance, and unexpected repairs (nearly five million cardholders), and merchant partners seeking to lift average ticket size and conversion through embedded consumer financing. Marketing emphasizes promotional financing, no annual fees, low minimum monthly payments, and 24/7 self-service through the mobile app and web portal.

Name

Credit First National Association

Legal name

Credit First National Association

Website

https://cfna.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CFNA, a Bridgestone subsidiary, is a 50-year-old private-label credit card issuer providing tire and automotive service financing to nearly five million cardholders across more than 10,000 merchant locations in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Consumer Credit / Auto & Tire Financing

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210), Sales Financing (522220)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

General Purpose Credit Cards (FSAKABAA)

Keywords

• Private label credit cards
• Tire and auto financing
• Merchant payment solutions
• Deferred interest financing
• Consumer credit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Charges on Revolving Balances: CFNA generates revenue through interest charges on unpaid credit card balances. The Private Label card carries 34.99% APR and the Mastercard carries 33.24% APR. Interest accrues on revolving purchases and on promotional balances not paid in full within the promotional period.
2. Merchant Discount Fees: Merchants pay a transaction discount fee (swipe fee) for processing CFNA credit card payments. This is the primary revenue stream from merchant partners.
3. Deferred Interest Charges: When promotional balances are not paid in full within 6 months, interest is imposed from the purchase date at the standard APR, generating revenue from deferred interest arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Credit First National Association (CFNA) is a national banking association that issues private label and co-branded credit cards primarily for tire purchases, auto service, and vehicle maintenance financing. It serves a nationwide network of more than 10,000 merchants and roughly 5 million cardholders, providing consumer credit products, deferred-interest promotional financing plans, and merchant payment-processing services.

Product overview

Credit First National Association (CFNA) is a financial services company and subsidiary of Bridgestone that offers private label credit cards and merchant financing solutions for the automotive tire and service industry. The core product is the CFNA credit card portfolio, which includes both Private Label cards accepted at participating tire and auto retailers, and the CFNA Mastercard with broader acceptance. The company operates through a network of over 10,000 merchant partners nationwide including Firestone Complete Auto Care, Bridgestone, Tires Plus, Wheel Works, and numerous independent retailers. Key offerings include the 6-Month Deferred Interest Promotional Credit Plan for qualifying purchases of $149 or more, the myCFNA Mobile App for account management, and the myCFNA Rewards Program for cardholder benefits. For merchants, CFNA provides payment solutions including the 1stMILE commerce platform for processing applications and sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myCFNA: Mobile banking app and online account management platform for CFNA credit card holders
• CFNA Mastercard
• CFNA Private Label Card

Products and services

• CFNA Private Label Credit Card
• CFNA Mastercard
• 6-Month Deferred Interest Promotional Plan
• myCFNA Mobile App
• myCFNA Rewards
• CFNA Payment Solutions for Merchants
• 1stMILE Commerce Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Customers spend 3x more on average with the option of on-the-spot financing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BridgestonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFNA is a Bridgestone company and selected financing partner for Bridgestone, Firestone, and thousands of merchants nationwide. CFNA leverages Bridgestone's brand recognition, distribution network, and corporate infrastructure while providing financial services to support Bridgestone's mobility ecosystem.
• 1stMILEcoreTechnology or Integration1stMILE is the software commerce platform used to process CFNA credit card applications and merchant sales. Merchants verify 1stMILE installation on their computer desktop to confirm integration with CFNA's payment processing system.
• Firestone Complete Auto CarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirestone Complete Auto Care is a major retail partner where CFNA credit cards are issued and accepted for automotive service financing.
• Wheel WorkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWheel Works is a major retail partner where CFNA credit cards are issued and accepted for automotive service financing.
• Tires PluscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTires Plus is a major retail partner where CFNA credit cards are issued and accepted for automotive service financing.
• Independent Tire and Auto Service MerchantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 10,000 independent merchants nationwide including Best-One, Bobby & Steve's Auto World, Bosch Module, BRAKEmax, Brandon Honda, Burt Brothers Tire & Service, Commercial Tire, and many others that issue and accept CFNA credit cards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Synchrony Financial: Synchrony is the largest US private label and co-branded credit card issuer, serving retailers across many verticals. Highly comparable to CFNA's private label and deferred interest model, though at much larger scale and broader merchant footprint.
• Bread Financial (formerly Alliance Data): Bread Financial is a major US private label credit card issuer serving retail brands. Closest direct peer to CFNA given shared private label card model, deferred interest promotions, and merchant partnership GTM.

Emerging players

• Sunbit: Sunbit is a BNPL fintech specializing in automotive service and repair financing. Most direct emerging competitor to CFNA given overlapping merchant base (tire shops, auto repair) and similar ticket size / deferred interest product.
• Klarna: Klarna is a global BNPL provider expanding into longer-duration and larger-ticket financing. Comparable as a fintech alternative for consumer financing at point of sale, with growing merchant integrations.
• Affirm: Affirm is a leading BNPL fintech offering point-of-sale installment loans. Emerging competitor in the automotive service financing space, threatening CFNA's deferred interest positioning with 0% APR promotional products.

Broad incumbents

• Ally Financial: Ally is a major US digital bank and auto finance lender with a large indirect auto lending business. Comparable for consumer auto credit underwriting expertise and dealer relationships, though broader consumer banking focus.
• GM Financial: GM Financial is the captive auto finance arm of General Motors, offering retail financing for vehicles. Comparable as a manufacturer-affiliated captive auto finance company, though focused on new/used vehicle loans rather than tire/service financing.
• Toyota Financial Services: Toyota Financial Services is the captive finance subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. Comparable as a global captive auto finance operation, with similar parent-subsidiary structure and brand-backed credit offerings.
• Citi Retail Services: Citi Retail Services is the private label credit card division of Citigroup, serving major US retailers. Comparable as a private label card issuer, though at much larger scale and across diverse retail verticals.
• Ford Motor Credit Company: Ford Credit is the captive finance arm of Ford Motor Company providing auto loans and leases. Comparable as a manufacturer-affiliated captive auto finance company serving dealer networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CFNACreditCard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creditfirst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Credit First National Association