Short answer: Lease-to-own gets furniture in your house today without a credit score, and it is the most expensive way to buy furniture if you let it run the full term. The FTC found that customers who make every scheduled payment on a lease typically pay about double the retail price. The whole game is the early purchase option, usually 90 days, about 100 with Snap. Pay it off inside that window and you pay close to the sticker price. Let it run 12 months and you pay roughly twice. We offer these programs, and we would still rather you used them this way.
It is a lease, not a loan
This is the part that confuses almost everyone. You are not borrowing money to buy a sofa. The leasing company buys the sofa and rents it to you, and you own it once you have paid enough. That is why there is no interest rate on the paperwork, no APR to compare, and no hard credit check. Instead of a credit score they look at your income and your bank account history.
The practical consequence: approval is fast and forgiving, and the total cost is a dollar figure buried in the agreement rather than a percentage you can shop around. If you do not know that figure, you do not know what you agreed to.
What it actually costs
| How you pay it off | Roughly what you pay | On a $1,200 sectional |
|---|---|---|
| Early purchase option (90 to 100 days) | Cash price plus a small fee | About $1,250 to $1,350 |
| Full scheduled term (about 12 months) | Roughly double the retail price | About $2,400 |
| Paid cash up front | The price on the tag | $1,200 |
Those are illustrations, not quotes. Your real numbers are in your agreement. But the shape is always the same: early is close to cash, full term is close to double.
The four providers we run
We work with Snap Finance, Koalafi, Acima and Kafene. None of them does a hard credit pull, all of them decide in a few minutes on your phone, and all of them have an early purchase option.
| Provider | Early purchase window | Typical term | Hard credit check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Finance | About 100 days | About 12 months | No |
| Acima | 90 days | About 12 months | No |
| Koalafi | Varies by agreement | About 12 months | No |
| Kafene | Varies by agreement | About 12 months | No |
Payments can usually be set weekly, biweekly or monthly to line up with your paycheck. Worth knowing: choosing weekly payments does not reduce the total, it just makes each one smaller.
Five questions to ask before you sign
- What is the total if I pay every scheduled payment? One number, in dollars. Make them say it out loud.
- What is the exact last day of the early purchase window, and what is the payoff amount on that day?
- Is the early payoff automatic or do I have to call? It is almost never automatic. Put the date in your phone.
- What happens if a payment bounces? Ask about the fee and whether it affects the early purchase option.
- Can I return it? Most leases let you return the item and stop paying. That is a real safety valve a loan does not give you.
When you should not use it
We will say this plainly even though it costs us sales. If you can pay cash, pay cash. If you can pay cash for a smaller or plainer piece instead of leasing a bigger one, buy the smaller one, because a $700 sofa you own beats a $1,400 sofa you are still paying for next Christmas. And if you already know you cannot clear it inside the early purchase window, go in understanding you have chosen to pay roughly double, and decide if the item is worth that to you. Sometimes it is. A family that needs a bed tonight needs a bed tonight. Just make it a decision instead of a surprise.
What we have right now
Everything here is in our Charlotte warehouse as a single piece, which is why financing on it is simple, there is nothing to order and nothing to wait for.
- Living room, including sectionals, sofas and loveseats
- Recliners and lift chairs
- Mattresses
- How the financing works
Common questions
Will this build my credit?
Usually not. Most lease-to-own agreements are not reported to the credit bureaus, so paying one off perfectly often does nothing for your score. If building credit is the goal, this is the wrong tool.
Does applying hurt my credit?
No. These providers do not run a hard inquiry. Some check alternative data sources, which does not affect your score. You can apply with more than one without stacking up inquiries.
What if I lose my job halfway through?
Call them before you miss a payment, not after. Most leases allow you to return the item and walk away, which is the one real advantage of a lease over a loan. You lose what you have paid, but you do not carry a balance.
Can I pay it off early with a partial payment?
Payments made along the way normally count toward the early purchase amount, so paying extra inside the window shrinks the payoff. Confirm it in writing, because the details differ.
Come see it in person
Everything on the site is one piece, in our warehouse, in Charlotte. What you see is what you take home. We do not order it in.
Financing: we run Snap Finance, Koalafi, Acima and Kafene. No perfect credit needed. Most approvals take a few minutes on your phone.
Delivery: same-day delivery up to 150 miles. Buy it this afternoon, sleep on it tonight.
Tony Discount Furniture
6650 E WT Harris Blvd, Unit C, Charlotte, NC 28215
(704) 390-1713
Monday to Saturday 11am to 7pm, Sunday 2pm to 6pm
Se habla espanol.