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Acima Credit lease-to-own service: 2025 review

Written by
Hanneh Bareham
Edited by
Katie Lowery
Updated on July 17, 2025

At a glance

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3.8
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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Availability
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8
Affordability
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3.0
Customer Experience
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7
Transparency
Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5
3.3

About Bankrate Score

Full methodology

Bankrate's Take: Acima is a no-credit, lease-to-own service that allows customers to finance purchases instantly. It's not a loan or a line of credit, but is a point-of-sale financing option that comes with high payments. 

Lender Details

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Loan amount

$300-$5,000

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APR from

Varies

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Term lengths

12-24 months

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Funds available in

As soon as approval

Acima is best for lease-to-own purchases

Acima allows consumers to borrow up to $5,000 for personal and household goods. Depending on the retailer, borrowers may have immediate access to the lease upon checkout and can finance their purchase over a 12-month minimum.

Acima lease uses

Acima is available at over 15,000 retail stores and is used for personal and household goods. To ensure your purchase is eligible for leasing through Acima, you can shop through its mobile app or online marketplace.

Regardless of how you shop, make sure you're aware of the prohibited uses so you don't bank on using the product for an unapproved purchase.

Permitted uses Prohibited uses
Furniture Consumables
Mattresses High-risk tools and items, like chainsaws or trampolines
Tires Items meant to be permanently attached to a home or vehicle
Appliances Services, like repairs or installations
Electronics Firearms and weapons
Jewelry Clothing and apparel
Handbags Gift cards
Camera equipment Ammunition

Where Acima leases stand out 

  • Over 15,000 popular partners: Acima works at many popular retailers, like Best Buy, Ashley Furniture and Goodyear. You can use it to lease eligible purchases online and in person at participating retailers.
  • Predictable payments: Your Acima lease agreement includes a set monthly payment based on the term you select. You can choose between 12, 18 or 24 months and pay off the lease early, depending on your lease agreement.
  • Option to return: You can return your product in good condition to terminate your leasing agreement without penalty.

Where Acima leases fall short 

  • Not a traditional loan: Acima is not a traditional lender, offering a lease-to-own arrangement that's more restrictive than the flexibility you'd get with personal loans. While you can finance certain goods, you can't use the money for common services or purchases, like home improvement projects and clothing.
  • No fee transparency: The fees aren't explicitly stated, but its website does say that failed or late payments may accrue fees.
  • Total cost: Your total lease cost factors in the merchandise's value, the cost of the lease service and sales tax, in most states. Completing the entire lease will work out to approximately double the original cost of the item.
  • Not available in all states: Acima is not available in Minnesota, New Jersey, Wisconsin or Wyoming.

Acima customer resources

Customer support

Acima Credit's customer service department can be reached by phone Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. 

It also offers an online chat option on its website, available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. According to Trustpilot, Acima's response time is fast — it has replied to 99 percent of negative reviews, typically in 48 hours or less.

Digital experience

Compared to similar lease-to-own companies, Acima has a fairly comprehensive digital experience, offering both an online marketplace and a free mobile app. Because it isn't a loan and doesn't require a hard check, the process of applying is simple and much faster than if you were to apply for a traditional personal loan. 

The mobile app, Acima Leasing, is free for both Apple and Android users, earning a 4.7 out of 5 stars on the Apple store. but only a 3.0 out of 5 on the Google Play store.

How this lender compares

logo
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8
Bankrate Score
APR from
Varies
Loan Amount
$300-$5,000
Term Length
12-24 months
Min Credit Score
Not disclosed
Compare ratesArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate
logo
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5
Bankrate Score
APR from
8.99%-35.99%
Loan Amount
$2,000-$50,000
Term Length
24-60 months
Min Credit Score
600
Read our reviewArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate
logo
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7
Bankrate Score
APR from
8.74%-35.49%* with autopay
Loan Amount
$5,000–$100,000
Term Length
24-84 months
Min Credit Score
300
Read our reviewArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate

Acima Credit vs. Prosper

Prosper is a peer-to-peer lending institution that extends personal loans based on credit, while Acima skips the hard credit check and uses your banking information for verification. Prosper offers interest rates that go up to 35.99 percent, while Acima skips the APR and instead charges flat fees for leasing services, which are also costly. 

However, with Acima, you have a rigid, set payment schedule with the longest term spanning up to 24 months. Prosper spreads its payments out over a term of up to 60 months, giving you more time to pay off that large purchase.

Read our full Prosper review

Acima Credit vs. Possible Finance

Possible Finance offers small loans to borrowers with little or no credit. You can borrow a maximum of $500, just a fraction of what Acima can offer, and it must be paid off within eight weeks. Meanwhile, Acima focuses on larger amounts of up to $5,000. 

Possible may be a more affordable option than Acima — its finance charges won't make the amount repaid twice the original amount borrowed. But Possible Finance is still an expensive option, with triple-digit APRs.

Read our full Possible Finance review

Do you qualify for a lease with Acima? 

To be approved for an Acima lease, you must be 18 or older. You must also meet the following requirements:

  • An active checking account with $750 or more in monthly income
  • Three months of consistent income history with the same source of income
  • Government-issued form of photo identification
  • Social Security number or taxpayer identification number 

Acima will consider multiple financial factors and review your credit to determine your approval, including checking your credit report, but applying alone won't impact your credit. This is because Acima uses a soft credit check to view your report.

How to apply for a lease with Acima 

Shop in person or look online for the “Pay with Acima” button at the bottom of the screen to use the funds. Your approval is valid for 45 days. 

  1. Shop at a participating store. Choose your retailer using the store locator or the online Acima MarketPlace. Make sure the item you want to finance is under $5,000, partners with Acima and is eligible for financing.
  2. Add information and finalize your application. Apply online or in person. You can apply for financing at checkout and will need to input a few personal details. If approved, you'll receive instant financing.
  3. Review the lease details. Once approved, the lease agreement will be available for review via the mobile app or by signing in to your online account. A physical copy can be provided to you if you are shopping in person.

How Bankrate rates Acima

Overall Score 3.8 Explanation
Availability 4.8 Acima is easily accessible at many popular retailers and makes it easy to gain approval with basic banking requirements.
Affordability 3.0 Evaluating Acima’s pricing structure is difficult because its fees vary by agreement, based on individual approval. However, because you are buying items at a markup, it does not rank high on the overall affordability scale.
Customer Experience 4.7 Acima offers both phone and online support for its leaseholders. However, days and times are limited, with no support on Sundays.
Transparency 3.3 Acima does not disclose its fees upfront; instead, you must apply in order to receive a fee schedule specific to your leasing agreement.

Methodology

Bankrate's trusted personal loans industry expertise

Read our full methodology

48

years in business

45

lenders reviewed

20

loan features weighed

900

data points collected

Bankrate considers 20 factors when reviewing lenders. Credit requirements, APR ranges, fees, loan amounts and flexibility are all taken into account so that ratings are representative of how competitive lenders are for a wide range of credit profiles and budgets. The Bankrate Score for personal loans consists of four categories:

  • Availability: What the minimum loan amounts are, its eligibility requirements and loan turnaround are considered in this category.
  • Affordability: The interest rates, penalties and fees are measured in this section of the score. Lower rates and fees and fewer potential penalties result in a higher score.
  • Customer experience: This category covers customer service hours, if online applications are available, online account access and mobile apps.
  • Transparency: This category is measured by how accessible credit requirements, rates and fees are on the lender's page. We also considered whether prequalification was available, as all these factors are key for consumers to make an informed decision.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.