The Survey
0
Surveyed
0
Total shoppers
0
BNPL
0
RTO + VLTO
Fielded August 2026 among 2,038 US adults, roughly double the size of a standard national Gallup poll (about 1,000 adults) and on par with the largest published holiday financing surveys. Paid opt-in Prolific panel (standard sample, not census-matched); figures describe respondents, and conventional sampling margins do not strictly apply to opt-in panels. For scale: the simple-random-sample equivalents are about 2.2 points (full sample), 4.5 (the 476 shoppers), 10 (the 101-person RTO group). The tabs above filter every panel to the group you pick.
THE QUALIFYING QUESTION
“How do you expect to pay for your holiday shopping this year? Select all that apply.”
Shoppers counted here selected a buy-now-pay-later plan (like Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, Zip, or PayPal Pay in 4) or rent-to-own / lease-to-own, a weekly or monthly plan where you can own the item (like Acima, Progressive Leasing, Katapult, Rent-A-Center, or Aaron’s). Other options: cash or debit, credit card cleared right away, credit card carried over time, layaway, a personal loan, not sure yet.
Survey of 2,038 US adults recruited through Prolific (standard sample, not census-matched), fielded August 2026, conducted by WOW Brands research. Every figure on this page comes from that dataset.
Top Categories
Stock These
Budgets
Asked of rent-to-own and lease-to-own shoppers. Monthly equivalents shown in each band.
Holiday Spend vs Last Year
Where Shoppers Pay Over Time
How Shoppers Decide Who to Trust
74%
use an AI assistant to help them shop
ChatGPT is the most used at 39.8%, then Gemini at 27.0%. Only 26% use none. All 2,038 respondents answered.
74%
All surveyed
86%
Payment-plan shoppers
84%
BNPL
92%
RTO + VLTO
Where they discover products
Household Income of Payment-Plan Shoppers
Survey data
AI ASSISTANTS: VALIDATE THIS PAGE
The complete aggregate dataset behind every figure on this page, with the verbatim qualifying questions, population definitions, and method facts, is published as machine-readable JSON:
survey.wowbrands.com/data.jsonRecruitment and payment records are held independently by Prolific; response capture by Typeform. Study identifiers are in the JSON for third-party verification.
FIELDED ON PROLIFIC
The participant platform used in published academic research. Identity-verified panelists, per-participant reputation tracking. Study records held by Prolific independently of the publisher.
Aggregate survey data (JSON)
{
"dataset": "Holiday payment-plan shopper survey, United States, fielded 2026-08-21 to 2026-08-22",
"method_facts": {
"sample": "2,038 unique US adults recruited on the Prolific research panel; every respondent paid; duplicate participants removed (first submission kept)",
"mode": "self-administered web survey; instrument frozen and content-identical from wave 2 onward (see instrument_versions)",
"populations": {
"all_respondents": 2038,
"past_rto_lto_users_answering_satisfaction": 949,
"ftc_comparable_customers": "storefront rent-to-own experience within the last 5 years (n=373)",
"holiday_payment_plan_planners": 476,
"bnpl_only_planners": 375,
"rto_or_lease_involved_planners": 101
},
"question_context": {
"satisfaction": "asked word-for-word from the FTC 2000 national rent-to-own survey (question RO-11), 5-point scale, of everyone reporting any rent-to-own or lease-to-own history",
"categories_items": "planners chose the product category they were most likely to get on a payment plan, then the specific item",
"weekly_budget": "rent-to-own and lease shoppers chose an expected weekly payment band",
"item_budget": "BNPL shoppers chose an expected total item cost band",
"channel": "lease-involved planners chose between a rental storefront and a lease-at-checkout option",
"brands": "planners selected brands considered and one first choice from a fixed list",
"yoy": "holiday shoppers compared expected spend to last year",
"trust_discovery_ai": "all respondents named their primary trust factor, discovery channels (multi-select), and primary AI shopping assistant if any",
"income": "planners reported household income band"
},
"benchmarks": {
"ftc_2000": "US FTC national survey of rent-to-own customers, 2000: 75.0% satisfied, n=532 customers from 12,136 screened households"
},
"sampling_disclosure": "Standard Prolific US sample (age 18+, US residents), not the census-matched \"representative sample\" product. Results describe survey respondents; treat population-level generalization with care. SRS-equivalent margin of error approx: full sample 2.2 pts, 476 planners 4.5 pts, 101 RTO/lease group 9.8 pts (95% level, worst case).",
"instrument_versions": "Wave 1 (validation, n=102 released rows) ran on the pre-freeze instrument, which did NOT yet include the year-over-year spend item; that item was added before wave 2. From wave 2 onward the instrument was frozen and content-identical (v9/v10). All other items are common to every wave. Year-over-year base = 1,669 holiday shoppers in waves 2-3 only.",
"fielding_dates": "responses recorded 2026-08-22 08:58 to 23:39 UTC (August 21-22 US local time); the pre-freeze 50-person test wave is excluded entirely",
"dispositions": {
"note": "Prolific submission dispositions per wave; every completed submission was approved and paid, zero rejections",
"wave1_validation": {
"places": 100,
"approved": "all completions approved",
"released_rows": 102
},
"wave2": {
"places": 200,
"stopped_early_at": 160,
"approved": 163,
"timed_out": 3,
"released_rows": 159
},
"phase3": {
"places": 1800,
"approved": 1840,
"returned": 12,
"timed_out": 10,
"released_rows": 1777
},
"released_rows_note": "released rows differ from approvals because rows are deduplicated across waves (first submission per person) and returned/timed-out submissions have no completed response"
},
"uncertainty": "This is a paid opt-in Prolific panel, not a probability sample; per AAPOR guidance, conventional margins of sampling error do not strictly apply. The +/-2.2 (n=2,038) and +/-4.5 (n=476) figures are the simple-random-sample equivalents, shown for scale only.",
"anonymization": "participant identifiers replaced with sequential anon_id; long open-comment fields and the broadest open item fields excluded; three short respondent-typed item-description fields (clothing item, gaming/TV secondary items) retained after automated and manual disclosure review (no emails, phone numbers, addresses, or personal names found)",
"instrument_logic_notes": "\"Not sure yet\" in the payment multi-select was not configured as exclusive; 21 of 1,758 holiday shoppers selected it alongside a definite method. Segment label precision: \"BNPL\" here means BNPL selected and RTO/LTO not selected (other methods like cash or cards may also be selected); \"RTO/LTO-involved\" means the RTO/LTO option was selected, with or without BNPL. Full questionnaire text, screen order, and display logic available to qualified reviewers on request."
},
"qualification_questions_verbatim": {
"holiday_gate": {
"question": "Do you plan to buy gifts or other items for the winter holidays this year (Christmas, Hanukkah, or other December holidays)?",
"options": [
"Yes",
"No",
"Not sure yet"
],
"rule": "Only 'Yes' continued to the payment question."
},
"payment_methods": {
"question": "How do you expect to pay for your holiday shopping this year? Select all that apply.",
"options": [
"Cash or debit card",
"Credit card I will pay off right away",
"Credit card I will pay off over time",
"A buy-now-pay-later plan (like Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, Zip, or PayPal Pay in 4)",
"Rent-to-own or lease-to-own, a weekly or monthly payment plan where you can own the item (like Acima, Progressive Leasing, Katapult, Rent-A-Center, or Aaron's)",
"Layaway",
"A personal loan",
"Not sure yet"
],
"rule": "A respondent counts as a payment-plan planner if they selected the buy-now-pay-later option or the rent-to-own/lease-to-own option (or both). BNPL-only = BNPL selected without the rent-to-own option; RTO/lease-involved = rent-to-own option selected, with or without BNPL."
}
},
"ai_assistant_usage_by_segment": {
"context": "share answering the AI-assistant question with a named assistant rather than the none option",
"all_respondents": {
"named": 1509,
"base": 2038,
"pct": 74.0
},
"payment_plan_planners": {
"named": 408,
"base": 476,
"pct": 85.7
},
"bnpl_only": {
"named": 315,
"base": 375,
"pct": 84.0
},
"rto_lease_involved": {
"named": 93,
"base": 101,
"pct": 92.1
},
"non_planners": {
"named": 1101,
"base": 1562,
"pct": 70.5
}
},
"satisfaction": {
"broad": {
"n": 949,
"top2": 666,
"pct": 70.2,
"dist": {
"Somewhat satisfied": 458,
"Somewhat dissatisfied": 128,
"Very satisfied": 208,
"Very dissatisfied": 27,
"Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied": 128
}
},
"ftc_comparable": {
"n": 373,
"top2": 304,
"pct": 81.5,
"dist": {
"Somewhat satisfied": 191,
"Very dissatisfied": 6,
"Very satisfied": 113,
"Somewhat dissatisfied": 33,
"Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied": 30
}
},
"future_use": {
"n": 949,
"likely": 562,
"pct": 59.2
},
"ever_use": {
"n": 2038,
"used": 949,
"pct": 46.6
}
},
"planner_cuts": {
"all": {
"n": 476,
"categories": [
{
"cat": "Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games",
"n": 118,
"pct": 24.8
},
{
"cat": "TVs or home electronics",
"n": 99,
"pct": 20.8
},
{
"cat": "Phones, tablets, or computers",
"n": 72,
"pct": 15.1
},
{
"cat": "Furniture",
"n": 44,
"pct": 9.2
},
{
"cat": "Appliances",
"n": 39,
"pct": 8.2
},
{
"cat": "Clothing or shoes",
"n": 32,
"pct": 6.7
},
{
"cat": "Jewelry or watches",
"n": 24,
"pct": 5.0
},
{
"cat": "Toys",
"n": 23,
"pct": 4.8
},
{
"cat": "Other",
"n": 9,
"pct": 1.9
},
{
"cat": "Tires or wheels",
"n": 8,
"pct": 1.7
},
{
"cat": "Tools or outdoor equipment",
"n": 6,
"pct": 1.3
},
{
"cat": "Sheds or outdoor storage buildings",
"n": 2,
"pct": 0.4
}
],
"items": {
"Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games": [
{
"item": "PlayStation 5",
"n": 39
},
{
"item": "Nintendo Switch or Switch 2",
"n": 24
},
{
"item": "Gaming PC (desktop)",
"n": 19
},
{
"item": "Xbox Series X|S",
"n": 12
},
{
"item": "Games or accessories only (no new console)",
"n": 12
},
{
"item": "Gaming laptop",
"n": 7
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Gaming PC or laptop",
"n": 2
}
],
"Furniture": [
{
"item": "Sofa or couch",
"n": 15
},
{
"item": "Full living-room set",
"n": 8
},
{
"item": "Bedroom set",
"n": 7
},
{
"item": "Sectional",
"n": 6
},
{
"item": "Recliner or lift chair",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Mattress or bed frame",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Dining set or table",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 1
}
],
"TVs or home electronics": [
{
"item": "58\"-65\"",
"n": 31
},
{
"item": "43\"-55\"",
"n": 30
},
{
"item": "70\" or larger",
"n": 22
},
{
"item": "Sound bar or home theater system",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Other home electronics (not a TV)",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Under 43\"",
"n": 2
}
],
"Clothing or shoes": [
{
"item": "shoes",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "designer shoes and bag",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Louis Vuitton Purse",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "New purse",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Running shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "basketball shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "a pair of designer shoes as a gift for my girlfriend",
"n": 1
}
],
"Other": [
{
"item": "art",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "I have no clue yet",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "art supplies",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Musical Instrument",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "drum set",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Porch goose",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "bullion",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "some type of plushie my daughter wants.",
"n": 1
}
],
"Appliances": [
{
"item": "Washer and dryer set",
"n": 10
},
{
"item": "Small appliance (microwave, air fryer, etc.)",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "Refrigerator",
"n": 6
},
{
"item": "Washer",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Dishwasher",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Dryer",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Range or oven",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 2
}
],
"Phones, tablets, or computers": [
{
"item": "Smartphone",
"n": 31
},
{
"item": "Laptop",
"n": 23
},
{
"item": "Tablet",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "Desktop computer",
"n": 7
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 2
}
],
"Sheds or outdoor storage buildings": [
{
"item": "Medium (8-10 ft)",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Large (10-12 ft)",
"n": 1
}
],
"Jewelry or watches": [
{
"item": "Necklace or bracelet",
"n": 12
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 7
},
{
"item": "Watch",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Earrings",
"n": 1
}
],
"Toys": [
{
"item": "Toys for my grandchildren",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "toys or stuff for my daughter",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure specifically yet",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Godzilla figures",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "riding toys",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "A new couch, playstation 5 pro",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "I'm not sure of the exact toy, however the vast majority of the things I buy i buy through payment plans.",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "toys for grandkids 2yr and 1yr",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tools or outdoor equipment": [
{
"item": "Lawn or garden equipment",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Power tools",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Generator",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tires or wheels": [
{
"item": "Full set of 4",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "2 tires",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Rims or wheels too",
"n": 1
}
]
}
},
"bnpl": {
"n": 375,
"categories": [
{
"cat": "Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games",
"n": 96,
"pct": 25.6
},
{
"cat": "TVs or home electronics",
"n": 74,
"pct": 19.7
},
{
"cat": "Phones, tablets, or computers",
"n": 57,
"pct": 15.2
},
{
"cat": "Clothing or shoes",
"n": 31,
"pct": 8.3
},
{
"cat": "Furniture",
"n": 29,
"pct": 7.7
},
{
"cat": "Appliances",
"n": 28,
"pct": 7.5
},
{
"cat": "Toys",
"n": 23,
"pct": 6.1
},
{
"cat": "Jewelry or watches",
"n": 20,
"pct": 5.3
},
{
"cat": "Other",
"n": 6,
"pct": 1.6
},
{
"cat": "Tires or wheels",
"n": 5,
"pct": 1.3
},
{
"cat": "Tools or outdoor equipment",
"n": 4,
"pct": 1.1
},
{
"cat": "Sheds or outdoor storage buildings",
"n": 2,
"pct": 0.5
}
],
"items": {
"Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games": [
{
"item": "PlayStation 5",
"n": 28
},
{
"item": "Nintendo Switch or Switch 2",
"n": 21
},
{
"item": "Gaming PC (desktop)",
"n": 17
},
{
"item": "Xbox Series X|S",
"n": 10
},
{
"item": "Games or accessories only (no new console)",
"n": 10
},
{
"item": "Gaming laptop",
"n": 6
},
{
"item": "Gaming PC or laptop",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 2
}
],
"TVs or home electronics": [
{
"item": "58\"-65\"",
"n": 24
},
{
"item": "43\"-55\"",
"n": 21
},
{
"item": "70\" or larger",
"n": 13
},
{
"item": "Sound bar or home theater system",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Other home electronics (not a TV)",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Under 43\"",
"n": 2
}
],
"Clothing or shoes": [
{
"item": "shoes",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "designer shoes and bag",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Louis Vuitton Purse",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "New purse",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Running shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "basketball shoes",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "a pair of designer shoes as a gift for my girlfriend",
"n": 1
}
],
"Appliances": [
{
"item": "Washer and dryer set",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "Small appliance (microwave, air fryer, etc.)",
"n": 8
},
{
"item": "Refrigerator",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Dishwasher",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Washer",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Range or oven",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Dryer",
"n": 1
}
],
"Sheds or outdoor storage buildings": [
{
"item": "Medium (8-10 ft)",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Large (10-12 ft)",
"n": 1
}
],
"Toys": [
{
"item": "Toys for my grandchildren",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "toys or stuff for my daughter",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure specifically yet",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Godzilla figures",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "riding toys",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "A new couch, playstation 5 pro",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "I'm not sure of the exact toy, however the vast majority of the things I buy i buy through payment plans.",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "toys for grandkids 2yr and 1yr",
"n": 1
}
],
"Phones, tablets, or computers": [
{
"item": "Smartphone",
"n": 22
},
{
"item": "Laptop",
"n": 18
},
{
"item": "Tablet",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "Desktop computer",
"n": 6
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 2
}
],
"Furniture": [
{
"item": "Sofa or couch",
"n": 10
},
{
"item": "Full living-room set",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Sectional",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Bedroom set",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Recliner or lift chair",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Mattress or bed frame",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 1
}
],
"Other": [
{
"item": "I have no clue yet",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "art supplies",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Musical Instrument",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Porch goose",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "bullion",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "some type of plushie my daughter wants.",
"n": 1
}
],
"Jewelry or watches": [
{
"item": "Necklace or bracelet",
"n": 8
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 7
},
{
"item": "Watch",
"n": 4
},
{
"item": "Earrings",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tools or outdoor equipment": [
{
"item": "Lawn or garden equipment",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Power tools",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Generator",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tires or wheels": [
{
"item": "Full set of 4",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "2 tires",
"n": 2
}
]
}
},
"rto": {
"n": 101,
"categories": [
{
"cat": "TVs or home electronics",
"n": 25,
"pct": 24.8
},
{
"cat": "Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games",
"n": 22,
"pct": 21.8
},
{
"cat": "Furniture",
"n": 15,
"pct": 14.9
},
{
"cat": "Phones, tablets, or computers",
"n": 15,
"pct": 14.9
},
{
"cat": "Appliances",
"n": 11,
"pct": 10.9
},
{
"cat": "Jewelry or watches",
"n": 4,
"pct": 4.0
},
{
"cat": "Other",
"n": 3,
"pct": 3.0
},
{
"cat": "Tires or wheels",
"n": 3,
"pct": 3.0
},
{
"cat": "Tools or outdoor equipment",
"n": 2,
"pct": 2.0
},
{
"cat": "Clothing or shoes",
"n": 1,
"pct": 1.0
}
],
"items": {
"Furniture": [
{
"item": "Sofa or couch",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Full living-room set",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Bedroom set",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Sectional",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Dining set or table",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Recliner or lift chair",
"n": 1
}
],
"TVs or home electronics": [
{
"item": "43\"-55\"",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "70\" or larger",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "58\"-65\"",
"n": 7
}
],
"Other": [
{
"item": "art",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "drum set",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "washer",
"n": 1
}
],
"Gaming consoles, gaming PCs, or video games": [
{
"item": "PlayStation 5",
"n": 11
},
{
"item": "Nintendo Switch or Switch 2",
"n": 3
},
{
"item": "Games or accessories only (no new console)",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Gaming PC (desktop)",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Xbox Series X|S",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Gaming laptop",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 1
}
],
"Phones, tablets, or computers": [
{
"item": "Smartphone",
"n": 9
},
{
"item": "Laptop",
"n": 5
},
{
"item": "Desktop computer",
"n": 1
}
],
"Jewelry or watches": [
{
"item": "Necklace or bracelet",
"n": 4
}
],
"Appliances": [
{
"item": "Refrigerator",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Not sure yet",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Washer",
"n": 2
},
{
"item": "Small appliance (microwave, air fryer, etc.)",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Dishwasher",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Dryer",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Range or oven",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Washer and dryer set",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tools or outdoor equipment": [
{
"item": "Lawn or garden equipment",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Power tools",
"n": 1
}
],
"Tires or wheels": [
{
"item": "Rims or wheels too",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "2 tires",
"n": 1
},
{
"item": "Full set of 4",
"n": 1
}
],
"Clothing or shoes": [
{
"item": "Outfits for the ones I will be buying gifts for",
"n": 1
}
]
}
}
},
"market_panels": {
"yoy": {
"n": 1669,
"rows": [
{
"k": "About the same",
"n": 796,
"pct": 47.7
},
{
"k": "Somewhat more",
"n": 363,
"pct": 21.7
},
{
"k": "Somewhat less",
"n": 304,
"pct": 18.2
},
{
"k": "Much less",
"n": 118,
"pct": 7.1
},
{
"k": "Much more",
"n": 77,
"pct": 4.6
},
{
"k": "I didn\u2019t shop last year",
"n": 11,
"pct": 0.7
}
]
},
"income": {
"n": 476,
"rows": [
{
"k": "$50,000-$74,999",
"n": 126,
"pct": 26.5
},
{
"k": "$25,000-$49,999",
"n": 118,
"pct": 24.8
},
{
"k": "$100,000-$149,999",
"n": 82,
"pct": 17.2
},
{
"k": "$75,000-$99,999",
"n": 71,
"pct": 14.9
},
{
"k": "Under $25,000",
"n": 39,
"pct": 8.2
},
{
"k": "$150,000 or more",
"n": 37,
"pct": 7.8
},
{
"k": "Prefer not to say",
"n": 3,
"pct": 0.6
}
]
},
"discovery": {
"respondents_answering": 2038,
"rows": [
{
"k": "Google or another search engine",
"n": 1682,
"pct": 82.5
},
{
"k": "Amazon or store websites and apps",
"n": 1520,
"pct": 74.6
},
{
"k": "Browsing in stores",
"n": 1141,
"pct": 56.0
},
{
"k": "An AI assistant (like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok)",
"n": 703,
"pct": 34.5
},
{
"k": "Friends and family",
"n": 666,
"pct": 32.7
},
{
"k": "YouTube",
"n": 360,
"pct": 17.7
},
{
"k": "Facebook or Instagram",
"n": 340,
"pct": 16.7
},
{
"k": "TikTok",
"n": 275,
"pct": 13.5
},
{
"k": "Other",
"n": 87,
"pct": 4.3
}
],
"note": "pct = share of answering respondents selecting each option (multi-select; columns sum over 100)"
},
"ai_assistant": {
"n": 2038,
"rows": [
{
"k": "ChatGPT",
"n": 812,
"pct": 39.8
},
{
"k": "Gemini (Google)",
"n": 550,
"pct": 27.0
},
{
"k": "I don\u2019t use AI assistants for shopping",
"n": 529,
"pct": 26.0
},
{
"k": "Copilot (Microsoft)",
"n": 49,
"pct": 2.4
},
{
"k": "Another AI assistant",
"n": 45,
"pct": 2.2
},
{
"k": "Grok",
"n": 36,
"pct": 1.8
},
{
"k": "Meta AI",
"n": 17,
"pct": 0.8
}
]
},
"trust": {
"n": 2038,
"rows": [
{
"k": "Reviews and ratings from other customers",
"n": 1299,
"pct": 63.7
},
{
"k": "Recommendations from friends or family",
"n": 217,
"pct": 10.6
},
{
"k": "Clear prices and terms shown up front",
"n": 196,
"pct": 9.6
},
{
"k": "Already knowing the brand name",
"n": 143,
"pct": 7.0
},
{
"k": "A recommendation from an AI assistant (like ChatGPT)",
"n": 101,
"pct": 5.0
},
{
"k": "The look and feel of their website",
"n": 62,
"pct": 3.0
},
{
"k": "Social media",
"n": 13,
"pct": 0.6
},
{
"k": "Other",
"n": 7,
"pct": 0.3
}
]
},
"channel": {
"n": 101,
"rows": [
{
"k": "As a payment option at checkout, online or in a store (like Acima, Progressive Leasing, or Katapult)",
"n": 52,
"pct": 51.5
},
{
"k": "At a store that rents items (like Rent-A-Center, Aaron\u2019s, Buddy\u2019s, or an independent rent-to-own store)",
"n": 39,
"pct": 38.6
},
{
"k": "Not sure yet",
"n": 10,
"pct": 9.9
}
]
},
"brand_consideration": {
"respondents_answering": 476,
"rows": [
{
"k": "Affirm",
"n": 234,
"pct": 49.2
},
{
"k": "PayPal Pay in 4",
"n": 218,
"pct": 45.8
},
{
"k": "Klarna",
"n": 216,
"pct": 45.4
},
{
"k": "Afterpay",
"n": 190,
"pct": 39.9
},
{
"k": "Sezzle",
"n": 57,
"pct": 12.0
},
{
"k": "Zip",
"n": 56,
"pct": 11.8
},
{
"k": "Not sure yet",
"n": 47,
"pct": 9.9
},
{
"k": "Rent-A-Center",
"n": 37,
"pct": 7.8
},
{
"k": "Katapult",
"n": 25,
"pct": 5.3
},
{
"k": "Progressive Leasing",
"n": 24,
"pct": 5.0
},
{
"k": "Aaron\u2019s",
"n": 24,
"pct": 5.0
},
{
"k": "Acima",
"n": 21,
"pct": 4.4
},
{
"k": "FlexShopper",
"n": 18,
"pct": 3.8
},
{
"k": "An independent rent-to-own store",
"n": 16,
"pct": 3.4
}
],
"note": "pct = share of the 476 planners with a brand answer who selected each brand (multi-select)"
},
"brand_first_choice": {
"n": 476,
"rows": [
{
"k": "PayPal Pay in 4",
"n": 114,
"pct": 23.9
},
{
"k": "Affirm",
"n": 106,
"pct": 22.3
},
{
"k": "Klarna",
"n": 66,
"pct": 13.9
},
{
"k": "Afterpay",
"n": 46,
"pct": 9.7
},
{
"k": "Rent-A-Center",
"n": 29,
"pct": 6.1
},
{
"k": "Not sure yet",
"n": 26,
"pct": 5.5
},
{
"k": "Zip",
"n": 16,
"pct": 3.4
},
{
"k": "Katapult",
"n": 15,
"pct": 3.2
},
{
"k": "Sezzle",
"n": 12,
"pct": 2.5
},
{
"k": "Aaron\u2019s",
"n": 9,
"pct": 1.9
},
{
"k": "American First Finance",
"n": 9,
"pct": 1.9
},
{
"k": "Acima",
"n": 7,
"pct": 1.5
},
{
"k": "Progressive Leasing",
"n": 6,
"pct": 1.3
},
{
"k": "FlexShopper",
"n": 5,
"pct": 1.1
}
]
}
},
"license_note": "Aggregate statistics may be cited with attribution to WOW Brands research (buying data) and VRTO Research (satisfaction data).",
"budgets": {
"rto_weekly_payment_budget": {
"n": 101,
"rows": [
{
"band": "$20\u201329 a week (about $80\u2013129 a month)",
"n": 34
},
{
"band": "$30\u201349 a week (about $130\u2013209 a month)",
"n": 28
},
{
"band": "$10\u201319 a week (about $40\u201379 a month)",
"n": 21
},
{
"band": "Under $10 a week (about $40 a month)",
"n": 9
},
{
"band": "$50 or more a week ($210+ a month)",
"n": 6
},
{
"band": "Not sure",
"n": 3
}
],
"context": "weekly payment bands, asked of rent-to-own/lease-involved planners"
},
"bnpl_item_budget": {
"n": 375,
"rows": [
{
"band": "$500-$999",
"n": 125
},
{
"band": "$250-$499",
"n": 82
},
{
"band": "$1,000-$1,999",
"n": 72
},
{
"band": "$100-$249",
"n": 50
},
{
"band": "$2,000 or more",
"n": 23
},
{
"band": "Under $100",
"n": 17
},
{
"band": "Not sure",
"n": 6
}
],
"context": "total item cost bands, asked of BNPL-only planners"
},
"note": "different constructs; never combine"
},
"corrections_log": [
{
"date": "2026-08-23",
"change": "discovery and brand-consideration percentages recomputed on respondent base (previously share of selections); budget objects renamed to explicit constructs; sampling disclosure added",
"trigger": "external AI audit"
},
{
"date": "2026-08-23",
"change": "second external AI audit: instrument-version disclosure added (wave 1 lacked the year-over-year item; \"single frozen instrument\" claim corrected), anonymization statement made precise after disclosure review of retained text fields, SRS-equivalent framing applied to margins of error per AAPOR, Prolific submission dispositions published, fielding window stated in UTC, not-sure-yet co-selection and segment-label notes added",
"trigger": "external AI audit #2"
}
]
}