Best Guitar Financing in 2020: The Definitive Guide

Best Guitar Financing:

The Definitive Guide

We analyzed 15 guitar retailers to find you the best guitar financing deals currently available.

Head straight to Chapter 2 if you want to see the winners and our recommended deals.

Individual Reviews of Retailers Analyzed

DISCLAIMER: We strive to keep this information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when visiting the retailer, financial institution or service provider. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. When evaluating the offers, please review the terms and conditions.

chapter 1:

Introduction

When looking to buy a new guitar, amp, pedals or any other guitar gear, financing can be a great way of satisfying your GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) so that you can get what you want now rather than later.

But what is in-store guitar financing? and where are the best deals to save you money?

In-store guitar financing is financing offered by a music retailer, through them, that helps you spread the cost of the purchase over a set period of time.

However, it can be a real hassle trying to find the best in-store guitar finance because there is a multitude of options and terms and conditions available on the market and they aren’t always clear.

So we have taken that hassle away by reviewing 15 retailers. So if you are looking for the best guitar financing, read below.

chapter 2:

Guitar Financing Winners

Below are the three best in store guitar financing plans currently available.

We looked at the terms and conditions and overall deals including interest rates, payment terms and payment lengths to bring these top 3 and help you make a quick yet well informed financial decision.

Best In store Guitar Finance Winner

Play as You Pay

Best Finance For Bad Credit
No Credit Check up to $1,000 over 6 monthly payments.
0% Interest (No Deferred Interest)
No Deposit
Lowest Price Guarantee
Borrow up to $4,000*
No Early Repayment Fees
Up to 12 Month Payment Plans*

Go to Guitars on zZounds.com
*Check Current Payment Terms Here

Among the 15 guitar finance deals that we analyzed, zZounds was the best overall winner.

zZounds offers guitar financing up to $1,000 with no credit check and up to $4,000 with a credit check. There is a range of monthly payment plans from 4 months through to 12 months and there is 0% interest over the course of your monthly instalments.

zZounds have no deferred interest which is an important point to note, as many of the guitar finance deals from other stores include deferred interest. If you are not familiar with the term it means that interest accrues through the course of your loan period but is never applied unless you miss a payment.

This can be a big deal as some of the in-store guitar financing we looked at charged as much as 29.99% APR deferred interest on some of their finance deals.

Runners up

Best for Maximum Borrowing with No Credit Check

Ez Pay

No Credit Check
Borrow up to $1,500 Max
3 & 5 Month Loan Terms

Go to Guitars on American Musical
*Check Current Payment Terms Here

Best From Major Guitar Retailer
(Credit Check Unlikely)

Easy Payments

Credit Check Unlikely
Borrow up to $4,000
3 & 6 Month Loan Terms

Go to Guitars on Sweetwater
*Check Current Payment Terms Here

chapter 3:

Guitar Retailers
Analyzed

We analyzed 15 retailers, read their terms and conditions, payment terms and payment lengths. Below we summarise the good and the bad of each in store guitar finance deal to help you make an informed decision on your next purchase.

Click Retailer Below To Jump To Their Financing Deals

zZounds	Sweetwater	Guitar Center
Musician’s Friend	American Musical Supply	Sam Ash
Bananas.com	Alto Music	Reverb
Amazon	Music Zoo	Kraft Music
Nstuff Music	Chicago Music Exchange	Walmart

ZZounds has been around for 24 years. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

The finance option they provide is called Pay as You Play.

They offer a ‘Lowest Price Guarantee’ so if you see a lower price before you place your order, they will beat it, even up to 45 days after your order ships, see details here. Most shipping rates are also free or or super low cost.

They currently offer the longest payment plan term on zero interest finance without a credit check (6 months).

For full Pay as You Play terms and conditions, please read the detail here.

Pay as You Play

The Good

The Bad

No Credit Check up to $1,000 over 6 monthly payments.
Borrow up to $4,000
0% Interest
4, 6, 8 and 12 Month Payment Plans available.
0% Interest rate with no deffered interest
Excellent Sales Support
They are rated 9.5 on bizrate

Does Not Improve Your Credit Score as You Use Your Own Card.
Processing Fee up to a maximum of $17.95.
Late payment fee of $10 for each later installment payment

Sweetwater has been in business has been around since 1979 and they were founded on ‘doing the right thing’. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They have two in-store finance options. One is the Sweetwater Card and the other is Sweetwater Easy Payments.

They offer to ship the your order the same day if it is received by 3PM Eastern time. They have free shipping to the lower 48 states and offer an expedited shipping option. Nearly every purchase comes with the free 2 year Total Confidence Coverage warranty .

They currently offer the highest easy payment borrow amount of $4,500 but on 3 month and 6 payment options.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Sweetwater Card

The Good

The Bad

0% interest on Promo deals
Limit dependent on individual
Up to 48 Months payment plan available.
They are rated 9.8 on bizrate

Credit Check Required
Deffered Interest of 29.99% APR
Payment lengths subject to promo deals

Sweetwater Easy Payments

The Good

The Bad

Credit check could be requested
Borrow up to $4,500
3 & 6 Month Payment Plans Available
Free shipping to lower 48 states
No deferred interest
They are rated 9.8 on bizrate

Minimum purchase of $100 on 3 month plan and $400 on 6 month plan.
Processing fee of $10 for 3 month plan and $15 for 6 month plan.
Monthly payments could be very high e.g. $1,500 if borrowing $4,500 over 3 months.
Late fees of $15 per missed instalment

Guitar Center has been established for over 50 years and have nearly 300 stores across the US and describe themselves as the largest musical instrument retailer in the world. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They have one in-store finance option called the Gear Card. They also have an Essentials Card for those with not much credit history or bad credit but we haven’t seen the details for this.

They confirm that because of the relationships they have along with their buying power that with them you will find the ‘guaranteed lowest price’. They also have an excellent array of pre-owned and open box music gear.

They also ship worldwide although their finance deals do not stretch outside the US.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Guitar Center Credit Card

The Good

The Bad

0% interest on Promo deals
Limit dependent on individual
Up to 48 Months payment plan available.
Earn 5% back in Rewards
45 Day Price Match After Purchase
45 Day Return Policy

Credit Check Required
Deffered Interest of 29.99% APR
Payment lengths subject to promo deals

Musician’s Friend has been established for close to 40 years and began as a family run business but then was bought by Guitar Center in 1999. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They have two in-store finance options, one called the Musician’s Friend Platinum Card which is subject to a credit check and the other is Paypal.

As they are owned by Guitar Center they have similar benefits. There is free shipping within the 48 contiguous US states and DC. They price match up to 45 days after purchase.

They offer a 45 day return policy and also include a free 2 year warranty on guitars and basses for parts and labor.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Musicians Friend Plantinum Card

The Good

The Bad

0% interest on Promo deals
$0 Minimum purchase on 6 and 12 month payment plans
Credit limit dependent on individual
Up to 48 Months payment plan available.
Earn 5% back in Rewards

Credit Check Required
Deffered Interest of 29.99% APR
Late Payment Fee of $39
Payment lengths subject to promo deals

Paypal Credit

The Good

The Bad

No interest if paid in full within 6 months
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase of $99
Deferred interest rate of 25.99% APR
Single receipt transaction
Minimum instalment late fee of $39

American Music Supply started as a dorm room operation and today has been running for over 30 years. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They have one in-store finance option called EZ Pay and no credit check is required up to $1,500 for a 3 month payment plan.

They offer free 2 day shipping and all orders placed Mon – Fri by 4pm Eastern Time will ship the same day. Orders come with an additional 12 months of warranty (on top of the manufacturers warranty) for free included in the purchase.

They also offer a 45 day return policy.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

The Good

The Bad

No Credit Check up to $1,500 on 3 month payment plan
No Credit Check up to $1,000 on 5 month payment plan
0% Interest
No deffered interest as uses your own card
Up to 12 month payment plan

Credit Check Required for payment plans for 8 and 12 months
Minimum spend of $49 on 3 month payment plan
Minimum spend of $249 on 5 month payment plan
Minimum spend of $299 on 8 month payment plan
Processing fees up to a maximum of $19.95 + and state or local taxes on day of order.

Sam Ash is a family owned operation and they have been going since the early 20th Century and one of the longest running stores in the USA. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They have two in-store finance option the Sam Ash Credit Card and the No Credit Needed Option.

They offer free shipping on all orders over $9.99 (according to their website) and a 60 day price protection. So if you find a lower price from any authorized US dealer within 60 days of your purchase they will refund the difference.

They also offer a 45 day money back guarantee from the date of shipping and if you order by 4PM EST it is shipped the same day.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

No Credit Needed Option (Lease to Own)

The Good

The Bad

90 Day Financing (via Progressive Leasing)
No Hard Credit Check
No Processing Fee

Leasing, so you don’t own the gear until it is paid off.
Does not build credit score as it is leasing
Soft Inquiry Credit Check
Additional cost to purchase price

Sam Ash Credit Card

The Good

The Bad

0% interest on promo deals for 24 months
0% for 6 months on any purchase $199 and over
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required (650 – 850 score required)
Deffered Interest Rate of 29.99% APR
Returned payment fee of $28
Late payment fee of $39

Bananas at large otherwise known as Bananas.com have been going since 1974 and have stores in the Bay Area. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They currently have 8 in-store finance options:

No Credit Required: Zibby, Acima, Quadpay, GetFinancing
Credit Required: Affirm, Greensky, Paypal Credit and Synchrony (which we don’t show below).

They offer free shipping on most orders over $94.72 but tend to push for you to order online and pickup in store. Their stores are located in San Rafael and Santa Rosa, CA.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Acima (Lease to Own)

No Credit Required

The Good

The Bad

No credit needed
Borrow up to $3,500
90 day early purchase option
Acima reports your lease activity to Experian to help build your credit

$50 initial payment
Need to prove you deposit $1,000 a month in to checking account where the money will be paid from
High fees and interest
12 Month Payment Plan means you’ll almost pay double the purchase price.

Zibby (Lease to Own)

No Credit Required

The Good

The Bad

No credit needed
Borrow up to $3,500
Lease to buy terms between 12 and 18 months
Buy items outright at any time

They don’t declare the interest rate.
Deffered and compounding interest
Lot of poor customer feedback

GetFinancing (Lease to Own)

No Credit and All Credit Scores (Covers All Spectrums)

The Good

The Bad

Poor Credit to No Credit: Borrow up to $1,500. FICO score not needed. Approvals are instant.
Fair Credit: Borrow up to $5,000. Approvals are instant.
Good Credit: Borrow up to $10,000. 14.99% fixed APR. Approvals are instant.

Poor Credit to No Credit: Need to have $1,000 monthly income. 5 Month minimum lease term
Fair Credit: Lease up to 24 Months.
Good Credit: Lease up to 60 months.
Interest rates outside of ‘Good Credit’ are dependent on credit score.

Quadpay

Soft credit check – No credit required

The Good

The Bad

4 Payments
Interest Free
Borrow up to $2,000

25% Down payment required on on purchase
$7 late fee on installments after 7 days
One time account fee of $7 added if payment is later and still not paid after 14 days

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
Use your own card
3, 6 and 12 Month terms available.
Credit limit dependent on individual
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 10% to 30% APR

GreenSky

Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Maximum purchase of $25,000

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase $500
Allegedly convoluted procedures for payback
‘Hidden and misleading Fees’

Paypal Credit

The Good

The Bad

No interest if paid in full within 6 months
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase of $99
Deferred interest rate of 25.99% APR
Single receipt transaction
Minimum instalment late fee of $39

Alto Music Started in 1981 and now has 3 full line locations and a pro audtio showroom in NYC. They are one of the top 10 biggest music retailers in the United States. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They currently have 4 in-store finance options:

No Credit Required: Layaway, Progressive Leasing
Credit Required: Alto Music Credit Card, Affirm.

They offer free shipping on most orders over $94.72 and same day shipping (for items in stock) if order is Mon – Fri before 4pm EST, holidays excluded.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here

Layaway (Online or In-store)

The Good

The Bad

No Credit Checks
No fees
Automatic charges
Can set it up online

$20 down or 20% which ever is the greater
Must be paid off in 6 months
Cancelled layaway’s subject to 10% restocking fee of total sale

Progressive Leasing

The Good

The Bad

90 Day Financing (via Progressive Leasing)
No Hard Credit Check
No Processing Fee

Leasing, so you don’t own the gear until it is paid off.
Does not build credit score as it is leasing
Soft Inquiry Credit Check
Additional cost to purchase price, can be very high.

Alto Music Credit Card

The Good

The Bad

0% interest on Promo deals
Limit dependent on individual
Up to 18 Months payment plan available.

Credit Check Required
Deffered Interest of 29.99% APR
Payment lengths subject to promo deals

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
Use your own card
3, 6 and 12 Month terms available.
Credit limit dependent on individual
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 10% to 30% APR

Reverb is an online marketplace for buying and selling new, used and vintage musical instruments. They have been going since 2013 and were bought by Etsy in 2019. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They currently have 1 “in-store” finance option and that is Affirm.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

0% Interest deals available
Search by ‘0% Affirm’ on Reverb to find compatible deals.
Monthly payments
Use your own card
Between 3 and 36 Month terms available.
Credit limit dependent on individual
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 0% to 30% APR
Interest rates dependent on individual

Amazon need no introduction, they are one of the most trusted and used companies worldwide. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer the Amazon Store Card.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here

Amazon Store Card

Fair or Better Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Various promotional deals (read here for details)
0% Interest ‘Special Financing’ and ‘Equal Monthly Payments’ financing.
Zero fraud liability
6, 12 & 24 Month repayment terms available
No annual fee
5% Back on purchases if you get the ‘Prime Store Card’

Credit Check Required
Deferred Interest Rate from purchase date. Standard variable purchase APR is 27.49% APR.
Special financing minimum spends: 6 months = $150 or more, 12 Months = $600 or more, 24 Months = $800 or more
Late payment fee of $35

The Music Zoo has been operating for over 25 years. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer the Music Zoo Credit Card and Affirm financing .

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here

The Music Zoo Credit Card

The Good

The Bad

Credit Check Required
Deferred Interest of 29.99% APR applied if not paid off during term. Applied from purchase date.
$100 minimum spend

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
Use your own card
3, 6 and 12 Month terms available.
Credit limit dependent on individual
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 10% to 30% APR

Kraft Music They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer the Yamaha Music Credit Card and PayPal Credit financing .

Free shipping on orders $79 and over. Orders received prior to 2 pm Central time will ship the same day, see here for more information.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Yamaha Credit Card

The Good

The Bad

12, 18, 24 & 36 Month terms available.
No minimum purchase on 18 month deal
No interest on 12 month deals if paid back in full
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required
36 Month Deals on selected brands and purchases
Minimum spend of $299 or more for 12 month deal
Equal monthly payments
Deferred interest at a rate of 29.99%APR

Paypal Credit

The Good

The Bad

No interest if paid in full within 6 months
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase of $99
Deferred interest rate of 25.99% APR
Single receipt transaction
Minimum instalment late fee of $39

NStuff Music are a family run business and have been operating for over 50 years. They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer Green Sky Financing, Progressive Leasing, Snap Finance, Paypal / Paypal Credit and Synchrony financial .

Most products qualify for free shipping. Orders received prior to 3 pm EST will ship the same day, see here for more information.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

GreenSky Financing

Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Maximum purchase of $25,000
)% Financing for 12 months on orders over $600

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase $500
Allegedly convoluted procedures for payback
‘Hidden and misleading Fees’

Progressive Leasing

The Good

The Bad

90 Day Financing (via Progressive Leasing)
No Hard Credit Check
No Processing Fee

Leasing, so you don’t own the gear until it is paid off.
Does not build credit score as it is leasing
Soft Inquiry Credit Check
Additional cost to purchase price, can be very high.

Snap Finance (Lease Purchase)

Online Finance

The Good

The Bad

100 Day Early Buyout incentive @ no interest
No credit check
Borrow up to $3,000
Up to 80% approval rate. Bad credit. No credit. Bankruptcy.
12 Month lease period

$39 one time processing fee at date of purchase
Lease-to-own arrangement details not declared on their website. Make sure to read this if they offer you lease terms.
Steady income of $1,000 a month to a checking account required.

Paypal / Paypal Credit

The Good

The Bad

No interest if paid in full within 6 months
Credit limit dependent on individual

Credit Check Required
Minimum purchase of $99
Deferred interest rate of 25.99% APR
Single receipt transaction
Minimum instalment late fee of $39

Synchrony Financial

No details provided on their website at time of writing.

Chicago Music Exchange have been operating for over 25 years They have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer Affirm and Synchrony financing .

Free shipping on all orders*. Most orders ship the same day and fully insured, see here for more information.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here.

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
Use your own card
3, 6 and 12 Month terms available.
Credit limit dependent on individual
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 10% to 30% APR

Synchrony Financial

No details provided on their website at time of writing.

The largest retailer in the world may need no introduction but they have a huge collection of guitars, amps, pedals (click here to see them all) and other gear along with many different musical instruments.

They offer Capital One Walmart Rewards Card and Affirm.

Most orders over $35 are eligible for free shipping, see here for more information.

For full terms and conditions of their payment plans, please read the detail here for Capital One Walmart Rewards Card and Affirm

Capital One Walmart Rewards Card

Fair Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
No annual fee
Up to 5% Rewards

Credit Check Required
Rates from 17.99% to 26.99% APR

Affirm

Very Good to Excellent Credit Score Required

The Good

The Bad

Monthly payments
Use your own card
3, 6 and 12 Month terms available.
From $144 to $2,000
No late fees
No early repayment fee
0% APR & No deffered interest

Credit Check Required
Rates from 10% to 30% APR

Do you have any other recommendations? Let me know in the comments below so we can all benefit from your knowledge and get the best deals for our guitar gear needs!