Furniture merchants spend heavily to bring shoppers into stores and onto their websites. They invest in search, promotions, social media, and showroom and website experiences. Yet one of the biggest factors shaping where a customer chooses to shop may still be missing from those efforts: how they can pay.
Payment options are often introduced too far into the process, sometimes only after a shopper has picked out a product or reached checkout. For many consumers, that is too late. The ways a merchant accepts payments can influence whether someone visits the store or website in the first place.
That matters even more for non-prime shoppers who may need an alternative to traditional financing before they can move forward with a large purchase.
Koalafi’s research shows that when merchants present payment options earlier and more clearly, they can attract more high-intent shoppers, convert more of the traffic they already have, and give customers a reason to return.
Payment options shape where shoppers begin
No single payment solution works for every customer. A strong strategy makes the full range of available payment options easy to see, from traditional financing to lease-to-own.
Lease-to-own fills an important gap for non-prime consumers who may not qualify for traditional financing. For these shoppers, payment flexibility can determine whether a purchase is possible at all.
Furniture purchases happen for all kinds of reasons. A customer may be furnishing a new home, replacing a broken sofa, preparing for a new baby, or finally buying the mattress they have put off replacing. In each case, the shopper may know what they need before they know how they will pay for it.
A payment plan that meets their needs often affects where they shop.
64% of lease-to-own consumers said they would have gone somewhere else or not made the purchase if the option had not been available.1
Koalafi calls this invisible risk: shoppers who leave because the payment option they need is not visible or accessible. The merchant may never know those customers were interested. The sale simply goes elsewhere.
For furniture merchants, the takeaway is clear. Payment visibility belongs in the traffic strategy, not only at the register.
Make payment options visible before checkout
The customer journey often starts before a shopper reaches a merchant’s website. Almost one third of consumers begin their research for a purchase over $500 by turning to search engines first.2
Payment options also affect trust. Koalafi’s research found that available pay-over-time options were among the main factors consumers considered when deciding whether to trust an online merchant for a purchase over $500.3
Merchants should make those options easy to find wherever customers research, compare, and shop.
Paid search
Include relevant payment language in search ads, especially when targeting shoppers looking for affordability or flexibility.
Phrases such as “payment options available,” “lease-to-own available,” or credit-inclusive language can help shoppers recognize that a merchant may have an option that works for them.
Koalafi has found that merchants using language such as “no credit needed” in paid search can see significantly higher return on ad spend. The message works because it answers a question the shopper may already have before they click.
Website
Do not bury payment information on a separate page or wait until checkout to mention it.
Add it to the homepage, product pages, category pages, promotional landing pages, and frequently asked questions. A customer looking at a sectional or bedroom set should be able to see that there are different payment options without having to search for them.
That visibility gives the shopper more confidence to keep browsing.
Social media
Lease-to-own consumers regularly use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, often checking these platforms daily or weekly.4 Merchants can use those channels to connect product promotions with payment information.
A post featuring a living room package, for example, can also tell shoppers that flexible payment options are available. That gives them a stronger reason to visit the site or showroom.
In-store signage
Payment visibility should continue once the customer walks through the door.
Place signage near the entrance, promotional displays, high-ticket products, and associate workstations. A single sign near the register comes too late for shoppers who have already decided an item is outside their budget.
The goal is to make customers aware of their options and give associates an easy way to start the conversation.
Make the most of the traffic you earn
Getting customers in the door or onto the site is only half the job. Train associates to introduce payment options consistently rather than waiting for a customer to ask. It pays off well past checkout: two out of three repeat Koalafi leases are with the original merchant.5 The right partner makes that easy to deliver, turning today’s traffic into tomorrow’s repeat business.
A practical checklist for furniture merchants
- Include payment messaging in paid search and digital ads.
- Show available payment options across key website pages.
- Work payment flexibility into social content and promotions.
- Place signage throughout the showroom, not only near checkout.
- Train associates to mention payment options to every customer.
- Clearly distinguish traditional financing from lease-to-own.
- Choose partners that support both the customer and the store team.
Furniture merchants already spend real money to bring shoppers to the door or to the site. The right payment strategy ensures that the investment pays off, giving customers a clear path forward rather than a reason to look elsewhere.
Explore the full data behind these findings, including how lease-to-own influences discovery, purchase decisions, spending, and loyalty, in Koalafi’s State of the Lease-to-Own Consumer Report, Volume III.
1 March 2025 Koalafi data, surveying Koalafi customers.
2 June 2025 Koalafi data, surveying Koalafi customers.
3 June 2025 Koalafi data, surveying Koalafi customers.
4 March 2025 Koalafi data, surveying Koalafi customers.
5 Koalafi internal data.
