Home Security Financing: 0% Offers and Their Fine Print
As of October 2026, ADT and Vivint advertise 0% APR equipment financing for buyers who qualify on credit. ADT's FlexFi runs 12 to 60 months and comes due in full if your ADT service ends. Vivint's 0% tiers run 12 to 36 months by order size through third-party lenders, and paying the loan off does not end your service contract.
Figures researched 2026-10-01; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.
Who offers financing, and on what terms
Every term below is from the provider's own pages, checked October 2026.
| Provider | Lender | APR as published | Term lengths | Minimums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADT (FlexFi) | ADT | As low as 0% for well-qualified buyers with excellent credit; lower-credit buyers may pay a one-time fee up to $49 | 12, 24, 36 or 60 months, depending on how the system was installed | $200 (self setup), $599 (pro install) |
| Vivint | Bread Pay (Comenity Capital Bank) installment loans; Fortiva line of credit | 0% on tiers by order size | 12 months ($299+), 18 months ($599+), 24 months ($999+), 36 months ($1,499+); elsewhere Vivint says up to 60 months at 0% for qualified customers, terms varying by offer | $299 for the first 0% tier; $150 Fortiva minimum purchase |
| Brinks Home | Not named | "0% Financing available for qualified applicants" | Not published | Not published |
| SimpliSafe | Third-party lender shown at checkout | Not shown on the package page | 24 months | $150 cart |
ADT publishes a worked example that shows how the fee works: $1,000 of equipment at 0% is 24 payments of $41.67, while a buyer charged the $49 fee pays 24 payments of $43.70, an APR of 2.45%. ADT also lists maximum financed amounts of $1,400 and $5,000 depending on credit and installation method.
Vivint advertises two different ceilings on its own pages (36 months on its tiered offer, up to 60 months in a separate disclaimer), so ask which applies to your order and get the term in the loan agreement. For Vivint's monitoring prices that sit on top of the loan, see Vivint monitoring cost; for ADT hardware prices, see ADT equipment cost.
The fine print that ties the loan to monitoring
Security financing is not a standalone purchase loan. Each provider links it to the service contract in a way that matters if you ever want out.
- ADT: cancel service, pay the balance now. ADT's financing terms say the full remaining balance for equipment and installation is due immediately upon termination of the related ADT services. FlexFi also requires EasyPay autopay, cannot be used for monitoring, activation fees or permits, and carries a late fee of up to $5 per month. Paying the loan off early has no penalty, and ADT says payoff does not change your monitoring contract.
- Vivint: two bills, two contracts. Vivint says Bread Pay customers make two separate monthly payments, one to Vivint for monitoring and one to the lender. Paying off equipment financing early leaves the Vivint service agreement running for its full term, and canceling service leaves the financing balance owed under the lender's agreement.
- Credit inquiries differ. Vivint runs a soft-pull pre-qualification with consent; its Bread Pay loan can proceed on a soft check, while a Fortiva line of credit involves a hard inquiry that may affect your score. ADT says it can run a pre-qualification that includes pulling your credit report.
- Brinks: financing rides on a 36-month contract. Brinks' terms require a minimum 36-month monitoring contract for all product purchases, and its FAQ says financed equipment balances remain owed if you cancel.
The practical effect: a 0% equipment loan plus a 36-month monitoring contract is two commitments. Our early termination fees guide shows what leaving the contract costs before the loan balance is added.
Should you finance a security system?
Financing at a true 0% costs nothing extra if you pay on schedule, so the question is less about interest and more about lock-in.
Financing makes sense when you want a professionally installed system, you qualify for the 0% tier, and you planned to keep the service for the full contract anyway. It makes less sense if you might move, since ADT's balance comes due when service ends and Vivint's contract keeps running after payoff.
The alternative is to keep the equipment bill small enough to pay outright. DIY systems with no-contract monitoring do that, and the renting vs buying equipment guide compares total cost over several years. If credit approval is the obstacle, home security with no credit check lists the providers that publish no credit requirement.
If you want professional monitoring and would rather compare offers side by side, our quote tool fetches quotes from monitoring providers through a short questionnaire. Ask each one for the APR, the term, and what happens to the balance if service ends. Whether monitoring is worth a multi-year commitment at all is covered in is professional monitoring worth it.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vivint offer 0% financing?
- Yes, for qualified buyers. As of October 2026 Vivint lists 0% terms of 12 months on orders of $299 or more, 18 months at $599 or more, 24 months at $999 or more, and 36 months at $1,499 or more. Loans come from third-party lenders (Bread Pay through Comenity Capital Bank, or a Fortiva line of credit), not from Vivint.
- What is ADT FlexFi?
- FlexFi is ADT's own financing for equipment and installation, paid in 12, 24, 36 or 60 monthly installments depending on how the system was installed. It requires autopay, cannot cover monitoring or activation fees, and the remaining balance is due immediately if your ADT service is terminated.
- If I pay off my equipment loan, can I cancel monitoring?
- Not without the contract's terms applying. Vivint says your service agreement continues for its full term after the equipment is paid off, and ADT says FlexFi payoff does not affect your monitoring contract. Canceling early can trigger the separate early termination fee.
- Does applying for security system financing hurt my credit?
- It depends on the product. Vivint says its pre-qualification is a soft pull and its Bread Pay loan can proceed on a soft check, while its Fortiva line of credit uses a hard inquiry that may affect your score. Ask which type of inquiry runs before you apply anywhere.
Sources
- ADT financing: as low as 0% APR for well-qualified buyers with excellent credit; up to $49 one-time fee for lower credit; $1,000 example of 24 payments of $41.67 at 0% or $43.70 at 2.45% APR with the fee; minimums $200 self setup and $599 pro install, maximums listed as $1,400 and $5,000 depending on credit and installation method; full remaining balance due immediately upon termination of ADT services: https://www.adt.com/about-adt/legal/residential-terms-and-conditions1 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT FlexFi: finances equipment and installation, not monitoring, activation fees or permits; 12, 24, 36 or 60 monthly increments depending on installation; maximum late fee $5/month; no prepayment penalty and payoff does not impact the monitoring contract; EasyPay required; credit pre-qualification includes pulling credit report: https://help.adt.com/article/ADT-FlexFi-FAQs (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint 0% tiers: 12 months $299+, 18 months $599+, 24 months $999+, 36 months $1,499+; terms up to 36 months at 0%; checking eligibility does not impact credit score: https://www.vivint.com/resources/article/no-contract-home-security-vs-contract (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint: financing subject to credit approval by third-party lenders; qualified customers may finance at 0% APR for up to 60 months, terms varying by offer; financing requires a separate agreement: https://www.vivint.com/resources/article/smoke-alarms-101 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint financing through Bread Financial/Comenity Capital Bank (Bread Pay) and Fortiva Retail Credit; soft pre-qualification pull; Fortiva hard inquiry; Fortiva minimum purchase amount $150; two separate monthly payments; paying off financing early does not end the Vivint service agreement: https://support.vivint.com/article/Financing-FAQ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint: customers with equipment financing remain responsible for the outstanding balance after canceling service: https://support.vivint.com/article/Policy-Cancellation (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home: 0% financing available for qualified applicants; financed equipment balance remains owed if service is canceled: https://brinkshome.com/faqs (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home: all product purchases require a minimum 36-month monitoring contract: https://brinkshome.com/terms (accessed 2026-10-01)
- SimpliSafe: pay over time on equipment for 24 months at checkout; $150 minimum cart: https://simplisafe.com/home-security-shop-packages (accessed 2026-10-01)
Related guides
- Home Security for Elderly Parents: Monitoring That Makes Sense Monitored home security for an aging parent: panic buttons, medical alert crossover, monitored smoke and CO, false alarm handling, and family app access.
- Home Security With No Credit Check: Who Skips It (2026) Which home security companies check credit and which do not, per their published terms, and the trade-offs of paying upfront instead.
- How Long Do Security Systems Last? Lifespans, Batteries, and Sunset Dates Security system lifespan by the published specs: sensor battery lives, the 10-year smoke alarm rule, warranty terms, and network shutdowns that retire panels.
- How to Cancel ADT Without Overpaying How to cancel ADT: the phone number, the online path, what the 36 month contract's 75 percent early termination charge costs, and ways to avoid paying it.
- Is Abode Worth It? Free Tier, Pro Plan and Limits Abode's free tier and integrations are the draw. What its published plans cost, where it falls short, and who it suits.