In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the Company)
for the period ended September 30, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
the date hereof (the Report), I, Mark E. Speese, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:
A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to
Rent-A-Center, Inc. and will be retained by Rent-A-Center, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request. The foregoing certification is being furnished
solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a
separate disclosure document.