EXHIBIT 99.1

First Cash Announces 1,500,000 Share Buyback Authorization

ARLINGTON, Texas , Dec. 15, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Cash Financial Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCFS) today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new program for the repurchase of up to 1,500,000 shares of its common stock. As of December 14, 2011, the Company had 30,076,433 shares of common stock outstanding.

Under previously completed share repurchase programs over the past seven years, the Company has repurchased a total of 8,200,000 shares, representing 27% of the currently outstanding share count.

Rick Wessel, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said "The decision to authorize a new share repurchase program reflects the confidence that management and the Board of Directors have in the long-term future of First Cash. We remain committed to our domestic and international growth strategies, as evidenced by our long track record of significant store additions in both the U.S. and Mexico. The Company currently has no outstanding interest-bearing debt and has excess cash reserves of approximately $42 million. Given First Cash's proven ability to fund expansion and still generate strong levels of free cash flow, the Board continues to believe that share repurchases through this new authorization are potentially an excellent use of capital that should enhance shareholder value over the long-term."

Under its share repurchase program, the Company can purchase common stock in open market transaction, block or privately negotiated transactions, and may from time to time purchase shares pursuant to a trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or by any combination of such methods. The number of shares to be purchased and the timing of the purchases are based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the level of cash balances, general business conditions, regulatory requirements, and the availability of alternative investment opportunities. No time limit was set for completion of repurchases under the new authorization and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Forward-Looking Information

This release may contain forward-looking statements about the business, financial condition and prospects of the Company. Forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "projects," "expects," "may," "estimates," "should," "plans," "targets," "intends," "could," or "anticipates," or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy or objectives. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, the Company's expectations of earnings per share, earnings growth, expansion strategies, regulatory exposures, store openings, liquidity, cash flow, consumer demand for the Company's products and services, future share repurchases and the impact thereof, completion of disposition transactions and expected gains from the sale of such operations, earnings from acquisitions, and other performance results. These statements are made to provide the public with management's current assessment of the Company's business. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurances that such expectations will prove to be accurate. Security holders are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this statement, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to report any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Certain factors may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made in this release. Such factors are difficult to predict and many are beyond the control of the Company and may include changes in regional, national or international economic conditions, changes in the inflation rate, changes in the unemployment rate, changes in consumer purchasing, borrowing and repayment behaviors, changes in credit markets, the ability to renew and/or extend the Company's existing bank line of credit, credit losses, changes or increases in competition, the ability to locate, open and staff new stores, the availability or access to sources of inventory, inclement weather, the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, the ability to hire and retain key management personnel, the ability to operate with limited regulation as a credit services organization, new federal, state or local legislative initiatives or governmental regulations (or changes to existing laws and regulations) affecting consumer loan businesses, credit services organizations and pawn businesses (in both the United States and Mexico), changes in import/export regulations and tariffs or duties, changes in anti-money laundering regulations, unforeseen litigation, changes in interest rates, monetary inflation, changes in tax rates or policies, changes in gold prices, changes in energy prices, cost of funds, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, future business decisions, public health issues and other uncertainties. These and other risks, uncertainties and regulatory developments are further and more completely described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and updated in subsequent releases on Form 10-Q.

About First Cash

First Cash Financial Services, Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer and provider of consumer financial services. Its 569 retail pawn locations buy and sell a wide variety of jewelry, electronics, tools and other merchandise, and make small customer loans secured by pledged personal property. The Company's 109 consumer loan locations provide various combinations of financial services products, including consumer loans, check cashing, and credit services. In total, the Company owns and operates 678 stores in eight U.S. states and 22 states in Mexico.

First Cash was named by Fortune Magazine as one of America's 100 fastest growing companies for 2011. First Cash is also a component company in both the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 Index^® and the Russell 2000 Index^®. First Cash's common stock (ticker symbol "FCFS") is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, which has the highest initial listing standards of any stock exchange in the world based on financial and liquidity requirements.

The First Cash Financial Services, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3365

CONTACT: Rick Wessel, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
         Doug Orr, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

         Phone: (817) 505-3199
         Email: investorrelations@firstcash.com
         Website: www.firstcash.com