EXHIBIT 31.1

       CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

         I, Phillip E. Powell certify that:

   1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of First Cash
      Financial Services, Inc.;

   2. Based on  my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
      to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under  which
      such statements were made,  not misleading with  respect to the  period
      covered by this report;

   3. Based on my  knowledge, the financial  statements, and other  financial
      information included in  this report,  fairly present  in all  material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash  flows
      of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

   4. The registrant's other  certifying officer  and I  are responsible  for
      establishing and  maintaining disclosure  controls and  procedures  (as
      defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  for  the
      registrant and have:

        a. Designed such disclosure controls  and procedures, or caused  such
           disclosure controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
           supervision, to ensure that  material information relating to  the
           registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known
           to us by  others within  those entities,  particularly during  the
           period in which this report is being prepared;

        b. Evaluated  the  effectiveness   of  the  registrant's   disclosure
           controls  and  procedures  and   presented  in  this  report   our
           conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
           procedures, as of  the end of  the period covered  by this  report
           based on such evaluation; and

        c. Disclosed in this report any  change in the registrant's  internal
           control  over  financial  reporting   that  occurred  during   the
           registrant's most recent fiscal  quarter (the registrant's  fourth
           fiscal  quarter  in  the  case  of  an  annual  report)  that  has
           materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect,
           the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

   5. The registrant's other certifying officer  and I have disclosed,  based
      on our  most  recent  evaluation of  internal  control  over  financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of  the
      registrant's board of directors  (or persons performing the  equivalent
      functions):

        a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
           or operation of  internal control over  financial reporting  which
           are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability
           to record, process,  summarize and  report financial  information;
           and

        b. Any fraud, whether  or not material,  that involves management  or
           other employees who  have a significant  role in the  registrant's
           internal control over financial reporting.


 Date:  August 6, 2004


 /s/ PHILLIP E. POWELL
 --------------------------------------
 Phillip E. Powell
 Chief Executive Officer