Getting turned down for a phone plan because of your credit score stings, mostly because a $40 monthly bill has little to do with what that score actually measures. Prepaid carriers don't run a credit check at all, since you pay for the month before you use it, which means there's no bill to chase down later and no reason for anyone to pull your credit.
You can find plenty of no-credit-check phone plans right now from Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, US Mobile, Visible, and Cricket Wireless, and they run from roughly $25 to $35 per month with taxes and fees included. Every one of them runs on Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile's network, so the coverage you get is the same coverage those carriers sell at double the price.
1. Metro by T-Mobile $30 Unlimited: The no-credit-check phone plan that gets you on T-Mobile's network
- $30/month, taxes and fees included
- Runs on T-Mobile's network
Metro by T-Mobile is T-Mobile's prepaid brand, and it runs on T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network. Because Metro takes your payment at the start of the month instead of sending you a bill at the end of it, nobody runs your credit when you sign up, and there's no annual contract to lock you in.
The $30 plan covers unlimited talk, text, and 35GB of high-speed data with 10GB of mobile hotspot. Metro holds the rate for five years under its price guarantee, a rare find among other cellular carriers that only offer promotional pricing for a couple months at best.
Getting set up is straightforward enough. Metro supports eSIM and lets you bring your own phone, so an unlocked phone from the last few years will usually work. And you can have Metro port over your phone number for you when you start your prepaid plan.
What the five-year price guarantee does and doesn't cover
The guarantee locks the price of your talk, text, and 5G data for five years. It doesn't lock add-ons, device payments, or optional features, so if you tack on international calling or a smartwatch line later, those can still change. Read it as a rate lock on the plan itself rather than a ceiling on your whole bill.
2. Boost Unlimited: Sign up at $25/month and stay at $25/month
- $25/month with AutoPay, $30/month without
- Runs on AT&T's network
Boost Unlimited gives you a no-credit-check plan that won't get more expensive down the road. At $25/month with AutoPay, you get unlimited talk, text, and data, along with 30GB of premium data before your speeds slow. Boost calls the rate $25 Forever and says it won't change, which means it's something to take advantage of before they change their minds.
Boost Mobile runs on AT&T's network, so you get national coverage at a fraction of the price. Boost is also easier to deal with than most prepaid carriers when something goes wrong. It has physical stores you can walk into, which carriers like US Mobile and Visible can't offer.
The 30GB premium data allowance is the smallest on this list, but in our experience, 30GB of premium data is more than enough to cover the average person. Boost also gives you 30 days to get your money back if the coverage disappoints you.
If you want a cheap plan with no credit check, a generous money-back guarantee, and a price you can count on, Boost Unlimited gives you what you need. Max McCaskill, one of our writers, spent a full year on this exact plan and stuck with it largely because of Boost's customer service. Check out his Boost Mobile review to see how it held up.
3. US Mobile Unlimited Starter: Way more data than $25/month should ever get you
- $25/month, taxes and fees included
- Choose Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile's network when you sign up
US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan gives you more data than anything else at this price, and it lets you choose which network delivers it. You pick one of US Mobile's three networks when you sign up, and what you get depends on which one you land on. All three run $25/month with taxes and fees included.
US Mobile network options compared
| US Mobile network | Runs on | Premium data | Hotspot data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star | AT&T | Unlimited | 20GB |
| Warp | Verizon | 70GB | 10GB |
| Light Speed | T-Mobile | 70GB | 10GB |
Some unlimited plans give you only 30GB of premium data at the same price or give you deprioritized data that slows you down during network congestion rather than giving you a set allowance.
The catch is that US Mobile is online-only, so there's no store to walk into if you get stuck. Support runs 24 hours a day by phone, chat, and email, but it's worth knowing there's nowhere to go in person.
If you want a cheap plan with no credit check and more data than you're likely to use, the US Mobile Unlimited Starter plan covers it all. Max McCaskill, one of our writers, also spent a month on this plan without trying to conserve data and never came close to using his full allotment. Check out his US Mobile review to see how it performed.
4. Visible: Unlimited hotspot on Verizon's network for $25 a month
- $25/month, taxes and fees included
- Runs on Verizon's network
Visible gives you unlimited data and an unlimited hotspot on Verizon's network for $25/month, less than Verizon charges for a prepaid plan with no hotspot at all. Your hotspot usage doesn't count against your data either, so tethering a laptop won't eat into what's left on your phone. Speeds top out at 5Mbps, which handles browsing, email, and video fine, though it'll feel slow if you're pulling down large files or running several devices at once.
There's no credit check and no contract, and you can try the service free for 15 days on a temporary line before you move your number over. The plan also includes unlimited calling and texting to Mexico and Canada, so you can travel without worrying about what service you can find once you get there.
The tradeoff is that the base plan runs on deprioritized data rather than premium, so speeds can slow when the network gets busy. (But our testers never noticed it in practice.) Visible is also online-only, so there's no store to visit if something goes wrong with your account.
If you want unlimited data and a hotspot you can't run out of, you won't regret the $25 Visible plan. Angelo Ilumba, one of our writers, spent a month on this exact plan and never hit a significant slowdown, even without premium data. Check out his Visible review to see how it held up.
5. Cricket Select Unlimited: A little wiggle room when money is tight
- $35/month with AutoPay, $40/month without
- Runs on AT&T's network
Cricket Wireless stands out because it will let you pay your bill in two payments. Enrolling in BridgePay costs $5 on a single line, charged on top of what you already owe, and it buys you seven extra days to cover the rest, with another seven available for a second $5 if you need it.
Your service stays on during that window, as long as you make the second payment within those seven days. Keep in mind you only get one BridgePay per billing cycle, so it works for the occasional tight month rather than as a standing arrangement.
Cricket's Select Unlimited plan costs $35/month with AutoPay and covers unlimited talk, text, and data on AT&T's network, plus unlimited calling and texting to Mexico and Canada. Cricket says plainly on its own site that there are no credit checks, no hidden fees, and no annual contracts.
One thing to note: Select Unlimited is Cricket's entry tier, so it includes no hotspot data; if you need it, you'll need to upgrade to Smart Unlimited at $45/month.
If you want a plan that gives you room to breathe on a rough month, don't miss Cricket's Select Unlimited plan.
How I evaluated these no-credit-check plans
I look at plans that skip the credit check without asking you to give up much in return. Here's what I looked for:
- Approval requirements: Does the carrier clearly say it skips the credit check, and what does it ask for instead?
- Data and hotspot: How much high-speed data comes with the plan, and does it include a hotspot you can actually use?
- Price stability: Is the advertised rate what you'll be paying in a year, or does it climb after a few months?
- What you give up: Do you still get a major network, real support, and somewhere to turn when something goes wrong?
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We've been around since the birth of the iPhone. Along the way, we've learned how to spot the best deals for your wallet (and your sanity). We spend our days researching informative guides and writing insightful reviews on every kind of wireless plan, distinguishing what matters from what doesn't. We played around with these plans before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your hard-earned money.
Want to know more? Check out how we review every cell phone plan we rank.
How to get a phone without a credit check
You can also get a phone without a credit check, not just the plan, though how that works depends on the carrier.
Metro and Cricket run device payments through lease-to-own companies like SmartPay and Progressive Leasing, which approve you on payment history rather than a credit score, so your credit score alone won't rule you out. Rather than signing a lease, you're signing a rental agreement, meaning you won't own the phone until you finish payments or buy it out early.
Boost, Visible, and US Mobile go the other direction and finance through Affirm, which does look at your credit. Approval isn't all-or-nothing, though, since Affirm weighs more than your score and rates run anywhere from 0% to 36% depending on what it finds.
Bringing a phone you already own skips both paths, and it's the fastest way to switch since you're only moving your number instead of waiting on a device to ship.
No-credit-check phone plans: FAQ
How long does it take to port a number?
Most number transfers (or ports) finish within one business day, and wireless-to-wireless transfers often complete in a few hours. Delays sometimes come from a mismatch between the account details you gave your new carrier and what your old one has on file.
Do prepaid phone plans build credit?
Prepaid phone plans don't report payments to the credit bureaus, so paying one on time won't improve your credit score. Financing a phone is the exception, since lenders like Affirm may report those payments separately from your service.
What do carriers ask for instead of a credit check?
Carriers verify your identity rather than run your credit check, which usually means a name, address, and a form of ID. Nothing in that process checks your score or payment history, so being turned down elsewhere doesn't follow you.
Can you get phone service without a credit check if you have bad credit?
Bad credit doesn't disqualify you from any plan on this list. Prepaid carriers collect payment before you use the service, so there's no unpaid bill to worry about and no reason to screen for one.
Why do some phone carriers check credit and others don't?
Carriers check credit when they bill you after you've used the service, since that arrangement depends on you paying at the end of the month. Prepaid takes the money upfront, which removes the question entirely.
Scott Houghton
Jr. Staff Writer
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