Yes, you can get a phone plan with bad credit. Prepaid service skips the credit check entirely because you pay before you use, and postpaid carriers usually respond to a low score by asking for a refundable deposit rather than denying you outright. There are also family plans, co-signer setups, and the federal Lifeline subsidy, each useful in different situations.
Prepaid Is the No-Credit-Check Default
Prepaid is the fastest route. You pay for your minutes, data, and texts up front, so the carrier takes on no risk of non-payment. No risk means no credit check, no hard inquiry on your report, and no deposit. Service runs in cycles (most commonly 30 days), and if you don’t reload, the line pauses until you do. Nothing gets reported to the credit bureaus, positive or negative.
Every major carrier has a prepaid tier, and smaller resellers known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators lease space on those same networks at lower prices. Mint Mobile runs on T-Mobile, Visible is owned by Verizon, Cricket is owned by AT&T, and US Mobile resells all three. Pricing for lighter users can start under $10 per month on some build-your-own plans, with flat-rate unlimited options starting around $25.
If you already have a number on a postpaid plan, you can port it to prepaid without a new credit check. Your current carrier issues a port-out PIN, and the new provider uses it to move the number, usually within minutes.
Budget for the add-ons. Prepaid refills get hit with state and local telecom taxes and E911 fees at the point of sale, commonly 6 to 10 percent on top of the plan price depending on where you live.
Postpaid Plans With a Security Deposit
If you want a traditional monthly bill or plan to finance a phone through the carrier, postpaid is still open to you. The carrier will run a hard credit inquiry, and a low score usually triggers approval with a deposit instead of a denial. Deposits typically range from $100 to $500, scaled to how much risk the carrier’s system assigns your profile.
The deposit is refundable. Verizon, for example, credits it back to your account after 12 months of uninterrupted, on-time payments. Miss payments or close the account early and the carrier applies the deposit to what you owe. Other major carriers work similarly, though timelines and refund mechanics vary.
Weigh the hard inquiry before you apply. It stays on your credit report for two years and usually drops your FICO Score by fewer than five points, with the effect fading within a few months.1Experian. How Long Do Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report A small, short-lived ding is the tradeoff for getting features that prepaid typically doesn’t offer, like device installment financing or premium upgrade programs.
Getting a Phone With Bad Credit
The plan is only half the problem. Flagship smartphones run $800 to $1,200 or more, and carriers spread that over 24 or 36 monthly installments. Those installment agreements are effectively loans, so they get their own credit evaluation. Weak credit usually means the carrier asks for a larger down payment, sometimes several hundred dollars, to shrink the financed balance.
T-Mobile’s Smartphone Equality program offers one documented workaround. Start on a T-Mobile prepaid plan with no credit check, make 12 consecutive on-time payments, then switch to a postpaid plan with device financing and zero down on select phones. No credit check runs on that financing once you’ve built the 12-month record.2T-Mobile Support. Smartphone Equality Program No Credit Check Phone Financing
The other option is to buy the phone outright and skip financing entirely. An unlocked phone from a manufacturer, retailer, or reputable refurbisher pairs with any prepaid or postpaid plan you qualify for, and no one checks your credit for the hardware purchase.
Family Plans and Co-Signers
Joining someone else’s family plan is often the simplest workaround. The primary account holder is the one whose credit was checked and who carries financial responsibility for every line. Adding you usually requires nothing more than their authorization, and your own credit never enters the picture.
The catch is trust. If you don’t pay your share, their credit takes the hit, not yours. The arrangement works between people who already share real financial trust and can strain relationships fast when payments slip.
A co-signer works differently. Someone with good credit guarantees your individual account, meaning the carrier pursues them for the full balance (including any device installments) if you stop paying. The co-signed account can also show up on their credit report and add to their debt load. Before asking, both of you should treat it as a binding financial obligation, not a favor.
Lifeline If Your Income Is Low
If your household income is low enough, a federally subsidized plan sidesteps the credit question entirely. Lifeline is an FCC program providing up to $9.25 per month toward phone or broadband service, or up to $34.25 per month for subscribers on qualifying Tribal lands.3Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
You qualify if household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if you participate in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Pension Benefits, or certain Tribal assistance programs.3Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
Lifeline is funded through the Universal Service Fund and based on need, so there is no credit check. You apply through the National Verifier, which checks eligibility against government databases. Program qualifiers like SNAP or Medicaid often verify automatically. Income qualifiers need to upload documentation: a tax return covering a full year, or pay stubs covering three consecutive months within the past 12.4Universal Service Administrative Company. Documents Needed Some states layer their own discount on top of the federal amount.
One boundary worth noting: the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offered a separate $30 monthly broadband discount, lost funding and ended June 1, 2024, with no replacement enacted as of early 2026.5Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program Lifeline is the remaining federal subsidy.
How Your Phone Plan Affects Your Credit
Most people have this backwards. Paying your phone bill on time every month does not, by default, build your credit. The major carriers report missed payments and defaults to the credit bureaus but generally do not report positive payment history. A phone bill is an asymmetric bet for your score: it can hurt you and usually won’t help you.
The real credit danger isn’t the hard inquiry at signup. It’s letting an account go to collections. An unpaid phone bill sold to a collection agency can sit on your credit report for up to seven years, a far heavier drag than any single inquiry.
Prepaid plans produce no credit footprint at all. No inquiry on the way in, no reporting of payments going out. If keeping your credit untouched while you rebuild elsewhere is the priority, prepaid is the cleanest choice.
What to Have Ready When You Apply
Gather these before you start, whichever route you take:
- A government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
- Your Social Security Number, required for any postpaid application that runs a credit check. Prepaid plans usually skip it or use it only for account recovery.
- Your current address, used for billing and to calculate local taxes and E911 fees.
- A payment method. Debit card, credit card, or bank account for autopay. Prepaid also accepts cash refills at retail locations.
Lifeline applicants also need proof of program participation (a benefit award letter or enrollment confirmation) or income documentation. Apply through the National Verifier at checklifeline.org, or ask a participating provider to walk you through it in person.3Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
Online postpaid applications usually return an instant decision, and if a deposit is required, you’ll see the amount before you commit. Walking into a retail store lets you activate a SIM and leave with working service the same day, which matters if you need a line immediately.