If you have read our previous post on how to check if you’re eligible for a contract phone with bad credit, you’re now ready to find out how to actually get these contract phone deals.
First things first, long term phone contracts require a credit check, which of course we’re trying to avoid. This means there’s a limit to the quality of phone contract deals you will be eligible for. Even in the absence of a credit check, you would still have to provide some details for identification and risk assessment when trying to apply for a contract phone. These details include:
- Some form of identification showing your name and other details as well as proof that you are above 18
- A statement of account from your bank showing your financial details
- Credit or debit card details
- It is often required to be included on the electoral roll in order for the company to confirm your address
What Kind of Phone Contract can you get without credit checks?
The most common no credit check phones are SIM-free mobile phones. SIM-free phones give you the flexibility to use any service provider’s SIM on your mobile phone. Keep in mind that this is only the first step as you will still have to purchase a SIM pack on contract without the credit check requirement.
Here’s where we have to point out an advantage as well as a disadvantage of this process. The advantage is that getting a Sim-only contract is not so expensive and you can get budget-friendly prices for that. However, to apply for a contract phone without credit checks, you will have to make a higher upfront payment as the risk to the lending organization is higher. Also, the overall payment plan might be slightly higher than the others. Again it’s only fair that the lender hedges against the risk of not requiring a credit check.
Another point to take into consideration is that there’s a limit to how long a credit check free phone contract lasts. On average, you may not get any deal that extends beyond one or two months with possible extensions. This is as opposed to a regular phone contract with credit checks that can get drawn out for as long as 2 years or more.
What Else Can You Do?
It’s usually more convenient if you limit your credit check avoidance just to the SIM while getting the phone through other means. There are various options here, you could decide to go for a lower end and more affordable phone model which you can pay cash for. Alternatively, you could purchase a refurbished version of a higher-end phone which would also be cheaper compared to the brand-new version. Unlocking a phone you previously had for use with the new SIM is another possible way out.
Either you’ve just arrived in the UK and do not yet have a credit history, or some financial constraints have left you in debt and with a lower than desired credit score, no credit check phones and sims are the perfect options to bail you out.