No credit check SIM only deals

Yes. Lots of big networks offer SIM only contracts without a credit check. So if you're worried your credit rating might affect your signing up for a SIM only plan, you can choose from the range of networks that don't require one.

This said, even if your credit rating is poor, SIM only deals aren't considered very high risk financially, so many providers that do run checks will still accept many customers who have a bad credit rating.

SIM only deals that don’t require you to pass a credit check tend to be short-term contracts and last just one month, with the option to extend or terminate them on a monthly basis.

If you want a longer-term SIM only contract, say for six months or a year, you’ll still have to pass a credit check before a network will accept you as a customer.

No credit check SIM only deals are typically on a rolling contract basis. That means that provided you give 30 days’ notice, you can cancel at any time, and there’s no financial penalty to pay.

There aren't really any negatives to poor credit SIM only deals. The quality of service you get is exactly the same as one you'd get from a network that does require one. In fact, many people with a favourable credit rating purchase SIM only deals from no credit check providers without even knowing it.

So the main 'pro' is simply that you can get access to a fully-fledged SIM only contract without having your credit rating screened.

Lots of well-known mobile networks offer SIM only plans without a credit check. Here's a list of ones you can choose from on Uswitch:

EE also offers no credit check options with their tariffs.

To ensure you can pick from the widest possible choice of no-credit check SIM only deals, you’ll want to make sure your phone is unlocked. To find out about phone unlocking, check out our one-stop guide.

If you haven’t got a phone, you can browse affordably priced models from the likes of Samsung, Sony and OnePlus, on our pay as you go phones comparison page.

Alternatively, you can browse reconditioned, nearly-new models on our refurbished phones page.

Of course, no credit check SIM only contracts are ideal if you’ve been through a difficult patch financially and can even help you to help repair your credit rating. But they’re handy for other reasons too.

If you’re new to the UK, you may struggle to qualify for a contract because you’ve got no credit history in this country. But you can get around that with a no credit check SIM only deal.

By the same token, teenagers and young adults are also unlikely to be accepted by networks for a standard monthly contract because they’re not yet old enough to have a credit history.

If you’ve moved house frequently or are on a zero-hours contract, both of which can damage your standing with mobile phone networks, a no-credit check contract could be just the ticket.

The truth is that it’s unlikely that networks will let you sign up for a two-year free phone contract if your credit rating is bad.

That’s not to say you can’t get a standard free-phone contract deal at all, though. Some sites exist expressly to cater for the market of people who want a regular contract but have a bad credit rating.

Naturally, there’s a catch. To mitigate their risk, these sites often demand a substantial deposit from customers. And they’ll frequently charge a higher monthly rate too. Especially if you want one of the latest handsets.

With all that in mind, it’s usually much more cost-effective to buy a pay-as-you-go phone outright and then sign up for one of the keenly priced no-credit check SIM only deals in the tables above.

The likes of giffgaff, Lebara Mobile, VOXI, SMARTY, EE and Asda Mobile all allow you to take out a SIM only contract without a credit check. But the other networks will still likely accept you too.

SIM only plans are a lot less financially risky than more expensive services like loans or mortgages, so could still be able to sign up to any network, even with a poorer credit rating than usual.

Lebara Mobile does not run a credit check on potential customers. So if you're concerned your credit rating might affect whether you can sign up, you can trust Lebara to still offer you a contract.