If you have less than stellar credit, you might be wondering if you could ever get your own cell phone. Whenever you open an account for anything these days, the first thing that happens is a credit check. A service provider wants to make sure that you are going to be able to pay the bill each month and do so on time. If you have bad credit what are your options?
Get A Prepaid Phone
The best thing you could do is to get a prepaid phone that you pay for as you go. That way, if you cannot pay your bill that month, you simply just wait until you can buy more minutes. The phone is bought just like you would buy anything else, and there is typically no contract. If you are not sure about being able to qualify for a monthly plan, this would be your best option.
Pay A Deposit
Some providers may allow you to sign up for a plan assuming you are willing to pay a deposit for your service. This will guarantee that your bills will be paid until they can make a determination about your ability to consistently pay your bills. The upside is that if you pay off your bills on time, this may be reported to credit agencies and improve your credit score.
Sign Up With Other People
Find a friend or family member who has better credit and is willing to put you on their plan. The good part is that you might only have to pay 10 dollars or so a month for your line, assuming that whoever opens the account only makes you pay for your line, and not split the bill in half.
Buy A Phone Outright
If you are thinking about getting a cool new phone, you might just want to buy the phone outright and not worry about a contract. You still have to pay the bill each month, but if you are not obligated to pay for anything more than you use. Buying a phone, and then picking an inexpensive plan, could be a great way to get around contracts and expensive monthly plans.
Getting a cell phone will require a credit check for the most part. However, you can get around this by paying a little more upfront, or by getting a phone that will not require a contract, or service plan. If you have bad credit, you might want to consider these options as your way to get a new phone as soon as possible.
About the Author: Author Stephanie Sanders is a communications consultant and writes for mobilephones.org.uk, a provider of all the latest cell phones and many unique plans.
