T-Mobile offers a variety of wireless plans that let you sign up with no credit check, no deposit and no annual contract.
Bad credit can make many areas of life hard, from getting approved for an apartment to getting services like cable, internet and cell phone service. If you have tried to sign up for wireless service only to be hit with a large deposit of hundreds of dollars, you do have other options.
And I think T-Mobile offers you several good options.
In this article, I will explains how to sign up for T-Mobile service without needing a credit check, and what you should know about T-Mobile’s Simple Choice and other prepaid plans. By the end, you will be able to choose the the T-Mobile no contract plan that works best for you.
So whether you are looking to save money on your mobile phone service, or find a no contract or no credit check plans that save you money, I will let tell you what you need to know about T-Mobile plans and pricing.
In This Article
Simple Choice No Credit Check Plans
T-Mobile’s premier level of service is called Simple Choice.
And guess what: You can sign up without needing a credit check!
Let me give you the plan details. And then I’ll take you step by step through the sign up process.
Plan Details
What you will end up choosing is a Simple Choice prepaid monthly plans. Unlike a lot of other prepaid offerings, with Simple Choice you can get an individual plan or a family plan!
- Single line plans start at $50.
- Family plans starting at $80.
- All plans include unlimited talk, text and data, starting with up to 1GB of 4g LTE.
- Your data is unlimited, but you are choosing a plan with a limited amount of 4G LTE data. To the extent you exceed that amount, your speeds may be throttled.
- You can buy a phone upfront or bring your own.
- T-Mobile will pay your early termination fees if you switch from another carrier.
- The Simple Choice plans do not require a credit check, but there will be a deposit equal to one month of service. For example, a single line will have a $50 deposit.
- You will need to pay the full cost of any new phone upfront. But I’ll tell you how to save money on a new phone!
- You can talk, text, or use your data on the T-Mobile network in the United States, Mexico & Canada.
- Unlimited music streaming through T-Mobile’s Music Freedom.
If you are not interested in putting up a deposit (even one limited to the cost of the first months service), then check out the Simply Prepaid section of this article. Otherwise, keep on reading, and we’ll explain how to get all this with no credit check and no contract!
How to Save on a New Phone!
If you don’t want to spend money on a new phone, you have some options.
You can choose to bring your phone.
But you might want a new phone. And I have good news for you!
T-Mobile will pay for your old device (up to $650 per device) and pay any early termination fees from your old carrier.
So there really is no reason not to switch!
And, if for some reason, T-Mobile is not offering a promotion to buy your old device, you can check our deals page to see what other offers may be available.
Your Phone Options
With some prepaid plans, cell phone choices are limited.
Not with T-Mobile.
You can get the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone.
Or you can choose any other smartphone they have available. They even make fairly recent refurbished models available.
Individual Plan Pricing
Remember, no matter which plan you choose, you get unlimited data, talk and texting.
You are merely deciding on how much 4G LTE (i.e., super fast) data you want to pay for. And, if you exceed that limit, you’ll still have data. It just may be a little slower.
You should also know that 3GB and 5GB of LTE data plans also include Data Stash, which lets you rollover unused 4G LTE data to the next month.
Family Plan Pricing
T-Mobile does family plan pricing a little different than other carriers.
Instead of getting a big bundle of data to share, each line gets its own limit of 4G LTE data. And when that line exceeds the cap, only that user will experience slower speeds.
This is a great way to keep your kids from using all your data!
Here’s a quick explanation of how the pricing will work:
- For each line, you will chose from 1 GB, 3 GB, 5 GB and Unlimited 4G LTE data.
- The pricing for the first line will be the same as on the chart above.
- Line 2 Starts at $30/month for 1 GB of 4G LTE data, and increases in $10 increments as you add 4G data (up to $60/month for unlimited 4G LTE data).
- Each additional line after that starts at $10/month for 1GB of 4G data, and increases in $10 increments as you add 4G data (up to $40/month for unlimited 4G LTE data).
How to Sign Up
To avoid a credit check and sign up for T-Mobile Simple Choice service, follow these steps.
You might need to put up a a deposit, but it will only be equal to your first month of service. If you want to avoid a deposit entirely, just scroll down to the Simply Prepaid section of this article.
Step #1: Navigate to Plans, and then select Individual or Family.
Step #2: Choose the Simple Choice plan that works for you and then select whether you will shop for a phone or bring your own.
Step #3: When the phone options come up, select “No Credit Check”.
Step #4: Select your phone and choose the “Buy Now” option to pay for the phone.
Step #5: Verify that it says “Simple Choice No Credit Plan” on the far right, then choose the right plan option and “Add to Cart.
Step #6: You can then check out and pay. Your total will include the cost of the phone, a $15 SIM starter kit and your deposit, which is the first month of service in advance.
T-Mobile Simply Prepaid Plans
Okay, so you may want to get wireless service that has no contract, no credit check, and no deposit.
T-Mobile also has an option for you.
And while it has slightly fewer benefits than the Simple Choice plans, the Simply Prepaid plans are a great option. And little less expensive.
What You Get
First, here is what you will pay for a Simply Prepaid wireless plan:
- $40/month Plan: 1GB of 4G LTE data + unlimited text, talk and data.
- $50/Month Plan: 3GB of 4G LTE data + unlimited text, talk and data.
- $60/Month Plan: 5GB of 4G LTE data + unlimited text, talk and data.
So these look and work a lot like the Simple Choice plans. You pick the amount of LTE data you want. And if you exceed the cap, you still have unlimited data, but at a slower speed. (Well maybe not that much slower. Per the fine print, your maximum data speed with Simple Prepaid will be limited to 8 Mbps. Not too bad. But not great.)
Just remember: no contract, not credit check & no deposit required!
You can’t have everything with those limitations. But you do get a lot, and at a great price compared to other prepaid offerings.
What You Don’t Get
These are the features of the Simple Choice plans not included:
- No family plans available.
- No unlimited 4G LTE data option.
- T-Mobile caps prepaid plans at 8Mbps! This means you will not have a super fast data connection, no matter how strong the network in your area.
- No coverage in Canada and Mexico.
- No international texting.
- No unlimited streaming of music through Music Streaming.
- No access to T-Mobile Jump.
Basic Monthly Plans
Looking to save even more on your wireless bills?
The Basic monthly plans offered by T-mobile come with no credit check, no deposit, and no annual contract.
For just $30 per month, you can get unlimited texting with limited talk and data.
And for $35 per month, you’ll get unlimited talk and text with no data.
Not too bad!
Pay As You Go Plans
Now, if you need only small amounts of talk time, a pay as you go plan may serve you even better. As you can see, prices are pretty cheap for infrequent use.
The key benefits of a pay as you go plan are:
- Low prices
- Pay for data only on days you need it.
- No annual service contracts
- No deposits
- No credit checks
- Keep your phone number
What If I Want to Finance a Phone?
T-Mobile does offer financing if you sign up for a Simple Choice plan, but this option is not available if you choose a No Credit Check plan.
In 2015, T-Mobile introduced Jump! On Demand, an upgrade program that lets you choose the newest devices whenever you want at a low cost. You can switch to a new phone up to 3 times per year with no upgrade fees or waiting period. Don’t pay to upgrade; just trade in your old device.
There is no upfront fee for Jump! On Demand but you do pay extra each month for your lease (and the price depends on the phone you choose). Note that you need a postpaid Simple Choice plan to be eligible, not a No Credit Check plan.
So Jump offers the benefits of financing a phone and getting to upgrade pretty frequently. And you get to avoid the upfront costs of a new phone
The downsides are:
- It does require a credit check, but if your credit score is at least in the 600s, there is a good chance you will be approved. (You can find options to check you credit score here.)
- You may need to put up a deposit. (You can see what other people are putting up for deposits here.)
- You will need to enter into a contract.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve decided to get prepaid cell service, T-Mobile does have a lot going for it.
While it isn’t the fastest or most reliable network, you can get unlimited data (albeit at slower speeds) with the ability to stream music without eating up your data.
Most wireless carriers do not offer unlimited prepaid data plans so this is a big selling point.
You can also choose from many phones or bring your own phone to avoid paying full retail value for a new phone.
And, if you have poor credit, you have multiple plans to choose from without needing a credit check. So that is a big win!
