Did you know you can get a decent phone plan these days without a credit check? Customers can get both prepaid SIM-only plans and some month-to-month postpaid plans from a range of telcos, all without them digging into your financial details.
Keep reading to find out what your options are as well as the specific credit checks major telcos look for when you sign up for a phone plan.
Prepaid plans without credit checks
The simplest way to get a phone plan without a credit check is to choose prepaid plans, even from the Big Three - Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. The inclusions in most prepaid plans rival the value in expect and there are even prepaid 5G plans on the market; the key difference is that you pay upfront and recharge your prepaid service each month, rather than receiving a bill at the end of the month. Here's how the Big Three telcos compare on prepaid plans:
To save a little extra money, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) are a great alternative to the Big Three and should be wear bargain hunters look for a deal. Here's how they all stack up against each other sorted by price:
Unfortunately, if you're after a phone plan with a new phone, credit checks will apply. This is because customers need to prove they can financially afford the repayments.
If you're not in a position to purchase a new device outright and pair it with a prepaid or SIM-only plan, there are a number of affordable prepaid phones, cheap smartphones under $500, cheap 5G phones and budget Android Phones under $300 available.
Telstra credit checks
With the introduction of its Upfront plans, Telstra has waived its previous credit checks for postpaid customers. Upfront plans, as the name suggests, are month-to-month plans paid upfront.
Here are the inclusions for Telstra's Upfront Plans:
- Data sharing between up to 10 services on an Upfront mobile or Upfront data plan on your account
- 5G network access (uncapped on Essential and Premium plan tiers)
- Unlimited talk and text Australia-wide to standard AU numbers
- 30 mins of international calls from Australia and unlimited SMS to standard international numbers
- Access to the Telstra Plus rewards program
- The option to bundle up to five plans on Essential and Premium plan tiers
Here are what Telstra's Upfront Plans look like:
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#1
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Telstra
$74.00/mth
Min. cost $24
Link not supplied
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#2
|
Telstra
$84.00/mth
Min. cost $42
Link not supplied
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#3
|
Telstra
$99.00/mth
Min. cost $49
Link not supplied
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In addition to Upfront Plans, customers can also get any Telstra SIM-only plans without a credit check.
However, if you wish to pair your Upfront or SIM-only plan with a device from Telstra, this will require a credit check. In addition to checking your credit score via Equifax, Experian and Illion, Telstra typically requests the following information in its credit check:
- Australian passport or driver's licence
- Income details
- Employment details
Telstra MVNO credit checks
If you like being on the Telstra network but want a more affordable plan, a number of Telstra MVNOs offer prepaid plans which skip the dreaded credit check.
Just remember if you need access to 4G, Telstra only leases part of its network to its MVNOs. Boost Mobile is the only Telstra MVNO with full access.
Here are some of the cheapest Telstra MVNO prepaid plans in our database that won't require a credit check:
Optus credit checks
Unlike Telstra, all of Optus' postpaid plans require a credit check since none are paid at the beginning of the billing period.
If you want to skip the credit check, here are Optus' most affordable prepaid plans to get you by:
It goes without saying, that the more expensive the plan, the more likely they are to be scrutinised more closely, for example, plans that include the latest iPhone 14. So ff you're willing to give a credit check a try, here are Optus' most affordable postpaid plans currently available in the Australian market:
Optus has recently taken steps to clearly outline what information will be collected from its customers and how. It also outlines extensively in the privacy section of the Optus website what information is shared between itself and the credit reporting bodies it uses, which are Equifax and Illion.
Optus MVNO credit checks
Optus MVNOs boast an assortment of prepaid plans that won't have you facing a credit check.
Check out the most popular options below:
Vodafone credit checks
Vodafone uses Equifax and Illion to review a potential customer's credit history. Unfortunately, both SIM-only plans and plans with a new handset will incur a credit check because they're not paid upfront.
Below is a selection of Vodafone's SIM-only month-to-month plans, sorted by popularity:
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#1
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Vodafone
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
Link not supplied
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#2
|
Vodafone
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
Link not supplied
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|
#3
|
Vodafone
$55.00/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
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Otherwise, here are Vodafone's most affordable prepaid plans that won't see you facing the dreaded credit check:
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#1
|
Vodafone
$13.00
Per 7 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#2
|
Vodafone
$40.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#3
|
Vodafone
$50.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#4
|
Vodafone
$60.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#5
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Vodafone
$169.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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In terms of what information is collected about customers, the Vodafone website provides more clarity than most telcos.
Vodafone MVNO credit checks
Vodafone MVNOs offer a selection of upfront prepaid plan options free from credit checks. Below we have linked to the most popular Vodafone MVNO prepaid plans in our database:
Phone plans without credit checks FAQs
What is a credit score?
A credit score is an individual number applied to each person based on previous payment histories e.g. personal loans, overdue bills, declaring bankruptcy etc.
Does applying for a mobile phone affect your credit score?
If you have a mobile phone contract, this will contribute to your credit score. Paying on time will positively affect your credit score as it shows you are a reliable lender. However, failing to pay bills on time will have a negative impact on your credit score.
What credit score do I need to get a mobile phone?
Technically there isn't a specific golden number to aim for but here's what the credit reporting bodies consider a good credit score:
Equifax (rated from 0 to 1200)
Good: 670 or more
Fair: 580 to 669
Bad: 579 or less
Experian (rated from 0 to 1000)
Good: 625 or more
Fair: 550 to 624
Bad: 549 or less
Illion (rated from 0 to 1000)
Good: 500 or more
Fair: 300 to 499
Bad: 299 or less
Christie Graham
Digital Content Editor
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