Cell phones have become a major part of many people's lives. Some individuals use their cell phones as their primary phones, opting to forego a residential land line. Consumers with bad credit have to do a little more research to find a good carrier that is within their budget and offering the features they require. They may find it difficult to find good deals on cell phone plans, but there are still options available.
High Deposits
Some cell phone companies require higher deposits from customers with bad credit looking for contract plans. Credit companies see the customer as a risk for non-payment or late payments, so they require more money to start a plan. Often time, cell phone providers offer contract plans for a lower price than prepaid plans for the same amount of minutes. So, some customers are willing to pay the high deposit. Customers also do not have to worry about running out of minutes as with prepaid plans and are usually offered free nights and weekends. Some customers choose to pay a high deposit to take advantage of the special offers cell phone providers make to their contract customers, such as discounted plans and specially-priced cell phones and accessories.
Get a Co-Signer
Customers not wanting to get a prepaid plan or pay a deposit may have the option of getting a co-signer. A co-signer uses his credit rating as a way to vouch for you. The advantage of having a co-signer is you may not have to pay a deposit to enter into a cell phone contract. The disadvantage is your co-signer's credit is affected if you do not pay your bill. Your co-signer becomes equally obligated with you to pay off the debt.
Use Regional Provider
Some regional providers offer cell phone services to customers without performing a credit check. The service area is often limited to your city or surrounding areas. This prevents you from being able to communicate while traveling to another city or state. If your service extends past your region, your cell provider may charge you roaming fees. Regional providers usually don't offer the same features as national providers. Many regional carriers do not offer Internet features or the latest cell phones to hit the market.
Prepaid Service
Prepaid, or pay-as-you-go cell phone plans, allow customers to buy a certain number of cell phone minutes before actually using them. Prepaid cell phone plans require customers to only buy a cell phone and a block of minutes on a calling card. Cell phone providers do not run credit checks on customers because the minutes are bought in advance. Usually certain phones are available on prepaid plans. Once a customer acquires the phone, she simply calls the number on the card and enters the authorization code to activate the minutes. The minutes are subtracted from the plan as they are used. Once the minutes are used entirely, you must buy more minutes and activate them. Nearly every major cell phone provider offers prepaid cell plans to customers.
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