No credit check SIM only deals: options for bad credit history

Pay up front and there's no need for a credit check

The reason mobile networks run a credit check on pay monthly SIM only contracts is that they let customers pay for extra things like roaming, international minutes or premium services at the end of the month.

From the mobile network's point of view, there's a risk customers could wrack up large bills and then not be able or willing to pay them. So they look at your record of paying other bills, before deciding to accept you.

But there is a way round this. Most networks offer SIMs where you pay for a plan up front each month, and if you want to do anything else that would cost money, you have to top up with credit first.

It's essentially a monthly version of pay as you go. If you pay for everything up front, there's no risk to the network that you don't pay, so they don't need to run a credit check.

Useful link: Compare this type of plan above

How this type of deal works

When you click on any of the deals above, you'll be taken to the mobile network's website, where you can buy a SIM with a monthly bundle of minutes, texts and data that lasts a month at a time.

You'll register a credit or debit card (or even Paypal) with the mobile network and the cost of the plan will be taken from that. You can choose to have your plan renew automatically, or buy month-to-month yourself.

You won't be able to do anything else on the SIM that would cost extra, without first topping up with credit or buying an add-on for data/calls etc. So it means it's hard to accidentally overspend.

If you let everything run automatically, there's basically no difference between this type of deal and a contract, except of course the fact you can have bad credit and still be accepted for them.

Useful link: Find a deal that works for you

Who these deals are for

Because of the way they work, this type of SIM only plan is great for anyone with bad credit history, if you've been refused a SIM only contract, you're young or you've just come to the UK.

But they're not just for bad credit, more and more networks are starting to offer all their SIM only deals on this basis, just because people like the simple, flexible nature of the plans.

You can use them to join one of the main networks EE, Vodafone, Three or O2 on SIM only. But to get a cheaper deal, see our list of the best networks for no credit check SIMs.

In short, they're suitable for anyone.

Useful link: Find the best-priced deals here

SMARTY: best choice for cheap SIMs with no credit checks

We recommend SMARTY as your first port of call if you want a SIM with no credit check. They were set up by Three (check coverage here), specifically to offer this type of deal and at market-leading prices.

SMARTY’s best SIM only plans this June

You pay for your monthly allowance of minutes, texts and data up front, by registering a UK debit or credit card (read full details here). To do anything that would cost extra, you buy credit or an add-on.

What we like about SMARTY vs joining some of the bigger networks is there's no premium for taking this type of deal and you get everything you'd expect like 5G and WiFi calling.

Useful link: Read our full SMARTY review here

1pMobile are the best way to get on EE without a credit check

If you want to get onto EE's quality network without passing a credit check, you could take one of EE's own pay as you go SIMs. But these work out unfavourable vs going with 1pMobile.

1p have some great 1-month plans on EE's full 5G network (see coverage), with the extra features like WiFi calling you'd expect. There's a plan to fit every requirement and their prices are decent too:

1pMobile's June range of SIMs

The plans can be set to auto-renew or you can buy month to month. They also have very low 1p per minute, text or MB data pay as you go rates, if you ever need to take a break from having a plan.

Useful link: Read our full 1pMobile review

Talkmobile offer pay monthly contracts without credit checks

Talkmobile are one of the cheapest providers on Vodafone’s network and actually let you set up a direct debit with them, while not requiring you to pass a credit check (there’s only an ID check).

They will ask for some details, just so they know who you are. If you give false or incorrect information then you will be rejected. Otherwise, anyone can get onto Talkmobile.

And they now offer much more in terms of features. They’ve got 5G data, they offer WiFi calling and 4G calling, and their deals are great value.

Current best Talkmobile SIM only plans

What’s great about setting up a direct debit is that it will likely build your credit score, as long as you keep up with payments. Talkmobile are a great choice for getting onto another network’s SIM only or phone contracts later on.

Useful link: Talkmobile’s terms and conditions

VOXI offer some nice benefits on top of good value

VOXI were set up by Vodafone as a low cost alternative to their network. They offer all their SIM only plans on 1-month plans. While they’re not the cheapest, they do offer some great benefits on top of their decent prices.

There are no credit checks on their plans, as you’re paying for everything up front. Keep in mind their phone contracts do require you to pass a credit check, like any other network.

You get Endless Social Media on all plans which lets you use these social media apps without using up data. But their best benefit is their Endless Video, which lets you stream these apps without eating into your allowance.

VOXI’s SIM only plans for June

You also get all the benefits of being on the Vodafone network, even 5G access. And you get network features like 4G calling and WiFi calling too. VOXI offer brilliant value for their SIM only deals.

Useful link: See VOXI’s home page for more details

giffgaff's offer good value guaranteed SIM only plans

giffgaff’s SIM only plans are all paid up front, meaning there are no credit checks to pass to get onto their network. Their SIM deals are open for anyone to buy, but their phone contracts will require a credit check.

They’re almost always the cheapest way to get onto the reliable O2 network, and get the same 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G coverage as their host (see coverage here), without needing good credit history.

giffgaff’s current best SIMs

You can top up with credit and pay as you go for your usage, or you can take their better value “goodybags” which are just bundles of minutes, texts and data that each last 30 days.

By using our SIM only comparison tool, you can see that giffgaff regularly work out as one of the cheapest networks. You can get £5 free credit on your first £10 top up if you join them via the link here.

Useful link: See giffgaff's SIM plans and get free credit

ASDA offer cheap monthly deals and pay as you go rates

ASDA Mobile use the Vodafone network and offer all their great value SIM only plans on 1-month contracts. There are no credit checks to pass as everything you get is paid for up front.

June's best ASDA Mobile SIM only plans

Along with offering some of the best value SIM only plans on the market, they also have the second-cheapest pay as you go rates in the UK. With them you can top up and pay as you go at these rates:

15p per minute + 10p per text + 10p per MB data = £0 a month (0‑month contract)
See full deal

ASDA offer some nice benefits on top of being great value. With them you get the same 5G/4G/3G/2G coverage as Vodafone, you get WiFi calling and also inclusive EU roaming - all with no credit checking.

While their pay as you go rates are very cheap, it’s still better overall value to get one of their SIM only plans. Bear in mind they have three different unlimited data plans, each having a different speed cap (check here).

Useful link: Our guide to the cheapest pay as you go networks

Lebara’s main selling point is their cheap international calls, but they’ve made some changes to their network that make them worthwhile even if you’re just using them in the UK.

You pay up front for any of Lebara’s SIM only deals, and as we’ve said that means there are no credit checks necessary. They offer a decent range of 30-day bundles of minutes, texts and data.

Lebara’s best SIM only plans this June

Their international minutes benefit is still useful if you have relatives or friends abroad that you call on a regular basis (see the list of countries here).

You get access to Vodafone’s 4G/3G/2G coverage on Lebara, though 5G is still unavailable. In all, they’re a good value network to join if you don’t want to have to pass a credit check.

Useful link: All Lebara SIM only plans

iD Mobile offer pay as you go bundles too

iD Mobile offer competitive SIM only contracts, but you can still fail a credit check for these. In that case you can still get on their network with one of their payg monthly bundles. These aren’t as good value as their pay monthly plans.

iD’s pay as you go bundles for June

With these you also get WiFi calling and 4G calling and inclusive EU roaming as standard.

You do miss out on iD Mobile’s data rollover feature that normally adds a bit of extra value to their SIM only plans. It’s a shame because you’ll lose the mins, texts and data you paid for when they expire.

But, they’re definitely not a bad choice if you want a decent value bundle without having to pass a credit check.

Useful link: See iD Mobile's PAYG SIMs

Tesco Mobile offer pay as you go and monthly bundles

While Tesco Mobile’s pay monthly SIM only contracts will require you to pass a credit check, they do offer pay as you go SIMs and monthly bundles paid up front that won’t require a credit check.

Neither method is particularly amazing value. Their “Rocket Pack” bundles are worse value than giffgaff’s “goodybags” and their pay as you go “Lite” tariff isn’t nearly as generous as some networks.

Tesco Mobile’s best no credit check SIMs

But there are some nice extra benefits for being a Tesco Mobile customer. You can benefit from their Clubcard vouchers to get points when you spend money on Tesco Mobile and use those points to get money off your bill.

Unfortunately you don’t benefit from their Family Perks, you don’t get WiFi calling or 4G calling or data rollover. We think Tesco are more focused around their SIM only contracts.

Useful link: Tesco Mobile’s pay as you go bundles

Honest offer 12-month and 1-month contracts without credit checks

Honest Mobile market themselves as the UK’s only carbon negative network. They’re a little pricier than some networks, but you won’t have to pass a credit check to get on any of their SIM only plans.

They offer 1-month and 12-month contracts. Their 12-month contracts get you better overall value, while their 1-month contracts get you more flexibility to change plans. If you stay loyal to Honest you also get a discount.

Current best Honest Mobile deals

You get an extra 5% off every year you’re with Honest, for a maximum of 30% off after 6 years. You can also use the promo code “simsherpa” at the checkout to get 50% off your first month.

Coverage is provided by the Three network, so you’ll get brilliant 5G speeds and coverage. They also offer WiFi calling and 4G calling. They’re a pricier option, but they might just be worth it for you.

Useful link: Honest Mobile’s FAQ page

Three’s monthly bundles are quite good value

If you’ve already failed a credit check on Three, you can still get onto their network with one of their monthly bundles, or you can take a free SIM and top it up with credit.

They used to have a really generous pay as you go tariff, but now it’s not really great value:

35p per minute + 15p per text + 10p per MB data = £0 a month (0‑month contract)
See full deal

There are much cheaper networks for traditional pay as you go. But their monthly bundles are alright value. You get the same benefits as being on one of their pay monthly plans.

Three’s current no credit check SIMs

We’d argue networks like SMARTY and iD are better value these days. Three have pulled a lot of their best benefits, so you’re not missing out on much going with a cheaper network.

Useful link: Three's no credit check SIM only plans

O2 offer data rollover on certain monthly bundles

Like Three, O2 have shifted focus away from traditional pay as you go. They actually don’t let you pay as you go anymore at all, but they do offer monthly bundles if you’ve failed a credit check with them.

These are alright value compared to other main networks, but worse value than their pay monthly SIM only plans. But you still get all the benefits of being on O2, like their brilliant Priority rewards scheme.

O2's best SIMs with no credit checks

You also get data rollover, which is where you can keep your data you don’t use for your next month. It’s a great way of keeping what you paid for and pay monthly users don’t get it. Just remember to renew your bundle.

So with that, and the rest of O2’s nice benefits, we think this is a pretty decent option if you’ve failed a credit check but still want to be on O2.

Useful link: O2 SIMs with no credit check

Vodafone’s PAYG bundles include data rollover

You’ll need to pass a credit check on any of Vodafone’s pay monthly SIM only plans. But if you’ve failed a credit check with them, there are still ways of getting onto their network.

They offer a decent range of pay as you go bundles that get you the same benefits as being on Vodafone directly, while also giving you data rollover. So the data you don’t use will go into your next month so long as you renew your bundle.

Vodafone no credit check SIMs in June

Having data rollover means you have another chance to use the data you’ve paid for. However, you’ll have to renew with the same bundle as your last month for your data to rollover. Sometimes it’s better just to go with a smaller bundle.

You can pay as you go if you don’t renew your monthly bundle, but instead of topping up you’ll have to pay £1 a day to get unlimited minutes, texts and 50MB data. You’ll only be charged for a day if you use your SIM.

Useful link: Vodafone's SIMs with no credit check

EE's monthly bundles have some nice extra benefits

EE have the largest 4G network and are our number one pick for the best UK 5G network. But if you fail a credit check with them, there’s still a way of getting onto the EE network without having to pass a credit check.

They have a few monthly bundles to choose from that get you the same network features as being a pay monthly customer. But you also get data rollover, letting you keep your unused data for a month.

EE’s no credit check SIMs

That’s nice to have because EE are one of the pricier UK networks, so it’s good to get the most out of what you’ve paid for. You also get free data boosts for renewing your bundles.

And you get 10% off every time you buy your bundle directly rather than letting it auto-renew. So, EE’s bundles might be expensive, but they give you a little extra to add a bit of value.

Useful link: EE's no credit check SIM only plans