If you’ve got bad credit, damaged financial history and CCJs, you many find it’s more difficult to get broadband. But the good news is that broadband credit checks aren’t as stringent as checks for mortgages and loans. And some providers won’t check your credit rating at all.
Will broadband providers check my credit rating?
Not all providers run credit checks on would-be customers. But the good news is that even when broadband providers do run checks, they're not anything like as rigorous as the checks that apply when you're trying to get a mortgage or loan.
So you've got a good chance of being approved, even if your credit rating isn't as clean as you'd like.
How do I get broadband with bad credit?
The best and simplest course of action is to get broadband from Now Broadband and Plusnet, neither of whom carry out credit checks.
However, if you’d prefer to go with the likes of TalkTalk, Sky, BT or Virgin Media, who run credit checks, our advice is just to apply and see what happens.
Evidence suggests that TalkTalk is more likely to accept customers with impaired credit than other household-name broadband providers.
If you’re not successful with your application, it may have a very minor effect on your credit score.
But as long as you don’t apply to lots of providers in the immediate period thereafter, you won’t do any serious damage to your credit rating.
What is a broadband deal with no credit check?
A broadband deal with no credit check is usually one from a smaller provider, often on a month-to-month contract and likely with a higher upfront fee.
That means less choice of deals available compared to providers that do run checks. But on the plus side, you’re almost guaranteed to be accepted, and your credit score can’t be negatively affected.
Does Now Broadband carry out credit checks?
Now Broadband standard broadband and fibre broadband packages are available without a credit check.
However, it's worth noting that you’re liable to pay a set-up fee when you sign up for its one-month broadband packages.
Does Plusnet broadband carry out credit checks?
- 66Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £25.99 per month
- 500Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £31.99 per month
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Plusnet broadband doesn’t credit-check potential broadband customers for one-month, 12-month or 18-month contracts.
It’s also consistently rated among the UK’s best broadband providers for customer service.
BT broadband for universal credit and low incomes
If you’re on certain benefits or deemed to be on a low income, you may qualify for BT’s 12-month Home Essentials broadband package.
For a reduced monthly rate of £15 per month and a one-off charge of £9.99 to cover postage and packaging, Home Essentials gets you a standard broadband service with an average connection speed of 67Mbps, as well as line rental with pay as you go calls.
Notably, BT Home Essentials waives early-exit fees too. So if your circumstances change, you're free to leave the contract without incurring a financial penalty.
Alternatively, if you don't need broadband and just want a landline BT offers a call-only plan for £10 per month.
You can sign up to BT Home Essentials and check your eligibility on BT’s website.
What are the pros and cons of no credit check broadband deals?
Pros
- You can get the exact same speeds, unlimited downloads, service, and other perks as any other broadband deal
- They’re available from good value providers who regularly offer special deals as well
- They’re available at high speed, including fibre optic broadband if it’s available in your area
Cons
- There’s less choice, so you may not necessarily be getting the cheapest or fastest broadband for your household
- It can cost more – either with hefty setup fees, slightly higher monthly bills, or a longer contract
Do bad credit broadband deals come with a free router?
That depends on the provider and the particulars of their deals when you sign up. We checked and at the time of writing, Plusnet, DirectSaveTelecom and Now Broadband have waived the price of the router on their broadband deals suitable for people with bad credit.
However, Now Broadband charges a nominal fee of £5 to cover the cost of delivery.
Similar broadband packages
What is a credit check?
Regularly carried by out companies to test the creditworthiness and trustworthiness of would-be customers, a credit check is an examination of someone's record of repaying loans and managing credit.
Most broadband providers will check your credit rating before accepting you as a customer, but there are a good selection of deals available that won't require you to pass a credit check.
Why might I fail a credit check?
The most common reasons for failing a credit check are if you have late or missed payments on loans or credit cards. You may also fail if you have any County Court Judgements against you, or if the company to which you've applied is unable to access enough information to be able to check if you're a good bet for credit.
Which broadband providers don’t do credit checks?
Plusnet and Now Broadbanddon’t carry out credit checks. So if you've got bad credit, they’re your best chance of gettinghome broadband.
TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Sky and BT all check your credit rating before accepting you as a customer. All of whom are likely to use different rating criteria.
However, even when checks are applied for broadband products, it's worth remembering that they aren’t as rigorous as the credit checks you’d have to pass to get a loan, mortgage or credit card.
So even if you have got bad credit, it doesn't necessarily mean you won’t be accepted.
What’s the best broadband package for someone with bad credit?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the cheaper the deal, the more chance you've got of being accepted.
Value broadband specialist TalkTalk, for instance, is said to be less stringent about credit checks than BT, Virgin Media and Sky.
However, Now Broadband and Plusnet don't apply any credit checks at all. So they're probably still your best bet for getting broadband if you've got bad credit.
Am I more likely to be accepted for a one-month, rolling contract?
Broadband deals that operate on one-month rolling contracts won't require you to pass a credit check at all. So if you're struggling to get accepted for longer-term contract, deals offered on a one-month, rolling contract are well worth a look.
How do I check and improve my credit score?
We’d recommend you check your credit rating with Experian, Equifax and Callcredit, all of which let you check your credit score for free.
You’ll also be able to see what has negatively impacted on your credit rating, so you can get an idea of what you need to do to improve it.
- Simple steps you can take to improve your create rating include:
- Register to vote so you’re on the electoral roll
- Pay all your bills on time - all of them - via direct debit if possible
- Avoid linking your finances to anyone who has worse credit than you - such as through joint bank accounts and utility bills
- Check your score once a year or so, and correct any errors you see
