T-Mobile Credit Check (How It Works, Wait Time, Who Does It + More)

If you’re thinking of switching to T-Mobile, you may want to know about the T-Mobile credit check, such as how it works and the wait time for the credit check.

Well, we have been researching this topic and have found a lot of useful information we wanted to share with you, so keep reading to learn what we’ve discovered!

T-Mobile Credit Check In [currentyear]

The T-Mobile credit check runs through TransUnion, although T-Mobile may change this at any time as of [currentyear]. T-Mobile will likely do a hard pull on your credit if you want to join its network so T-Mobile can ensure you’ll pay your bill on time, and it helps figure out what your security deposit will be.

Are you interested in learning more about the T-Mobile credit check process, such as whether a down payment is required? If so, continue reading to learn even more important facts!

Does T-Mobile Check Your Credit Score?

Yes, T-Mobile checks your credit score if you want to join its network and will check your credit as a new customer regardless of whether you’re getting a new device or bringing your own.

Does T-Mobile Do A Hard Or Soft Credit Check?

T-Mobile does a hard credit check when you sign up for T-Mobile’s network to ensure that you can pay your monthly bill, whether a security deposit is required, and how much it would be.

Additionally, T-Mobile wants to verify that you’ll be able to pay for your phone if you get onto a device payment agreement.

For example, if you have decent credit, your down payment or security deposit will be higher than if you have almost perfect credit.

How Long Does T-Mobile Credit Check Take?

The time the T-Mobile credit check takes will depend on whether you’ve filled out the form correctly and given T-Mobile accurate information.

That said, you can expect that the credit check will take less than a week to be completed, with most of them being performed within a matter of days.

Do You Have To Have Good Credit For T-Mobile Plan?

Do You Have To Have Good Credit For T-Mobile Plan?

You do not need good credit for a T-Mobile plan if you’re opting for a prepaid one since prepaid plans don’t require a credit check. 

However, if you want a T-Mobile postpaid plan, you’ll need decent credit to qualify for a plan, with higher credit scores requiring a smaller downpayment.

Also, there is a Smartphone Equality Program that T-Mobile does, which allows customers that have paid their bill on time for 12 months to get a new phone or tablet with no down payment.

Does T-Mobile Require Down Payment?

It seems that if you get a phone through T-Mobile, you will need to have a down payment for that device, even if you have great credit, although the down payment would be smaller.

That said, if you pay for the phone outright and in full, there will be no down payment required since you’re paying for the new phone right then and there.

Do You Need A SSN For T-Mobile?

If you’re signing up for a postpaid plan, also called a contract plan, you’ll need to provide T-Mobile with your Social Security number, including on the prescreen form.

Does T-Mobile Credit Check For Upgrades?

According to users online, T-Mobile does not do a credit check when you want to upgrade but will only do them when you first sign up to join the T-Mobile network.

However, T-Mobile may initiate a soft inquiry from time to time, although that doesn’t happen very often and won’t affect your credit score.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on how do T-Mobile upgrades work, does T-Mobile offer prepaid plans, and T-Mobile banking.

Conclusion

T-Mobile does run a credit check if you want to sign up for any of the T-Mobile postpaid plans, which TransUnion typically performs, and T-Mobile will perform a hard credit check.

Additionally, T-Mobile will do a hard check to ensure you can pay your monthly bill on time and pay your device payments each month, with a lower score requiring a bigger security deposit.

However, you can sign up for a T-Mobile prepaid plan and avoid a credit check or make payments on time for 12 months to qualify for the Smartphone Equality Program.

Photo of author

Cara Suppa

Cara Suppa has been freelance writing for over a decade and holds a BA in English and an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications. Outside of work, she is an avid cook, gardener, and discount shopper.

Leave a Comment