It can be tough to get approved for a mobile phone contract if you have a bad credit history. But you can try a company like Utility Warehouse, which will likely charge you an upfront deposit of around £10 for your first calls. This can be a good option for someone who wants a contract but doesn’t want to undergo a credit check. You will need to have an account with a UK bank.

There are some drawbacks to such deals. You often won’t get the newest phones on the market. However, you can usually get rates that are similar to tariffs charged by the major mobile carriers. Utility Warehouse also allows you to bundle your mobile phone contract with inexpensive contracts for gas, electricity and home phone service. These savings can offset your mobile phone bill.

As long as you continue to have a credit card or debit card, despite your bad credit, you can still apply for contracts with all of the major mobile carriers. However, you might get rejected and that can negatively affect your already troubled credit score.

The best option for those with bad credit is Vodafone or Orange, through its online portal. Many customers struggling with their credit history have reported success with these networks.

If you have exhausted all of your options and still find yourself being turned down for a contract, your last resort is to ask a friend or relative to sign up on your behalf. You can do this by setting up a direct payment or debit to this person’s account each month for the amount of your bill. But be careful when choosing this option. The person who signs the contract is ultimately responsible for paying the charges. So if you rack up your phone bill, make sure you can pay it down. Otherwise it can affect the other person’s credit score too.

If you get lucky and manage to score a contract – keep it. As long as you stay in a contract you can continue to upgrade your phone to the latest models even after your contract expires. And you can often negotiate more competitive tariffs.

Hopefully this guide has helped you see that you can still find a mobile contract no matter how poor your credit. You just have to be persistent – and a little creative.

Discover where to get bad credit mobile phones