You might assume you need a stellar credit score (and a credit card) to get a cell phone plan in Canada, though that’s thankfully not the case. It’s not only possible to get a phone plan in Canada without a credit check, but it’s also possible to get a great plan without one. 

Prepaid carriers don’t require contracts and, as a result, don’t require credit checks. In the past, prepaid plans offered minimal data and limited talk and text, options primarily designed for basic cell phone users, like young children and senior citizens. A lot has changed in the past few years. Now, prepaid options are some of the best cell phone plans in Canada, with generous data allotments, fast speeds, and, most importantly, no credit checks.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to score one of these plans.

3 ways to get a phone plan without a credit check

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Prepaid plans in Canada don’t require credit checks. Here are three ways you can activate your new plan without using a credit card or having the carrier run your credit history.

1. Use a debit card

You might not have a credit card, but it’s rather easy to open a bank account and, with it, get a debit card. You don’t need a credit check to open a bank account. In fact, Canada guarantees its citizens the right to bank accounts, even if they have bad credit. All you’ll need to open a bank account is proof of identification.

From there, you can use your bank account’s debit card to purchase a prepaid plan online, at a carrier store, or from a third-party retailer like Best Buy or 7-11. Once your account is activated, you can also use your debit card for autopay, ensuring your bill is being paid from month to month, just like a more traditional postpaid plan. (Just make sure you keep enough money in your bank account!)

2. Use a prepaid gift card

Many Canadian retailers sell Visa and Mastercard gift cards that are effectively limited-use debit cards. They’re loaded with a finite amount of money and expire once that amount runs out. If you’d like to purchase a prepaid cell phone plan online but don’t want to open a bank account or don’t feel comfortable using it for your phone plan, then you can use a prepaid gift card to complete the purchase.

3. Pay in cash at a store

Prepaid plans can be purchased in cash from a variety of retailers, convenience stores, and gas stations, including Best Buy, 7-11, and Petro-Canada. There’s no credit check required to start using your new plan, though you’ll need to top-up (or refill) your account when you run out of data, minutes, or messages. If you want to continue doing that in cash, you’ll need to return to a retailer each time this happens.

It’s important to note that paying for a prepaid plan by debit or cash won’t build credit. If you’re looking to use a phone plan to build credit, then you’ll need to activate a postpaid plan, which, unfortunately, often requires a credit check. We recommend reading the Financial Consumer Agency’s guide to improving your credit to learn how to get your foot in the door.

The best no credit check phone plans

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We selected some of the best plans from the most reliable prepaid carriers in Canada. Although they lack some premium options, like financing and family sharing, they still offer quality service. Most importantly, these prepaid carriers don’t require credit checks despite their great coverage, generous data allotments, and cheap monthly payments.

Public Mobile

This is not only the best prepaid plan in Canada; Public’s Unlimited Canada-US Talk + Text plan the best cell phone plan in Canada. Period. This plan gives you unlimited talk and text plus an enormous amount of 5G data. Even though Public rebranded from a “prepaid” carrier to a “5G subscription” provider, that’s just an attempt to distance themselves from the low quality most Canadians associate with prepaid plans.

The good news is that this plan, whether Public calls it “prepaid” or a “subscription,” is still technically prepaid—you pay for 90 days of service at a time—which means it doesn’t require a credit check. That means you can take advantage of 5G speeds on the Telus network, even if you don’t have a good credit score.

Chatr Mobile

Chatr runs on the nationwide Rogers network, offering cheap plans with access to the country’s most reliable network. This plan offers unlimited talk and text, along with a generous chunk of 4G data.  If you’re interested in pairing a phone with your new plan, they also offer a number of cheap devices that can be purchased outright, including the Motorola Moto G Play and the TCL 502.

Lucky Mobile

Like Chatr and Public, Lucky is a flanker brand, also known as an MVNO. Lucky is owned by Bell rather than Rogers and, as such, operates on Bell’s nationwide network. One of the best Lucky Mobile plans is its Unlimited Canada-wide Calling plan, which provides unlimited talk and text plus 5GB of 4G data. That’s just below the average amount of data Canadians use per month. If you’re a more basic cell phone user, leaving most of your internet activities for when you’re on Wi-Fi, then 5GB should be more than enough.