Cable With No Credit Check and/or No Deposit: 4 Options Detailed

If your cable service requires a contract (e.g., 6 months, 1 year, etc.), you’ll usually need to agree to a credit check. Depending on your level of credit, you may be waived from paying a security deposit. However, cable service providers that allow month-to-month or prepaid service rather than contracts may not require credit checks. Below, we list the cable companies with plan options that don’t require credit checks and/or deposits, as well as those that do not have those options.

What We Recommend

All of the options on our list provide ways for you to get cable without a credit check, but we recommend Xfinity most highly. Xfinity’s prepaid plans do not require credit checks or deposits, offering a straightforward way for you to sign up with no surprise credit pulls or monetary demands. The other options on our list either require a deposit in order to avoid a credit check or charge deposits for some customers.

Comparison Table

Compare your options easily in the table below; it is sortable by any column if you click the arrows at the top. You can also click on each company name or scroll to the list below for more details.

The List

Below, we list the cable companies with no credit check, beginning with the overall best option. We gathered this information by viewing each company’s available plans and terms online and contacting customer service representatives.

Xfinity

• Requires credit check? Xfinity usually requires a credit check, but not for prepaid cable plans.
• Requires deposit? Not for prepaid plans
• Find out more

Suddenlink Communications

• Requires credit check? No
• Requires deposit? Sometimes; previous customers in good standing can rejoin without a deposit, but new customers may need to pay a deposit
• Find out more

Cox Communications

• Requires credit check? Usually requires a soft pull, but will waive this if you make a deposit and set up automatic payments
• Requires deposit? Yes, $50 deposit required to avoid a credit check
• Find out more

Optimum/Altice

• Requires credit check? Not for contract-free plans
• Requires deposit? Yes, one-month advanced payment on your contract-free plan
• Find out more

Cable Companies That Typically Require Credit Checks and Deposits

In the course of our research, we found that the following companies typically require credit checks and/or deposits when you sign up. There may be some deposit exceptions for customers with particular credit profiles.

• AT&T/DIRECTV: Requires a credit check when signing up for new entertainment products
• Charter Spectrum: May run a credit check to open new accounts and may require you to pay a deposit
• DISH Network: May run a credit check to ensure customers can fulfill their contracts; may require a security deposit depending on the financial situation
• Frontier Communications: Requires a credit check when signing up for service and usually requires a security deposit for first-time installations
• Mediacom: May verify your standing through credit reporting agencies; requires a security deposit for provided services and equipment
• RCN: May require a credit check to verify your identity and determine whether to apply a deposit, prepayment-fee, or installation fee
• Sparklight: Requires a credit check for prequalification; depending on your score, you may be required to pay a deposit that will be refunded once you’ve been with Sparklight for at least six months.
• WOW!: May perform a credit check and deposit before offering any of its services
• Xfinity: While prepaid plans do not require credit checks or deposit, Xfinity’s yearly contracts require a credit check and may require a deposit.

Alternatives to Cable

Online television services provide an alternative to cable if you’re unable to find a cable plan that suits your needs or credit profile. For more information, see our research on low-cost cable and TV streaming options.