Typical score
500+
Soft-pull prequal
Yes
Inquiry tolerance
12
Expected credit pull
What hits your report and when.
Cricket (AT&T's prepaid brand) runs no credit check for service. Device financing, when offered, goes through a third-party lease with its own soft check.
Reporting
Service does not report to any bureau.
Deposit / down payment
No deposit; devices are paid up front or leased with a down payment.
Eligibility requirements
What the provider checks before approving.
- 18 or older with a government ID
- No minimum credit score
- US address in AT&T coverage
- Card or bank account for monthly autopay
Required documents
Have these ready before you start the application.
Government IDRequired
Identity verification and fraud screening before any account opens.
Payment card in your nameRequired
Down payment, first month of service, or autopay enrollment.
Likely outcome by credit tier
How the decision usually lands.
Everyone
Service activates with no inquiry
Before you apply
Ways to protect your report.
- Same AT&T network as postpaid without the hard pull or deposit.
- Twelve months of clean prepaid billing makes a later postpaid upgrade easier.
Prepaid AT&T brand, no hard pull for service; devices paid up front or via third-party lease.
Compiled from publicly published provider terms and widely reported approval patterns. Providers change credit classes, deposits and document rules without notice — nothing here is a preapproval.