Bad credit keeping you from a postpaid phone plan? AT&T Unlimited Level Up Plan may be the solution

I often recommend prepaid phone service for those who want to save money over traditional postpaid service, but it’s not for everyone. For starters, prepaid often requires a bit more hands-on troubleshooting by the user. It’s also typically more limited when it comes to device financing and promotional pricing. While you’ll usually pay more for postpaid service long-term than you would with prepaid (especially if you buy your phone outright), the appeal of 0% financing and the possibility of a free phone is often enough to attract those of us who can’t afford to drop close to $1000 on a phone all at once. Unfortunately, those with poor credit often don’t have the option of postpaid service, though AT&T’s new Unlimited Level Up program could be the solution.

The AT&T Unlimited Level Up is a new plan that gives users the opportunity to upgrade to a postpaid plan, even if they didn’t initially qualify due to insufficient or poor credit history. The program works like this:

• Sign up and bring your existing device to AT&T prepaid to get access to unlimited talk, text, and 30GB of high-speed data (slowed to 1.5Mbps after that) for $50.99 a month. You’ll also get unlimited texting to over 230 countries from the US, plus unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada (with a 25GB limit for the latter).
• Make on-time payments for six months, and after that, you can either keep your existing prepaid plan or upgrade to a postpaid account, regardless of your credit history. You’ll also qualify for 0% financing on a new device.

It’s worth noting that AT&T will still perform a soft credit pull during the switch, though they say anyone on the Unlimited Level Up plan who has kept up with payments for six months will still qualify, even if the results are less than favorable. Curious how AT&T postpaid plans compare to postpaid? Check out our guide to the best AT&T plans. 

Is the AT&T Level Up Plan worth considering?

If you live in an area where AT&T’s coverage is the strongest option and you want the fastest speeds possible, then yes, it is worth it. All carriers use a system of Quality of Service Class identifiers (QCIs) to manage network traffic and control prioritization. AT&T’s highest priority level is reserved exclusively for select prepaid and postpaid customers. If you want the best network experience, you’ll pay a premium for it.

However, those who are more focused on value may find better alternatives if they’re okay with potentially lower speeds. While QCI 7 is reserved for AT&T customers only, there are two other priority tiers below this. QCI 8 is slower during times of heavy congestion, but the difference will often be so small you’ll barely notice. Meanwhile, QCI 9, the lowest tier, is used by most prepaid brands on the AT&T network. The lowest tier can still be perfectly usable, but it really depends on how congested AT&T’s network is in your area.

If you’re looking to save money and want QCI 8 status, we highly recommend signing up for an unlimited Cricket Wireless plan, which starts at $55 a month.

Don’t mind a lower priority level? US Mobile is a great option with unlimited plans as low as $17.50 a month if you pay for service annually upfront.