Credit Building > Can you get a laptop on finance with no credit check?

Can you get a laptop on finance with no credit check?

Wollit Team2 minute read · Updated 4th July 2024

If you’re wondering whether you can get a laptop and pay monthly, then the answer is yes.

In fact, in the UK several retailers and online stores offer monthly plans for laptops that do not require a credit check, making it easier for people with limited or poor credit history to get the tech they need.

By paying for the laptop a little at a time, you can budget better and have a reliable device for work, school, or personal use.

How does laptop finance work?

Laptops pay monthly plans usually only involve a few things:

You’ll have to make a down payment (in most cases).
Then you’ll pay the rest of the balance in equal monthly payments over a set period, usually 12 months.
You might see these plans advertised as “PAYM deals”. It’s the same thing.

One thing to keep in mind: some laptop pay monthly plans require a credit check. It really depends on the store.

For example, John Lewis, EE, O2, Currys, and other large stores offer 0% finance for laptops, with the financing provided by one of their partner lenders. If you apply, you’ll have to go through a “hard check”, which will be recorded on your credit report.

Where can I buy a laptop and pay monthly with no credit check?

Here are some of the largest providers of PAYM deals that don’t require a credit check in the UK:

Laptops Direct. They provide finance directly or through PayPal, in which case you pay in three interest-free installments, similar to a “buy now pay later” tool.
Family Vision. They technically do require a credit check, however they state that they “typically do not refuse people with bad credit or even CCJs”. As long as you pass the affordability assessment, you should be able to qualify for their laptop finance.
TechScheme by BHN Extras. TechScheme is not a traditional “laptop finance” option. What they do is offer a “salary sacrifice” scheme to your employer, which means that legally the employer will be offering you the laptop as a benefit in-kind. By reducing how much National Insurance you pay, this can save you up to 8% and spread the cost over 12 months, making the laptop more affordable for you. You’ll need your employer’s agreement, though.

As you can see, there isn’t a huge range of options for laptop finance without a credit check. That’s because a laptop is a significant purchase – a new MacBook can go as high as £2,000 or more, higher than the starting credit limit for most credit cards.

Both the stores that offer laptop finance and the lenders who they partner with will want to understand how you’ve managed debts in the past before giving you such a large credit limit.

On top of this, most of the pay monthly deals that don’t ask for a credit check only offer refurbished or second-hand laptops with much older specs and a lower price, usually in the £200-£500 range.

How can I qualify for better laptop finance deals?

The best pay monthly deals for laptops require a credit check. You could also buy the laptop on a credit card with a long 0% interest period on purchases. This again requires a credit check.

In words, the solution is to build your credit history and improve your credit score.

One of the ways to improve your score is to download a credit-building app like Wollit.

Wollit works by reporting a fixed fee monthly subscription as a loan repayment to the credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). This helps you build or rebuild your credit history by showing that you can pay debt on time. It can even report your monthly rent payment to Experian, adding another line in your credit report that shows lenders you're responsible and pay your bills when they’re due.

In time, this will help you improve your credit score so you won’t need to be worried about any credit check ever again, and it will help you get the tech you want and spread the cost over a long period of time and without having to pay too much in interest, or even no interest at all.