Internet with no deposit
A deposit isn't a rule, it's a risk premium — and it's avoidable. Prepaid plans never charge one. On postpaid, three things reliably get it waived.
NOW Internet at $30/mo is the cleanest no-deposit option in the country: it's prepaid, so there is nothing for anyone to underwrite and nothing held against your first bill. If you'd rather have a postpaid plan, ask about autopay enrollment before you order — at most providers it waives the deposit outright.
- Prepaid home internet from Mint, Visible and Tracfone needs no deposit and no credit check.
- Ziply Fiber doesn't run a credit check for internet.
- Frontier (now part of Verizon) may ask for a refundable deposit depending on your credit check.
Plans that never ask for a deposit
Xfinity's prepaid brand on the same cable network as its postpaid plans. Because you pay before you use it, there is no deposit, no credit check and nothing to refund later. Taxes, fees and the gateway are inside the price.
Prepaid 5G on T-Mobile's network, so the same logic applies — nothing is owed up front beyond the plan itself. The bundle adds twelve months of unlimited wireless at an effective $45/mo.
Prepaid on Verizon's network. At $35 alongside a Total Wireless phone plan it is one of the better deals going, and no deposit applies at any tier.
Postpaid, so a deposit is technically possible — but the plan is flat-priced with taxes included and enrolling in autopay at signup normally removes any deposit requirement. It reaches far more addresses than the prepaid options.
Deposit policy by provider
What each provider asks for at signup when your credit file is thin or damaged. Confirm on the order page — policies shift by market.
| Provider | Billing | Deposit | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Internet | Prepaid | Never | Not applicable — paid in advance |
| Mint Home MINTernet | Prepaid | Never | Not applicable — term paid up front |
| Total Wireless | Prepaid | Never | Not applicable |
| Tracfone Home Internet | Prepaid | Never | Not applicable |
| Visible Home Internet | Prepaid | Never | Not applicable |
| T-Mobile 5G Home | Postpaid | Possible | Autopay enrollment at signup |
| Xfinity | Postpaid | Common | Autopay + paperless, or bring your own modem |
| Spectrum | Postpaid | Possible | Prior account in good standing |
| Cox (now Spectrum) | Postpaid | Common | Autopay, or pay the first month up front |
Why deposits exist at all
Postpaid internet is a small loan. The provider hands you a gateway worth a couple of hundred dollars, gives you a month of service, and bills you afterwards. A deposit is how it prices the risk that you don't pay — typically $50 to $100, held for twelve months and refunded, sometimes as bill credit rather than cash.
Prepaid inverts that arrangement completely. You pay before you use the service, so there is no exposure to underwrite and no reason to hold anything. Every plan in the table above marked prepaid skips the deposit for that reason alone — not as a concession, just as a consequence of how the billing works.
Three things that reliably remove a postpaid deposit
Autopay and paperless billing. This is the single most effective ask. Enrolling both at the point of sale removes the deposit at most major providers, because it materially reduces the chance of a missed payment. It has to be done at signup — adding it later rarely triggers a refund.
Bring your own modem. A meaningful share of the deposit covers hardware the provider is lending you. Supplying a compatible modem of your own cuts what they are risking and often cuts the deposit with it. Our modem guide covers which models each provider approves.
A prior account in good standing. If you have been a customer of the same company before and paid on time, say so. It usually counts even when your credit file has changed since, because their own payment history is better evidence than a bureau score.
When paying a deposit is actually the better move
If fiber reaches your address, a refundable $50 deposit to get onto a symmetrical gigabit line is worth paying rather than settling for 100 Mbps of prepaid cable. The deposit comes back; the speed difference lasts as long as you live there. Deposits are only worth avoiding when the postpaid plan on offer isn't meaningfully better than the prepaid one.
Watch out for these
Common questions
The bottom line
If you want to avoid a deposit entirely, buy prepaid — NOW Internet at $30/mo all-in is the strongest option, and nothing about it hinges on your credit file. If a postpaid plan is genuinely better at your address, don't rule it out over the deposit: ask for the autopay waiver, offer your own modem, and mention any prior account. One of those three usually settles it.
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.
Related guides
- Plan pages and Broadband Facts labels from Home MINTernet, Visible, Tracfone Home Internet, Ziply Fiber, Frontier Fiber, NOW Internet, Total Wireless Home Internet, T-Mobile 5G Home, checked Oct 2026
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
