Update: USDISH approves just about everyone to get Satellite TV through DISH. I recommend trying to order DISH through USDISH, they are a reputable Satellite TV dealer and should get you approved.

Signing up for Satellite TV service goes smoothly for most people, however one thing that isn’t really mentioned alot is that you need to pass a credit check in order to get DISH and DirecTV. Now this credit check is very easy to pass (its not like trying to get a mortgage or car loan) however for those of you who may have bad credit or no credit there is an alternative.

If You Can’t Get Approved with USDISH:

DISH currently offers a way to prepay for satellite service. With DISH Pre-Paid you don’t have to sign a contract and you dont receive a monthly bill. This also eliminates having to give them a credit card or social security number when you sign up, which you generally have to do if you sign a contract. You simply pay for the service in advance by purchasing a pre-paid card at radio shack or your local electronics store. You then activate the pre-paid card over the phone.

There are a variety of packages available with DISH Pre-Paid including:

• Smart Pack
• America’s Top 120™
• America’s Top 200™
• America’s Top 250™
• DISHLATINO® Basico
• DISHLATINO® Plus
• DISHLATINO® Dos
• DISHLATINO® Max

You can also get premium movie packages such as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and Starz.

DISH Pre-paid is also great if you have a second home or vacation home that you only spend a few months a year at. This way you just pay for the time you will use, instead of paying monthly since you may not be there for most of the year.

There are a few catches with DISH prepaid. First you need to make sure you have hardware that will work with the pre-paid service. You can purchase the hardware required at Radio Shack as well. Secondly, when you factor in the cost of the hardware the service is more expensive than signing a contract, however for those who can’t get the service through a contract this is a pretty good alternative.

If all else fails you can always try to repair your credit and re-apply in a few months.