Paying for a Phone in Installments: The Smartest Way to Get Your New Smartphone

Why Choose a Phone on an Installment Plan?

The biggest advantage of paying for a phone in installments is financial breathing room. Instead of spending €1,000 or more all at once, you pay a fixed, low amount each month. This is combined with your cell phone plan, so you have everything clearly listed on a single bill.

Customer benefits at a glance:

• No large upfront investment: Keep your savings in the bank for other things.
• 0% interest: With virtually all providers, you don’t pay a single extra cent for the loan on your device.
• Flexibility: Choose how much you want to pay off each month by making a one-time down payment.

Spread out your costs and enjoy the latest features right away

How exactly does device financing work?

When you pay for a phone in installments, you’re taking out a “device loan.” This is essentially a loan in which the provider advances the cost of the device to you. You repay this amount over the term of your contract (usually 12 or 24 months).

Device plan versus subscription

It’s important to know that your monthly payment consists of two parts:

1. The device plan: The repayment of your phone.
2. The plan costs: The costs for your data, call minutes, and text messages. Once your contract period ends, the device bundle automatically stops, and your monthly costs will drop significantly.

A new phone without a BKR check

Would you rather not have an official registration with the Credit Registration Bureau (BKR)? That’s possible! Since the legislation surrounding phone financing has been tightened, every loan over €250 is registered.

You can avoid a BKR check in two ways:

1. Choose a phone under €250: There are plenty of excellent budget phones that fall below this threshold.
2. Make a down payment: Have you set your sights on a more expensive model? Then pay a portion upfront so that the remaining loan amount stays below €250. This way, you can enjoy a new phone in installments without a BKR check.

How to avoid a BKR registration when buying your new smartphone, infographic: Kimmic

How to instantly find all deals without a BKR registration

Don’t want to have to calculate whether a device exceeds the magic threshold of €250? We’ve simplified the search process for you. On every device page on our website, you can filter the results for “BKR-free” deals with a single click.

Here’s how to use the smart filter:

1. Go to the page for your favorite smartphone (for example, the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy).
2. In the plan filter, look for the option 'No BKR check'.
3. Check this box.

As soon as you do this, the results will refresh immediately. You’ll now only see offers where the device credit is €250 or less. This way, you can be sure you’re signing up for a plan that won’t affect your borrowing capacity—for example, for a mortgage—and that you’ll easily pass the income check.