Leak shows iPhone prepaid as fallback

AT&T is eager enough to sell iPhones that it will even offer a prepaid option in extreme cases, the company has revealed through a leaked launch guide. While the provider will still insist that all normal sales choose a two-year contract, it will also ask to perform an advance credit check during the sales process that should offer a contract-free option: those with low or uncertain credit will have the option of choosing a GoPhone Pick Your Plan service that demands regular payments but doesn't set a mandatory term, according to the document.

iTunes will reportedly expose the option in its activation process if a customer's online credit check raises flags, but the document declines to mention the exact conditions and notes that some customers may have to pay a $250 security deposit to successfully use the phone. Customers will have the chance of running the check in-store and will receive a code for iTunes that certifies they've either passed the deposit check or have paid the deposit, AT&T says.

Additional information in the guide reveals that AT&T will have several Apple accessories available on launch, including its Bluetooth headset, a travel charger and cable, and replacements for the pack-in stereo headset and Dock Connector to USB cables. The provider will also sell $25 and $50 iTunes Store cards but will not, however, deal with defective units, accepting only conventional returns.

Neither Apple nor AT&T has chosen to comment on the leaked guide. [via BGR]