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Kathy is a personal finance subject matter expert who has written for numerous national financial publications on the topics of personal loans, taxes and investing. She holds a master of business administration degree from Kaplan University and is an independent financial advisor with Series 7, 66, and 26 securities and insurance licenses.
Updated September 12, 2024 Reviewed by Reviewed by Samantha SilbersteinSamantha (Sam) Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, EA, is an experienced financial consultant. She has a demonstrated history of working in both institutional and retail environments, from broker-dealers to RIAs. She is a current CFA level 3 candidate and also has her FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses. Throughout her career, Samantha has used her expertise and various licenses and certifications to provide in-depth advice about household and business-specific financial planning, investing, credit cards, debt, student loans, taxes, retirement, and income strategies.
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First Advantage is our number-one recommended background check site thanks to its international scope and fast results. It provides services all over the world, and offers a range of simple and comprehensive checks to help you learn more about applicants.
You may need a background check site if you're a business owner or hiring manager and need to screen new hires. Or, if you're a landlord or property manager, a background check can provide critical information about people applying to be tenants. It's difficult or impossible to learn everything you need to know about someone from an interview or application, but background checks can go deeper. They can reveal incriminating or disqualifying information, which lets you make more informed hiring or renting decisions.
To choose the best background check sites, we evaluated 22 online providers based on company reputation, price, ease of use, time to receive results, and compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (if the report is used for employment purposes). Below, you'll find companies that provide either employment screening or tenant screening, or both.
First Advantage is the best overall background check site because results are quick, and it offers international background checks along with several other types of background checks. The company manually reaches out to candidates if they need additional information, so you don’t have to contact them yourself.
Pros & ConsProviding background checks in the vast majority of countries and territories, First Advantage offers services for small businesses and international organizations. It’s the best background check site because most results come back in less than 24 hours. It offers drug testing and can even order fingerprint-based background checks from the FBI.
Pre-employment screening requires a one-time setup fee, which is usually $175. Discounts are sometimes available. This fee is in addition to fees charged for background checks.
Background checks typically come back within minutes, but that timing can be significantly longer depending on the country or county. If you are interested in the company's services, you can click the get started button and provide your information. A representative will then contact you about plans, services offered, and pricing.
First Advantage was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It has locations in 19 countries.
Background Check InformationFirst Advantage background checks may include:
First Advantage offers a number of ways to get in touch,
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We chose Rentberry as the best value background check site because it offers both a credit report and background check for a low price paid by the tenant. Rentberry is free for landlords. The comprehensive report is available immediately online, helping ideal tenants move in quickly.
Pros & ConsRentberry background checks are only available in the U.S., but landlords can list properties worldwide. This is the best value background check site because it doesn’t cost a landlord anything to use, and they can list properties to rent at no cost, making it an attractive option whether the landlords are new or seasoned rental property owners.
Once a potential tenant locates a property and wants to apply to rent it, they fill out an online application and pay $39.99. This covers both the background check and the credit report, which is instantly available to the tenant and landlord.
After selecting a tenant, landlords can send an offer electronically and e-sign rental agreements. Tenants can even make online rental payments.
RentBerry was founded in 2015 and is based in San Francisco, California.
Background Check InformationRentberry uses credit reports from TransUnion to help verify a potential tenant’s identity, collections, credit score, and public information.
Rentberry offers several standard methods of customer support, along with a mobile app.
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While you’ll pay more to hire a good candidate, GoodHire offers one of the most comprehensive background checks we reviewed. It provides the standard criminal background check, but you can also purchase additional reports to include data such as credit history, education and employment verification, and healthcare sanctions.
Pros & ConsGoodHire provides the most detailed reporting among all background check services—access comprehensive reports like federal, state, and global courts, plus add-on reports such as healthcare sanctions, professional license verification, and reference checks. It launched in 2013 and works exclusively with employers and candidates.
The available plan packages are Basic, Essential, and Professional. Background checks have different fees depending on the package: $29.99 for Basic, $54.99 for Essential, or $79.99 for Professional.
GoodHire's headquarters are in San Francisco, California.
Background Check InformationSocial Security number trace and identity verification are instantaneous, while criminal record searches take one to three business days. Civil record background searches may take longer, depending on the county and case. GoodHire offers several add-ons. It lists its most popular as:
If you plan on running more than 10 background checks per year, GoodHire can provide a custom quote with reduced pricing.
Customer Support/AccessibilityGoodHire doesn't offer a customer support phone number or email for the general public, although customers may have access to more contact methods. Employers and candidates can fill out a webform request and GoodHire will get back to you.
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Aside from its rave reviews from both candidates and employers, Checkr is the best background check company for employers because it’s easy to use. Invite up to 25 candidates in a single go, and access simple reports to make hiring decisions quickly.
Pros & ConsCheckr launched in 2014 and has headquarters in both Denver and San Francisco. It’s the best background check site for employers because you can bulk-invite candidates and simplify court jargon all in one easy-to-use interface. With over 1,300 employees in 2022, Checkr works solely to provide background checks to employers. It also has some of the best reviews across all of the background check sites we examined.
84% of Checkr’s background checks come back within 15 minutes, allowing employers can make hiring decisions quickly.
Several plans are available:
Background checks include the following reports:
Checkr doesn't offer a general phone number or email address, but you can talk to its chatbot or fill out a webform request if you need help with the service.
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In 2018, Apartments.com owner, CoStar Group, purchased Cozy, and by mid-2021, all eligible accounts were moved over to the Apartments.com platform. We picked Apartments.com as the best background check site for landlords because the background check cost is included in the renter's application fee, and tenants can make online rent payments that are directly deposited into their landlord's account.
Pros & ConsApartments.com is one of the easiest background check sites for landlords because it's all done online and at no cost to the landlord. Potential tenants pay an application fee of $29 that includes the cost of their credit report and background check. They can also share their screening reports with up to 10 potential landlords for 30 days without incurring additional fees.
Apartments.com uses TransUnion for the credit report and background check, providing a ResidentScore that considers a potential tenant's payment history, eviction record, and comprehensive credit history (including credit card information). The credit report is a soft pull, so it won't impact a potential tenant's score.
The background check report includes address history, any evictions, and a criminal report compiled with data available to the general public by searching public records, national databases, and county court records.
Once landlords have selected a tenant, they can create an online lease agreement that the tenant can sign online. Tenants can then set up automatic rent payments that are deposited directly into the landlord's bank account.
Apartments.com was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. CoStar Group is based in Washington, D.C.; it was founded in 1987.
Background Check InformationAn Apartments.com background check includes:
Apartments.com offers a number of ways to contact support, depending on your need, along with a mobile app.
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If you’re looking for instant background check results, Intelius provides its report in mere minutes. Compared to other background check sites we reviewed, this is by far the fastest available.
Pros & ConsWhile you can’t use it for tenancy, insurance, employment, or credit because it doesn't provide FCRA-compliant background checks, Intelius can give you instant insight into someone’s criminal background. Some people use this to look into potential business partners or even a love interest. It’s the best source for a online background checks if you want instant results—your report is available immediately.
You don’t need a Social Security number to access the report, but you’ll need the person’s name, city, and state. For a more accurate report, Intelius will ask questions to help further narrow down results, such as, “Is this person over 30?” and, “Has this person ever lived in Madison, Wisconsin?” You may have a hard time finding the right person if you don’t know much about them or if they have a common name.
Subscription packages start at $24.86 per month for unlimited reports, and you cannot purchase a standalone background check. If you don’t want to continue the trial or subscription, you can cancel online or by calling 888-245-1655.
Intelius was founded in 2003 and is based in Seattle, Washington.
Background Check InformationAn Intelius background check includes:
Intelius provides a single phone number for all inquiries. There is no customer support email address for the general public (customers may have access to one).
Background check sites help you find the best candidates and tenants by identifying high-risk criminal records and credit history. They can also verify personal information, past employment, education, and personal and professional references.
Most background check results come in days, but the most comprehensive reports can take weeks, particularly with international records. You’ll also pay more for these background checks, but it can save money in the long run.
Overalll, we recommend First Advantage for your background check needs because it’s fast, hands-off, and offers international checks. But our other top picks are good options if you're looking for a great value, detailed reports, tenant background checks, or other features.
