Methodology · Verified June 2026
How We Verified Background Check Pricing
Every per-check rate cited on this site traces to a vendor's own published page, fetched on a known date. Quote-only vendors are labelled explicitly. We do not republish unattributed rates.
Provenance rules
- One source of truth per number. Every per-check rate on this site lives in a single TypeScript file (
src/data/vendors.ts). The calculator, FAQ, schema, and meta tags all read from this file. To audit a price, open the file. - Quote-only is honest. Vendors that do not publish per-check rates are labelled "Quote only - contact [vendor] sales". We do not republish third-party inferred rates because those numbers cannot be cited to the vendor itself.
- Quarterly re-verification. Every vendor source is re-fetched at least once per quarter. The current cycle was completed June 2026; next refresh is scheduled for September 2026.
- No industry-average fabrication. When this site references benchmark figures, they trace to a named published dataset (FTC, EEOC, CFPB, Checkr / GoodHire pricing pages) with a publication or verification date. We do not cite generic "industry observation" or "typical" figures without a source.
- Worked examples are labelled. Every illustrative buyer scenario on the site is labelled "(illustrative example, not a real company)" to avoid confusing analysis with case study.
Vendor sources verified
| Vendor | Source URL | Result | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkr | checkr.com/pricing | Basic $29.99, Essential $54.99 (unlimited county criminal), Complete $89.99 (unlimited state plus federal criminal) per report. Add-ons: MVR $9.50/check, drug $60 clinic / $37 onsite. | 2026-06-26 |
| GoodHire | www.goodhire.com/pricing/ | Basic $29.99, Essential $54.99 (unlimited county), Complete $89.99 (unlimited state plus federal) per check. Pass-through fees apply. | 2026-06-26 |
| Verified First | verifiedfirst.com/pricing/ | Basic $29.99, Essential $54.99, Premium $79.99 per check (mid tier is Essential $54.99, not Standard $49.99; corrected 26 June 2026). 100+ ATS integrations. | 2026-06-26 |
| TransUnion ShareAble for Hires | hires.shareable.com/ | Basic $25, Plus $40, Pro $60 per check. Tier names Basic/Plus/Pro (not Basic/Standard/Premium); prices $35/$45 corrected to $40/$60 on 26 June 2026. Product confirmed active. | 2026-06-26 |
| Certn | certn.co/pricing | OneID identity verification CAD 4.99 per check. Canadian criminal CAD 24.99. US county CAD 19.99. International criminal quote-only. | 2026-06-17 |
| Sterling | www.sterlingcheck.com/pricing/ | Confirmed quote-only. Page now states 'Sterling is now a First Advantage company'. No public per-check rates published. | 2026-06-17 |
| HireRight | www.hireright.com/ | No public per-check rates. Sales-led enterprise model. Treated as quote-only. | 2026-06-17 |
| Accurate Background | www.accurate.com/ | Quote-only enterprise model confirmed. Self-reported 60M+ annual searches across 16,000+ customers. | 2026-06-17 |
| First Advantage | fadv.com/ | Quote-only. Sterling acquisition completed 31 October 2024; combined entity revenue reported above $1B. | 2026-06-17 |
| Truework | www.truework.com/ | Quote-only for the verifier side. Specialism is employment + income verification, not full background checks. | 2026-06-17 |
| Crimcheck (DISA) | crimcheck.net/ | Quote-only. Part of DISA Global Solutions since 2020. | 2026-06-17 |
| Asurint | www.asurint.com/ | Quote-only. Data-aggregator-led criminal records specialism. | 2026-06-17 |
| Onfido (Entrust) | www.entrust.com/pricing/ | Quote-only since Entrust acquisition April 2024. Identity verification specialism, not full criminal records. | 2026-06-17 |
| Cisive | www.cisive.com/ | Quote-only. Regulated-industry specialism (healthcare, financial services, transportation). | 2026-06-17 |
| Zinc | zincwork.com/ | Quote-only. UK origin, candidate-driven UI, strong UK DBS integration, 60+ country coverage. | 2026-06-17 |
Regulatory anchors
| Description | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| FCRA disclosure and authorisation requirement for employment background checks | www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/background-checks-what-employers-need-know | 2026-06-17 |
| EEOC guidance on consideration of arrest and conviction records in employment | www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/consideration-arrest-and-conviction-records-employment-decisions | 2026-06-17 |
| CFPB FCRA implementing regulations (Regulation V, 12 CFR 1022) | www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1022/ | 2026-06-17 |
| Checkr acquisition of GoodHire (announced April 2022) | checkr.com/blog/checkr-acquires-goodhire-inflection | 2026-06-17 |
| First Advantage completes acquisition of Sterling Check (31 October 2024) | investors.fadv.com/news-releases/news-release-details/first-advantage-completes-acquisition-sterling-check-22-billion | 2026-06-17 |
Notes
- Ten of fifteen vendors covered on this site are quote-only or pricing-blocked from public verification. We do not republish third-party inferred rates for those vendors; instead, we link to the vendor's own sales contact.
- Checkr / GoodHire tier names migrated from Basic / Pro / Premier to Basic / Essential / Complete at some point before June 2026. Per-check prices unchanged.
- Pass-through county-court and state-record access fees are billed at cost by Checkr and GoodHire (no markup) and add $5 to $40 per check depending on jurisdiction.
- Acquisitions reshaping the field: Checkr acquired GoodHire (April 2022); Entrust acquired Onfido (April 2024); First Advantage acquired Sterling Check (31 October 2024); DISA acquired Crimcheck (2020).
- Industry benchmarks: where this site references generic 'industry average' figures, those are sourced from named published datasets (e.g. specific surveys, FTC enforcement reports). The site does not cite unattributed 'observation' or 'typical' figures.
Cycle
Last reviewed: 2026-06-17. Next scheduled review: 2026-09-17. Compiled by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Digital Signet.
Last verified June 2026