Background check pricing: the $13.99 check is not the whole hiring bill

What do the published prices actually cover?

The following prices were rechecked on 6 October 2026. They are published US screening rates, not negotiated quotes. Certn explicitly lists USD; Checkr's US workforce page publishes starting per-report prices.

These are selected differences, not full package specifications. A higher price can buy broader criminal coverage; it does not automatically buy the employment or education checks your policy requires.

Define the checks each role requires

We would not send a buyer to the most expensive package by default. Write down the job-specific requirement first, with the employer's responsible screening adviser.

• Which records? Specify the required criminal-search scope and geographic basis.
• Which history? Identify employment and education verification needs.
• Which separate checks? Scope identity, driving or other role-relevant requirements explicitly.
• Which workflow? Include candidate support, review and the ATS handoff.

Give both suppliers that same specification. A package missing a required component needs an add-on quote; an unnecessary component is not a benefit merely because it is bundled.

A 200-report example: budget the triggered work

This fictional scenario uses Certn's published Core rate and the published $9.99 contingent county-search charge. Assume 200 Core orders and 30 chargeable county searches in the period. The search count is an invented input, not an expected rate for Certn customers.

This is not an all-in budget. It excludes unquoted third-party access fees, other checks, any applicable taxes and internal work. Obtain those inputs before approving the spend.

With 100 chargeable county searches instead, the same two components total $3,797.00. Count searches, not just candidates: confirm the billing unit and trigger with the supplier. This sensitivity exercise does not establish that Core meets your required screening scope.

“Unlimited county searches” does not mean every outside fee is included

Checkr's pricing footnote separates third-party court and database access fees from package rates, describing them as passed through at cost. Certn also flags possible additional access charges.

A supplier can include its search service in the package while an outside source still charges for access. Ask the supplier to identify the source, unit and trigger on an example invoice.

Use a sample invoice or authorised fictional test case. These are procurement questions, not claims that every supplier charges every item.

Compare supplier fees and the work left with HR

For occasional straightforward orders, transparent self-service packaging can reduce buying effort. For varied roles or recurring volume, ask for a written package matrix and commercial proposal. Neither approach proves service quality.

Keep two totals: supplier cash charges and internal operating effort. For example, a fictional 15 minutes of chasing across 40 orders is ten hours of HR capacity. Do not claim a vendor eliminates it until a trial demonstrates that improvement.

Do not rank prices until the required searches and access fees are included. Once equivalent configurations are priced, use our turnaround and ATS acceptance guide to test whether the service works when an order is delayed.

Questions buyers ask