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Backgrounds Online Review

Backgrounds Online is a Sacramento background screening provider with published packages from $29.95 per applicant, no monthly fees or minimums, a yearly SOC 2 Type 2 audit and ATS integrations.

Company size
Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
Pricing model
Per check

Best for

  • Employers that want published package prices and no monthly commitment
  • Teams that want consent and adverse action forms supplied
  • Employers whose ATS is among its partners, or who can use its XML API

Not ideal for

  • Employers that need same-day results for most checks
By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated
How we evaluated Backgrounds Online

This review rests on 13 facts checked against Backgrounds Online’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.

Our verdict

Backgrounds Online is a Sacramento screening provider with published packages from $29.95 to $99.95 per applicant, no monthly fee or minimum, free consent and adverse action forms, a yearly SOC 2 Type 2 audit and PBSA accreditation. It says most checks finish in three to five business days.

Strengths

  • Published package prices

    Basic $29.95, Standard $49.95 and Comprehensive $99.95 per applicant.

    Evidence: Price transparency: Published

  • No monthly fee or minimum

    You pay only for the reports you order, with no account fee or minimum volume.

    Evidence: Contract term: Monthly

  • SOC 2 Type 2 and PBSA

    A yearly SOC 2 Type 2 audit and PBSA accreditation.

    Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes

  • Compliance forms included

    Disclosure, release and adverse action forms are provided at no charge.

    Evidence: FCRA disclosure and consent: Yes

Weaknesses

  • Several-day turnaround

    Most checks take three to five business days by its own account.

    Evidence: Turnaround time: Most background checks within 3-5 business days (vendor-stated)

  • Court and verification fees extra

    County fees beyond the included counties and third-party verification fees can be added.

    Evidence: Extra costs: Additional county court fees beyond the counties a package includes, Third-party verification fees charged by employers or schools

Price at a glance

  • Pricing model

    Per check

  • Price transparency

    Published

  • Contract term

    Monthly

What Backgrounds Online costs

Quick answers

How much does Backgrounds Online cost?
Backgrounds Online packages cost $29.95 (Basic), $49.95 (Standard) and $99.95 (Comprehensive) per applicant, with no monthly fee, no minimum and no fee to open an account.Based on Contract term: Monthly
Does Backgrounds Online charge monthly fees?
No. There are no monthly or recurring fees and no minimum number of checks; you are billed only for the reports you order, on a monthly invoice.Based on Contract term: Monthly
What fees does Backgrounds Online add to the package price?
County court fees beyond the counties a package covers, and fees that past employers or schools charge for verifications, can be added on top of the package price.Based on Extra costs: Additional county court fees beyond the counties a package includes, Third-party verification fees charged by employers or schools
What does the Backgrounds Online Standard package include for its price?
Standard, at $49.95 per applicant, adds seven-year county criminal court searches in up to five counties and a seven-year federal criminal court search to the Basic searches.

Coverage of core background check services capabilities

Each core capability we evaluate in Background Check Services, checked against Backgrounds Online’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.

10 verified of 13 core capabilities

Background Check Services

  • FCRA disclosure and consent
  • Identity and SSN trace
  • County criminal search
  • National criminal database
  • Sex offender registry search
  • Employment and education verification
  • Motor vehicle records
  • Drug and health screening
  • Adverse action workflow
  • Individualized assessment support · not verified yet
  • Dispute and reinvestigation · not verified yet
  • State and local rule handling · not verified yet
  • ATS and onboarding integration

Specifications

Fit

Industry focus
Construction, Education, Financial, Government, Insurance, Manufacturing, Medical, Nonprofits, Real estate, Retail, Staffing agencies, Technology, Transportation

Product

Modules
Criminal and court records (county, state, federal, national database), Sex offender registry and global watchlist, Employment, education, reference and credential verification, Motor vehicle records, Employment credit reports, Drug screening (5, 10 or 14 panel), Healthcare sanctions (FACIS, OIG/SAM), International criminal and identity searches, Criminal monitoring

Integrations

Open API
Yes
API type
XML web service

Support

Support channels
Phone, email, dedicated account manager

Backgrounds Online integrations

Backgrounds Online integrations

Backgrounds Online integration coverage

The 10 apps that background check services products document most often, and whether Backgrounds Online documents each.

10 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by Backgrounds Online; median of the 13 products compared: 7

Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 13 live background check services products. Not documented does not mean not possible.

Background Check Services

Backgrounds Online alternatives

Backgrounds Online alternatives

Backgrounds Online: frequently asked questions

How long does a Backgrounds Online background check take?

Backgrounds Online says most checks are completed within three to five business days, and it emails you when a report is ready.

Is Backgrounds Online SOC 2 audited?

Yes. It undergoes a SOC 2 Type 2 audit each year, conducted by A-LIGN, and it is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Does Backgrounds Online provide consent and adverse action forms?

Yes. It supplies the disclosure and release form and the pre-adverse and adverse action letters at no charge, and applicants can enter their own details online.

What is Backgrounds Online used for?

Backgrounds Online is a background check services product built for small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises. Its modules include Criminal and court records, Sex offender registry and global watchlist, Employment, education, reference and credential verification, Motor vehicle records, and 5 more.

What are the best alternatives to Backgrounds Online?

In our background check services ranking, the highest-scored products other than Backgrounds Online are Checkr, Certn, and GoodHire. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Backgrounds Online alternatives.

Does Backgrounds Online have an API?

Yes. Backgrounds Online offers an open API (XML web service) to customers.

What does Backgrounds Online integrate with?

Backgrounds Online documents integrations, including ADP, BambooHR, Bullhorn, Cadient, and 23 more. Every documented connection: Backgrounds Online integrations.

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