Totally Free Background Check: No Credit Card Needed

Background check services online often come with charges. Nonetheless, their help can benefit specific users: employers, HR, landlords, banks, and more. On the other hand, if you want to perform a background check for yourself or just a few people, you can do a free background check where no credit card is needed, using a service like Information.com. However, before telling you how you can do it without paying even a cent, it is vital to highlight the real purpose and benefits of free background checks. 

What are free background checks?

free background check

Free background checking allows anyone to discover more information about another individual without paying monthly charges or trial fees.

A wide variety of individuals can benefit from free background checks. Without burning a dollar, employers of small businesses can get a deeper look at the record of an individual before hiring them. They provide not just the essential information for the job, such as educational credentials and work achievements: background checks can also help you discover the person’s morals.

The said fact makes free background checks a handy tool not just for business people; it can also benefit even the most typical person. Indeed, free background checks are beneficial to help you figure out what kind of person you are about to deal with: an online date you will be meeting this weekend that seems too good to be true, a guy or a gal applying as your new apartment roommate, a babysitter for your baby, contractor, and more.

What can free background checks offer?

There is considerable pressure among HR folks who need to hire the “right” person for a specific job. The same goes for banks, who need to determine the trustworthy people applying for loans or the landlords examining prospective tenants. With this, they need to go beyond the paper submitted by the said individuals. Free background checks can help with that by providing everything you need to know for your specific purpose. Here are some of them:

Criminal Records

criminal record background check

Checking applicants’ criminal records will help employers protect their businesses and prevent negligent hiring claims.

Criminal records are probably the most exciting information that free background checks offer. Most companies require checking such info, including pending court cases, incarceration history, criminal convictions, and arrests that did not lead to convictions. This helps employers and recruiters know if the applicants have tendencies to do or repeat any law violations. 

Employment History

employment history and performance

The employment records of the applicants will give you insights into their past performances as professionals.

Some resumes will impress you, but as you know, you shouldn’t trust everything in a snap. This includes the awards and roles indicated in a person’s resume. Verifying the said information and other details like employment year is crucial. You can even ask the past employer’s view about the person’s performance! This part also makes it possible to determine if the applicant is a job hopper. While some believe this is an acceptable culture in this era of millennials, some employers might still view it as a big red flag. Lastly, free background checks allow you to understand why the employment gaps are visible on the resumes.

Education

univesity

Checking the education records of the applicants will help you validate the info they provided on their resumes.

An education record is just as vital as an employment history. It might give you a more profound idea of an individual’s diligence. It will also let you see if they actually own those academic awards they stated on their resume or if they just exaggerated their impressive GPAs.

Marriage and Family Setup

single parent employee

Marriage and family have huge impacts on the performance of workers. This part of the background check will help employers determine the help their workers need.

This information might be a little too personal, but it is also essential for employers to include this in their background checks. This might aid employers and companies in understanding the state of struggling single parents or workers undergoing tough divorce battles. 

Where can I get a free background check with no credit card needed?

The first question you should ask is: Is there a free background check? Indeed, there is, though not in the form of a single website or application. You can do a free background check of yourself or anyone using the right tools online. And if you have the know-how, you might even unearth shocking discoveries about a person. So, how and where do you perform a free background check? Here are some helpful tips from our experts:

Search Engines

google

Search engines are valuable tools when looking for a wide variety of information.

Google and Yahoo might look a bit boring for some, but they are excellent tools for digging up dirt. Remember that these search engines cover all websites and social media platforms, allowing you to get the needed information when you hit the right keyword. You can start by typing the person’s name and other information, such as address and age. You can also use quotation marks to emphasize the keyword and the Google Images for better search results.

LinkedIn

linkedin

Linkedin will give you more details about the applicants’ professional backgrounds and networks.

Of course, who would forget LinkedIn as one of the best ways to check a person’s info? With this platform, you can see the users’ networks, which might affect your perception of them. The adage goes, “show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.”

Social Media Networks

social media platforms

Social media profiles and posts help background checkers see the beliefs and values of a person.

Nowadays, social media platforms have become a part of our daily entertainment when we’re killing time. And while they are an excellent way for some to build their professional network, you can also benefit from them by having access to people’s info if you are background checking them. For public accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you will easily view users’ photos, personal posts, or shared posts. This is where HR and employers often decide whether the applicant reflects the company’s visions and morals. With this, you might want to be careful before posting anything; better yet, make your account private.

Public Records

paper records

Public records are pieces of information filed and recorded by public agencies. They are available for public viewing and can commonly be accessed online.

Official government websites are undeniably the best when looking for something about a person living in a particular state. For instance, if you’re looking for court information, you visit the National Center for State Courts for better on-point results. Nonetheless, remember that it entails knowing the person’s past and present addresses as each state has its records. Other sites that could help you in your free background check include NETR Online, PACER, and Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.

Is the free background check worth it?

The most significant benefit of using the background checking options mentioned above is that you won’t need to pay. As long as you know how to navigate the internet, you won’t have problems gathering information about someone. That means you must have excellent web surfing prowess and patience in repeatedly visiting pages and sites. Also, let us not forget the limited information you can get if you are new to manual background checking and how time-consuming it can be. If you don’t want to experience those things and don’t mind paying some fee, paid background check websites can give you quick results within minutes. They range from $10 and above, depending on the plan you choose to have. Using them can also be extremely simple as you would just be commonly asked for the name, state address, social security number, and age of the person you are searching for. With just a few info, the background checker would be able to provide the following results almost instantly:

  • Full name, maiden, and married names
  • Phone and cellphone numbers
  • Current address and entire address history
  • Updated photo
  • Relatives and associates
  • A sex offender or terror watch list possible involvement
  • Property records
  • Arrest records and criminal history
  • Social security validation
  • Marriage and divorce records
  • Education History
  • Tax liens
  • Driving records and history
  • Financial records
  • Offense records
  • Military service records
  • Court judgments
  • Credit (only for FCRA-accredited checker platforms)

What should I remember before doing a background check?

thinking

Before doing a background check on someone, remember to prepare first.

You can always do a free background check of someone whenever you like, as long as you have a digital device. However, remember that you shouldn’t do it just because tools are available for free. Employers, businesses, HR, landlords, and others should present a written request to properly get the permission of the person you want to background check. To be legally safe, you can also ask a lawyer’s aid to get some advice on how you should conduct the background check process.

It is also a must to be fair and consistent in the information you will check for all the candidates. And in case you’ve decided to reject n applicant because of the things you learned, it is better to present them with a copy of the report. Before that, however, you must know that not all the bits of information the web would suggest to you are accurate and true. It is best to ask the person to clarify things and explain whatever is written on the report you prepared. If you plan to run a credit check on someone, try to get an FCRA-accredited background checker platform or use an official Consumer Reporting Agency. Refusing to do so can be unlawful and unethical, leading to problems. Most of all, there is a need to destroy the copies of the report you made after a year.