Instant Checkmate review

Our content is reader-supported. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links.

 

Background check services are what Instant Checkmate is all about, and they’re what they provide to the public so that people may learn more about one another. Since its usage for professional objectives like hiring is prohibited, many people resort to it just to learn more about their friends, neighbors, and future love partners. We’ve meticulously written an Instant Checkmate review while providing you with an expert opinion.

Instant Checkmate allows you to look up digital and physical addresses, social media profiles, criminal histories, and telephone numbers across many databases.

Let’s weigh the pros and cons to gain a fuller picture of this resource.

Instant Checkmate Review: Pros

  • Access to a database of sexual offenders
  • Massive repository of public information
  • Profiles on many social networking sites are searchable
  • User-friendly design

Instant Checkmate Review: Cons

  • Customer service is poorer 
  • Reporting delays
  • Individual reports are unavailable

Things to Consider Before Buying a Background Check Service Subscription

If you’re curious about the history of a close relative, a coworker, or a friend, a private background check service may be useful. Before deciding to go on a date with someone, you may use these sites to research their social media profiles, criminal history, and more.

Researching a company or rental unit online before submitting an application is also crucial. It’s also possible to learn about oneself via background checks.

Using such services has many benefits, but you should maximize them if possible. Prior to committing, please think about the following:

  • Which information is that you want to seek?
  • How many searches are included in a membership/payment?
  • What’s your price range?
  • Which characteristics are most essential to you?
  • Do you prefer recurring membership fees?

How does it fare under the above-mentioned conditions?

Instant Checkmate Review: Features & Benefits

When reading a review of Instant Checkmate, keep these eight things in mind and it’ll help you decide whether it’s the right service for you.

1. People Search Function

Instant Checkmate’s flagship feature is undoubtedly the people search feature. Inputting a person’s initial and last name yields biographical details. To get specific results, you must choose a state.

You may skip filling out the location field if you like, but you’ll have greater luck if you do. You may do a search for yourself or anybody else using this instrument. You’ve got the option of requesting the removal of any personally identifiable information about yourself that you discover on the site.

More detailed information, such as the person’s age, gender, and familial connections, may be entered to narrow the search results. A person’s identity is not revealed during the search, and the individual isn’t informed.

Although the people search feature may take some time to load, it’ll only provide accurate results. Based on your searches, choose the entry that has the most information on the person you’re looking for.

2. Criminal Record Search Function

The site also has a searchable database of criminal records. In order to perform properly, this feature needs specifics like a user’s actual location, name, and age.

The database includes information on all types of criminal records, including serious felonies, minor misdemeanors, active warrants, pending lawsuits, and moving infractions. The crime’s specific location and circumstances are documented in the files.

In addition to looking for other people, you can also look for yourself. The information in this database might be useful for finding out what people think of you, and if you discover any unflattering details about yourself, you’ve got the option of having them erased.

3. Reverse Phone Number Lookup Database

One of the services offered by Instant Checkmate is a reverse phone lookup. You may do a reverse phone search to find out who owns a number if you often get calls from unknown numbers.

Callers’ identities, telephone numbers, and registration statuses with any given organization are all recorded in great detail. One of the top reverse lookup services is Instant Checkmate.

4. Sex Offender Database

The Instant Checkmate database provides a comprehensive search function for anyone who wants to know if there are registered sex offenders living near them. It’s a popular part of the site for people seeking peace of mind when they move to a new area or when a new neighbor moves next door.

The information on sex offenders, including maps of their photos, names, and locations are contained in the database.

5. Mobile Application

Instant Checkmate is available as a mobile app for Android devices, but not for iOS. There’s been no word on whether or not an iOS version is planned.

The Android app has been well-praised for its simplicity, reliability, and usefulness. There may be occasional reports of login problems, but such are normally resolved quickly.

6. Ease of Use Interface 

The user interface of Instant Checkmate is straightforward. By just entering a name and place, you may do a simple record search that returns easily navigable results. The registration page includes a comprehensive FAQ for your convenience.

The platform’s slow results loading time is the only major downside. It might take a while to acquire search results and even longer to get a report.

7. Customer Support

On weekdays, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST, you may reach out to Instant Checkmate’s helpful customer service team through email or phone. Monday through Friday, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, you may speak with a native Spanish speaker for help. Messages are typically responded to within a day.

Reviews of Instant Checkmate claim that customer service representatives don’t overly pressure clients to maintain their memberships and that cancellation requests are often responded to promptly.

By contacting the service’s support staff, you may also ask that your personal data be removed from the site.

8. Site Security

Norton Symantec’s 128-bit SSL encryption technology is used to safeguard any financial data entered on the Instant Checkmate website.

Keep in mind, however, that searching public data is the site’s main purpose. Since minimal effort is put into maintaining database information confidentiality, the website uses an SSL connection to secure user privacy.

Is Instant Checkmate Legit?

Is Instant Checkmate legit? Online reviews of Instant Checkmate are many, however, opinions on the site’s ease of use and responsiveness to consumer concerns are mixed. 

Some consumers have complained about unexpected charges and unauthorized membership renewals due to the Instant checkmate cost and billing policies.

If you’re unhappy with the service, cancel your subscription immediately to stop being charged. Sitejabber and Trustpilot users agree that it has a solid reputation. The following are comments provided by customers:

  • “Almost two years in, and this service has proven to be an excellent investment for me. It’s easy to use, has tremendous benefits, and requires no special training”.
  • “Wow, it was fast! Appreciate the excellent service. It presented me with plenty of fresh knowledge! In a word, I’m blown away!”
  • “With InstantCheckmate’s help, I was able to solve an issue that was causing me and my loved ones a lot of stress.”

Instant Checkmate Review: Alternatives

Although there are many internet background check sites, you should be wary of those that don’t provide what they promise. So that you may make a more informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of Instant Checkmate’s major rivals.

There isn’t much to pick between these sites, since they all seem to provide identical features and price structures.

1. TruthFinder

The company that runs TruthFinder also operates Instant Checkmate, and the two use the same databases.

The company has access to criminal records and other databases for personal searches. Investigate possible partners, loved ones, or friends with the use of TruthFinder’s tools. Read this TruthFinder review for more information.

  • Pricing: For monthly subscriptions, both Instant Checkmate and TruthFinder have a similar pricing structure. TruthFinder’s package is more pricey, but it provides more features.
  • Customer Service: You may contact both firms for customer service through email or phone. There’ll be a response from any firm within 24 hours.
  • Features: The two most popular search engines, TruthFinder and Intelius, both provide functional and intuitive interfaces. Both websites employ pop-up messages, however, neither site overuses sales pitches in its upsell messages.

2. Intelius

Since its founding in 2003, Intelius has grown to become the industry standard for background checks. The same demographic, criminal background, and family data that are available in Instant Checkmate reports are also provided here. A few similarities exist between Intelius and Instant Checkmate:

  • Pricing: The price of Intelius is comparable to Instant Checkmate’s cost. You’ll need to pay a little more each month, but the monthly costs are still fair, for both services, for the most complete information.
  • Customer Service: Intelius has a phone line and an email address for customers to use. If you had a good experience with either company, you’ll get an email response within 24 hours.
  • Features: Both programs allow you to research a person’s background, including their criminal record, address, phone number, and familial ties. Given the similarities across the databases used by the various benefits, the data presented is likely to be identical.

Read this Intelius review for more information on this background check service.

3. US Search

​​

You may quickly and easily find people with only a few pieces of information with US Search, a cheap background check service. Discerning private information like names, emails, and addresses is possible.

The search results include family members, social media profiles, and criminal records. However, there are also notable distinctions between Instant Checkmate and US Search.

  • Pricing: You may get a lot for your money when you use US Search or Instant Checkmate.
  • Customer Service: Instant Checkmate has a larger customer care presence than its competitors, including both email and phone help.
  • Features: Instant Checkmate’s help offerings go beyond just email and phone.

Instant Checkmate Review: Final Verdict

When you need up-to-date information about a person’s whereabouts, contact details, and more, Instant Checkmate is a great resource. 

You can acquire all the information you need since the service compiles it from numerous sources. Instant Checkmate’s cost is reasonable compared to similar products on the market.

Users are frustrated by the long wait time for a report after doing a search. Instant Checkmate, on the other hand, is a great option if you need to research anything for your own purposes.