Instant Checkmate Review

Instant Checkmate is a great tool for background checking that comes with a higher price tag than most. Read on to learn more.

Is Instant Checkmate worth subscribing to? Even with so many competing services, it can be a fantastic sleuthing partner given the wealth of info it can unearth on individuals.

In this Instant Checkmate review, you'll learn all about its features and nuances and see if it's a good investment.

What Is Instant Checkmate?

Instant Checkmate is an online tool that compiles personal records from a range of publicly accessible sources into one detailed report.

This can help you paint a more detailed picture of a person, potentially gaining insights into their past and present situation.

Individuals can access Instant Checkmate background check services for personal use by paying a monthly membership fee or a limited trial period.

What Does Instant Checkmate Show?

Here's some of the aggregated data you can get with an Instant Checkmate search:

• Email addresses
  
• Phone numbers
  
• Relatives and associates
  
• Known aliases
  
• Location information
  
• Criminal and traffic records
  
• Arrest and prison records
  
• Social media accounts
  
• Photos and videos
  
• Assets and financial info
  
• Government watchlist records
  
• Military records

Needless to say, you shouldn't use such information to stalk or harass a person as per Instant Checkmate's terms of service.^[1]

How Does Instant Checkmate Work?

Instant Checkmate works by aggregating information from multiple online public documents and social media websites in one place. You can search for people who live in the US by entering their name, phone number, address, or email address.

With a people search, you can just input the person's first and last name and press the search bar. Adding the approximate location, like city and state, will narrow the search.

During the initial scan, it'll try to locate possible matches to the person. This means it will ask you for corroborating data such as gender, age range, and related person. These added details will facilitate the search, especially if the person has a common name.

Once you confirm the right person, it will begin crawling its data sources. It'll continue to ask if you're aware of the person's criminal and traffic records, social media accounts, etc. This is perhaps to stir your curiosity and build your excitement even more.

Finally, you must provide your name and email address before being directed to the payment page. Once paid, your full report will be available on your Instant Checkmate dashboard, which you can access using the email address you provided.

Why Use Instant Checkmate?

Instant Checkmate is a great tool for individuals who want to access public records and background information from the convenience of their home or wherever they are.

Here are more specific reasons you might find this background check service useful:

• Trace old friends, schoolmates, or estranged family members
  
• Avoid being catfished by potential dates
  
• Vet new buyers or sellers
  
• Learn more about your neighbors
  
• Catch a cheating spouse
  
• Curious about an acquaintance
  
• Acquire insight about someone's business background
  
• Get a sense of an area before visiting or staying there
  
• Steer clear of sex offenders

When You Shouldn't Use Instant Checkmate

Avoid using a background check service like Instant Checkmate for:

1. Employment screenings
   
2. Credit or insurance assessments
   
3. Choosing property renters or buyers
   
4. Determining educational or scholarship eligibilities

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law on consumer affairs that regulates access to credit information.^[2]

Although Instant Checkmate may reveal personal details, it's not an FCRA-compliant consumer reporting agency. This means it isn't authorized to provide background check reports for any of the abovementioned purposes.

Even if for personal reasons, it's important to note that you should not use background checks in order to pass judgment on an individual. Remember, it doesn't always provide the full context of a person's background.

Don't rely too heavily on this tool without considering other factors, such as personal interactions and assessments. Otherwise, it can lead to an oversimplification or misunderstanding of who the person really is.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using Instant Checkmate:

Pros:

• Organized reports
  
• Multiple data sources
  
• Simple to use
  
• Unlimited searches
  
• Cheaper dark web monitoring option
  
• Tailored membership plan option
  
• Built-in report monitoring feature
  
• Inmate search option
  
• Opt-out for your own listing

Cons:

• More expensive
  
• Automatic renewal
  
• No marriage/divorce records

Instant Checkmate's Services

There are many ways you can use Instant Checkmate. Here are some of their popular services:

People search
This is Instant Checkmate's primary offer, enabling users to perform a background check on individuals. Discover aliases, education and professional history, bankruptcies, and more.

Reverse phone lookup
A reverse phone lookup tool is useful for identifying unknown callers, verifying contact information, and gathering details about individuals associated with specific phone numbers.

Criminal records search
Instant Checkmate helps you vet a new person or double-check on that suspicious-looking neighbor who just moved in and might have a sex offender record.

Inmate search
Looking for someone who went to jail and wondering where they are? This tool provides a good amount of information, including the person's prison release date.

Reverse address lookup
Get a location report by entering the address you would like to know more about. It may include details such as current and former residents, possible neighbors, property value history, owner details, census data and demographics for the area, and more.

Dark web monitoring
If you have an existing membership, you can protect your personal credentials and prevent stolen passwords by enrolling in this service which entails a monthly subscription.

Report monitoring
You'll be automatically notified in case there are changes to any of the reports that were previously generated in your Instant Checkmate dashboard.

How Much Does Instant Checkmate Cost?

The Instant Checkmate People Search plan costs $35.47 per month. This includes unlimited person and location reports, as well as Report Monitoring.^[3] A 3-month subscription is also an option at $85.13 ($28.38 per month).

The monthly fee for the Phone Search plan is $5.99. This will cover reverse phone lookups.

For a one-time fee of $3.99, you can download unlimited PDFs for your individual reports. Dark web monitoring is also available for only $1.99 per month.^[4]

If you spend a bit more time on the payment page during checkout, you'll have the option to purchase a single background report for $29.95 with no membership or commitment.^[5]

Instant Checkmate Customer Reviews

Although some customers have shared their positive experiences with Instant Checkmate, the overall customer rating is quite low.

Of 3,789 reviews on ConsumerAffairs, 81% gave it the lowest 1-star rating, garnering a dismal average 1.2 score.^[6] Several users claimed they got incomplete or inaccurate data, while others encountered billing issues and being charged without their consent.

On Sitejabber, it has an average rating of 1.8 among 341 reviews.^[7] It fared slightly better on Trustpilot, averaging a 1.9 customer rating from 414 reviews.^[8]

Instant Checkmate Mobile Application

Instant Checkmate's mobile app is available on both IOS and Android devices. If you want to access it on an iPhone or iPad, your IOS/iPadOS must be at least on version 14.0.

The user interface is well-designed and intuitive. This makes it simple to navigate and accomplish tasks efficiently.

There are practically no complaints about frequent app crashes. The last software update it had was in 2022, which is pretty telling that the app is quite a solid one.

Is Instant Checkmate secure?

Instant Checkmate employs reasonable security measures to prevent data misuse, accidental leaks, and theft.

Their site has a verified SSL certification that maintains safe connections. It uses 256-bit encryption, which is generally deemed one of the safest standards.^[9]

In other words, details such as passwords or credit card numbers cannot be intercepted, at least theoretically.

That's because no one can guarantee 100% data security despite iron-clad protocols. You must remain vigilant and proactive to emerging threats.

Is Instant Checkmate Data Reliable?

Instant Checkmate data is considered reliable. Although it does not guarantee 100% accuracy, it uses reputable sources and conducts regular updates to ensure the data in your reports are relevant.

Meanwhile, some have raised concerns over Instant Checkmate's privacy policy on handling personal data. While it has certain information sharing practices with third parties, note that you can opt out by adjusting your cookie settings.

You also have the option to suppress your own background report that's retrieved from the platform. However, your records may still appear on other people search tools.

Is it hard to cancel Instant Checkmate?
Although some people have encountered cancelation difficulties with Instant Checkmate, the process itself is straightforward. Simply call customer service, email, or submit your request online and present your name and Instant Checkmate username . Note that Instant Checkmate's cancelation policy states that you won't be refunded when you can cancel an ongoing subscription.

Instant Checkmate Alternatives

Instant Checkmate vs. TruthFinder
Instant Checkmate boasts an inmate search option, which TruthFinder lacks. But TruthFinder offers a plan that combines people and email address reports. It saves money because it ends up being cheaper than an Instant Checkmate People search plan.

Although both tools are solid options, TruthFinder may be better than Instant Checkmate. You have to be maximizing Instant Checkmate's membership features (including inmate searches) each month to justify its higher subscription charges. Otherwise, TruthFinder is a more sensible purchase.

Instant Checkmate vs. Intelius
An Intelius subscription is much cheaper than an Instant Checkmate subscription. Its People Search plan includes unlimited reports for address lookups as well.

Instant Checkmate's dark web monitoring is more affordable. But Intelius provides more extensive coverage, which includes automatic credit monitoring and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance as a membership add-on.

On the other hand, you can get marriage and divorce records with Intelius' Public Records Search, which isn't available in any Instant Checkmate plan.

Instant Checkmate vs. US Search
US Search is a bare-bones search tool with practically no extra features. It's really no match to Instant Checkmate's capacity for more comprehensive reports.

This is also evident in the user interface, which has fewer function buttons. If you want to do anything, you'll practically have to guess where to go.

That said, the subscription prices of these two services are like night and day. But US Search lacks price transparency, so you need to try out the search function first to discover how much it costs.

Things to Consider Before Hiring People Search Services

Here are a few things you might want to look for in background check providers:

• Features
  Some background check services have dark web monitoring and inmate search capabilities. Others can give you a specific service, like a reverse phone or email lookup.

• Frequency
  Are you just looking up someone for curiosity's sake? Check if the service allows you to pay for one-offs instead of committing to a subscription.

• Purpose
  Will you use this for business or personal inquiries? Similar services may offer a genuine business subscription that provides access to multiple users under one umbrella account.

• Trial offer
  Most people-search services offer a risk-free trial period either for free or for a small fee. Use this opportunity to test the tool and see if it meets your needs.

• Accuracy
  It's important to know the third-party data sources being provided to you, especially if they're sensitive in nature (such as criminal offenses). This will help you assess the correctness and reliability of the information.

• User reviews
  Read up on real user experiences. Although you may find a lot of negative reviews that may turn off future customers, focus on those who give constructive feedback.

• Fees
  Check if the associated costs are justified with the services it comes with. For instance, is it more expensive because of the unlimited searches you can do? Or is it cheaper because it only does one thing?

• Customer support
  There must be a dedicated customer care team you can call during weekdays, at the very least. You could also use a comprehensive help page for quick answers to common concerns and an email address for nuanced complaints.

Bottom Line

Instant Checkmate membership is an excellent option for background checks if you're more inclined to do both person and address searches often.

However, it's more expensive than most. That said, it's probably better to pursue other tools dedicated to people search which can just be as detailed but cost less.

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