Instant Checkmate Reviews

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About Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate is one of the leading public records search tools on the internet, providing instant access to millions of documents. Instant Checkmate’s information is generated by searching public records that include federal, state, and county databases and compiling them all into one report. Users can look up addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, driving records, arrest records and more. Just enter a name and state to start your search.

Pros
  • Unlimited reports with subscription
  • Detailed reports
  • Easy to use
  • Use 30 data points for reports
Cons
  • Not a traditional background check
  • Subscriptions automatically renew

Featured Reviews

Vancouver, WA
Verified purchase
Checkmate does what it advertises - reveals otherwise difficult to obtain information about individuals. We found it useful recently when a home inspector gave misleading informat...

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Los Angeles, CA
Verified purchase
I have never felt so unsafe in my life with scammers who claim to be one and they are not. Instant Checkmate helped me tremendously to remove those who are not legitimate and are ...

Read more

ConsumerAffairs operates independent of Instant Checkmate and does not offer background check services. Per the Instant Checkmate terms, you may not use this service or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require Federal Credit Reporting Act compliance. Instant Checkmate does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency.

What is Instant Checkmate?

Instant Checkmate lets you look up a person’s information by typing in their name, age and location in the search console. Instant Checkmate asks you questions about the person as it searches databases to narrow results down to the right match.

Once you have a match, you purchase a membership subscription to access the report. A subscription gives you access to unlimited reports for as long as you are enrolled.

You can look up the following information and more using Instant Checkmate:

  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Age
  • Location history
  • Job histories
  • Criminal records
  • Sex offenders registration
  • Arrest records
  • Census data
  • Social media profiles
  • Bankruptcy history

Strict guidelines dictate how and why you can use a public records search service. Instant Checkmate is not a consumer reporting agency, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits using Instant Checkmate to look up any information governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Before using Instant Checkmate, make sure you review the guidelines of what you can and can’t do with the information found on its site.

Instant Checkmate cost

Instant Checkmate offers two subscription plans. Both plans give you access to unlimited reports. The company bills one-month subscriptions every 30 days and three-month subscriptions every 90 days.

PlanPrice per month
One-month$35.12
Three-month$28.09 (Billed at $84.28 every three months)
Reverse phone lookup$5.99

Membership subscriptions automatically renew every 30 or 90 days unless you cancel before the start of the next payment period. You can cancel your membership through your online account or by phone.

Instant Checkmate FAQ

Is Instant Checkmate safe?

Yes, Instant Checkmate is safe. The company has a verified Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate and uses 128-bit encryption. Instant Checkmate also runs malware checks with Norton Antivirus software daily.

Does Instant Checkmate notify the person you’re searching?

No, Instant Checkmate does not notify any search subjects.

Is Instant Checkmate legal?

Yes, it is legal to use Instant Checkmate, but it is illegal to use the service to look up any information governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), including screening someone for employment, a lease or credit eligibility. Make sure you follow the search guidelines when using Instant Checkmate.

Is Instant Checkmate free to use?

No, Instant Checkmate is not free. You must sign up for a membership. Memberships start at $35.12 a month and give you access to unlimited reports.

Is Instant Checkmate worth the price?

Yes, if you need the company’s service, it is worth the price. Even though the information on Instant Checkmate comes from public records, you would have to search through each individual federal, state and county database to find the information. Instant Checkmate compiles it all into one easy-to-read report, and all subscriptions include unlimited reports.

Is Instant Checkmate legit?

Instant Checkmate saves you time searching through numerous government databases to find the information you need. Sometimes people aren’t who they say or keep things from you that they don’t want you to know. Using Instant Checkmate helps you verify someone’s identity before meeting them in person or going into business with them, which protects you in the long run. Instant Checkmate is not a substitute for a traditional background check, however.

Instant Checkmate Reviews

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    2 featured reviews
    How do I know I can trust these reviews about Instant Checkmate?
    • 4,679,742 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
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    Page 1 Reviews 0 - 5
    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 21, 2025

    Checkmate has a very good customer service. I didn't wait long and a customer service representative answered my call. The lady I talked with is knowledgeable and kind. I appreciate that Checkmate has humans answer customer calls. Most of automated services use AI, and I don't like it. I'm going to recommend my friends Checkmate and I'll use your service in the future. Thank you.

    Thanks for your vote!
    Instant Checkmate
    Response from Instant Checkmate

    Thank you so much, Vladimir, for sharing your positive experience with Instant Checkmate! We’re thrilled to hear that you appreciated our responsive customer service and the personal touch of having a live representative assist you.

    Providing knowledgeable and kind support is a priority for us, and it’s wonderful to know that our team member made a lasting impression. Your kind words about recommending our service to your friends and continuing to use Instant Checkmate in the future mean a lot to us.

    If you ever need assistance again or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our customer support team is here to help!

    Best regards,

    Instant Checkmate Customer Support

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      Verified purchase
      Customer ServiceStaff

      Reviewed Jan. 20, 2025

      Tried to do survey online but it wouldn't work. The agent, when I called to cancel, was very nice and very helpful. Thanks for your help. It was a pleasure to do business with you and I will surely use you in the future. Thanks again for a wonderful job.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Instant Checkmate, James! While we regret that the survey didn’t work as intended, we’re delighted to hear that our agent was able to assist you with canceling your membership and provided a positive, helpful experience.

      At Instant Checkmate, we strive to ensure every interaction is seamless and satisfying, and it’s wonderful to know that our team left a great impression. We truly appreciate your kind words and your intention to use our services in the future.

      If there’s anything else we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Customer Support team at 877-564-3003 or via email at support@instantcheckmate.com. We’re always here to help!

      Thank you for choosing Instant Checkmate. We look forward to serving you again.

      Best regards,

      Instant Checkmate Customer Support

      Verified purchase
      Staff

      Reviewed Jan. 17, 2025

      Love the way I could look up people several different ways and found 95%!!!! Dead or alive. Really a good service. Only criticism is I would like the option of paying more or using it less to stay on board. I had to leave because I used it too much.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Thank you for sharing your experience with Instant Checkmate, Charles! We’re thrilled to hear that you found our service effective and helpful, with the ability to search for people in multiple ways and achieve a high success rate. Your satisfaction means a lot to us.

      We understand your concern about pricing options and usage flexibility. Feedback like yours helps us evaluate how we can improve our service to better accommodate the diverse needs of our members. We’ll be sure to share your suggestion with our team as we continue to refine our offerings.

      If you ever decide to return, we’d be delighted to have you back and assist with any questions or concerns. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 877-564-3003 or via email at support@instantcheckmate.com.

      Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you in the future!

      Best regards,

      Instant Checkmate Customer Support

      Verified purchase
      StaffTransparency

      Reviewed Jan. 16, 2025

      Your representative was very professional and kind. He accomplished what I asked in an efficient manner and was an excellent communicator. Thank you for your service. He asked appropriate questions and did not question my reasons for my request. I really do not have anything but glowing remarks regarding the whole process of communicating with your representative. Thank you so much.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Hi Judith! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your glowing review of your experience with our customer support team! We’re delighted to hear that our representative was professional, kind, and efficient in addressing your request.

      At Instant Checkmate, we take pride in providing excellent service, and it’s wonderful to know that our representative made the process seamless and left such a positive impression. Your feedback is truly appreciated and will be shared with our team as encouragement to continue delivering exceptional customer care.

      If there’s anything further we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us directly at 877-564-3003 or via email at support@instantcheckmate.com. We’re always here to help!

      Thank you again for your kind words and for choosing Instant Checkmate.

      Best regards,

      Instant Checkmate Customer Support

      Verified purchase
      Staff

      Reviewed Jan. 7, 2025

      I accidentally opened a membership with you. I had gone to your service to find the date in 1979 when my divorce was final because my son was filling out forms for a background check. I put in the information, including my billing information, however I did not think I finished joining. I only realized that I had joined when I received an email yesterday thanking me for joining and offering the report. I spoke with Jay in your Customer Service today. He understood and cancelled my membership and reversed the charge. He was very understanding and helpful to correct my mistake.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Thank you, Janive, for sharing your experience with us. We understand how accidental enrollments can happen, and we’re glad to hear that Jay in our Customer Service team was able to assist you promptly. It’s wonderful to know that Jay was understanding and helpful in resolving the matter for you.

      If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to help.

      Thank you for giving us the opportunity to assist you.

      Sincerely,

      Instant Checkmate Customer Support

      Customer Service

      Reviewed June 2, 2025

      Instant Checkmate claims to be available 24 hrs a day, (just type control + F into their report, and it's listed over 1,000 times) yet there is NO afterhours phone number past 4 pm. Federal law states that Data Privacy Laws need to be upheld immediately upon request, yet Instant Checkmate violates that law, on top of fraudulent consumer protections laws by claiming you are able to get in contact with them 24 hrs a day. If you exercise your right to your data privacy, the incorrect info they have on your report makes you choose an email or phone number you have never had. I am going to start the process of a Class Action lawsuit. If anyone else has received similar violations of civil rights, please explain and I will include you in the process. This company has no right to go against federal law, and as such are responsible for any compensations under the law.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Hello DeAnna,

      Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We’re truly sorry for the frustration you've experienced, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your comments directly.

      Instant Checkmate is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with all applicable data privacy laws, as outlined in our Privacy Policy at https://www.instantcheckmate.com/privacy-policy/. To support this, we provide a Data Privacy Center at https://www.instantcheckmate.com/privacy-center/ that allows individuals to locate and remove public records associated with them from appearing on our website—without needing to contact customer support. This secure tool helps us responsibly verify your identity and ensure that only you have control over how your information is displayed.

      At this time, we do not show that a request has been submitted using the email address associated with this review. If you haven’t yet started the process, please visit our Data Privacy Center at this link: https://www.instantcheckmate.com/privacy-center/. There, you’ll find instructions and contact links if you encounter any technical difficulties.

      To clarify, while our website and member tools are accessible 24/7, our customer support team is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to assist you by phone or email. If you're having trouble using our data privacy tools, you’re welcome to reach us at (877) 564-3003 or support@instantcheckmate.com during business hours.

      We’ve also reached out to you directly via email to help address your concerns more personally. If you didn’t receive that message, please feel free to reply here or reach back out so we can assist you further.

      We take legal and regulatory compliance very seriously, and we want to assure you that our data handling practices are designed to meet all applicable privacy standards. We're here to support you and ensure your rights are respected throughout this process.

      Sincerely,

      Instant Checkmate Support Team

      Resolution In Progress
      Verified purchase
      Customer ServiceStaff

      Reviewed June 2, 2025

      I just subscribed to one month of the instant checkmate for $35 and, and I had to call to see why it wasn’t giving me unlimited information like I subscribed for. Bariana, was very knowledgeable, kind, helpful, and resolved my issue. Thank you for having suck informed customer service representatives to help when we need it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and for the five-star rating! We're sorry to hear you initially had trouble accessing the full features of your subscription, but we're thrilled to know that Bariana was able to step in and make things right.

      We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to her—she’ll be so glad to hear she made a positive impact. Providing knowledgeable and compassionate support is something we truly value, and it’s wonderful to know that was reflected in your experience.

      If you ever have any other questions or need assistance in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our support team is here to help Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time). You can contact us at 877-564-3003 or by emailing support@instantcheckmate.com.

      Thanks again for choosing Instant Checkmate!

      Warm regards,

      The Instant Checkmate Team

      Profile pic of the author.
      Staff

      Reviewed May 31, 2025

      If I could I would give this a zero star review. First of all understand you don't get nothing for free, so I went with the membership of $35.00 a month, so now I have this membership so I go into their system to find the person I needed look up. The person I looked up, that I know very well the site did not have any information on the person. The site that was inaccurate and was limited to almost no information. If wanted extra information in different Categories then you would need to pay extra money for each category. This BS what I'm paying $35.00 a month for? This site is a SCAM!!!! Do not waste your money!! I have found sites that give you more information for free. You just just need to find them!

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Hello Tony,

      Thank you for your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear that your experience with Instant Checkmate did not meet your expectations.

      We want to confirm that your account was successfully canceled online, and as a courtesy, we’ve also issued a full refund to the original payment method used at the time of enrollment. Please allow a few business days for the funds to reflect, depending on your bank’s processing time.

      We’ve also reached out to you via email to confirm the cancellation and refund details. If you have any additional concerns or questions, we encourage you to reply to that message so we can continue assisting you directly.

      Instant Checkmate is designed to provide access to public records where available, but the scope of information can vary from person to person based on what’s legally and publicly accessible. While many data points are included in our reports, some specialized details may require additional purchase due to third-party data sourcing requirements. We understand this may not have aligned with your expectations, and we genuinely appreciate you sharing your experience so we can continue to improve.

      If there’s anything else we can do to assist, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at 877-564-3003 or by emailing us at support@instantcheckmate.com. Our team is available Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time) (Holiday hours may vary.)

      Resolution In Progress
      Verified purchase
      Customer ServiceStaff

      Reviewed May 30, 2025

      I only needed the service for one reason and I was able to accomplish that. I attempted to cancel the next day as I thought I was buying one month and got an email that it would be a recurring payment. Since that’s not what you wanted, I called. I was directed to Luis after the automated system was having problems and he took care of me right away and was very professional and efficient. He corrected the error and stopped the service after this month. Very good CS from Luis.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Hello Nancy,

      Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad to hear that you were able to accomplish what you needed with our service, and we truly appreciate your kind words about Luis. We're especially pleased to know he was able to quickly and professionally assist you with your cancellation request.

      While our subscriptions do automatically renew to avoid service interruptions, we understand how that can be unexpected, and we're happy Luis could help clarify and make the process easy for you.

      If you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at 877-564-3003 or by emailing us at support@instantcheckmate.com. Our team is available to help Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time) (Holiday hours may vary.)

      Reviewed May 24, 2025

      If you look somebody up without a subscription, they will waste 15 minutes of your life, pretending they’re getting you information. Over and over “gathering social media” with a ticking clock. “Examining court records“ with another ticking clock. You literally waste 15 minutes of your life before they say you can access the records if you get a subscription. Completely manipulative and unethical.

      Thanks for your vote!
      Instant Checkmate
      Response from Instant Checkmate

      Hi Jeff,

      Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're sorry if you felt the report-building process was frustrating.

      Instant Checkmate is designed to show you the depth of information we gather across public records—such as location history, phone numbers, and possible associates—before presenting a full report. The scanning process highlights the various databases we search to ensure the most comprehensive and accurate results possible. While a subscription is required to access the complete report, we aim to demonstrate the value of the service during the search phase so you know exactly what you’re getting before you commit.

      We’re committed to transparency and delivering a product that helps our members make informed decisions with reliable public data. Your feedback helps us continue refining that experience.

      If you have any questions or need help getting the most from your search, our support team is here to assist. You can reach us at 877-564-3003 or support@instantcheckmate.com, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time) (Holiday hours may vary.)

      Resolution In Progress
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      Instant Checkmate Company Information

      Social media:
      Company Name:
      Instant Checkmate
      Company Type:
      Private
      Year Founded:
      2010
      Address:
      3110 Camino Del Rio N Suite 400
      City:
      San Diego
      State/Province:
      CA
      Postal Code:
      92108
      Country:
      United States
      Website:
      www.instantcheckmate.com

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