Verified references, ready for your file.
Up to five checks on each referee — the address, the employer's record at Companies House, the dates, and the sender checks the referee's domain publishes. Each result carries the evidence behind it, and the report is issued minutes after the references you asked for are in, or the closing date has passed.
- No card needed
- No tracking
- UK based
£9
per check, up to 10 referees
5
checks on every professional referee
Minutes
to the finished report, once the references you asked for are in, or the closing date has passed
0
accounts for your candidate or their referees
You do step one. We do the rest.
Name, email, role. Then the report arrives.
- You1
Name, email, role. Referees are optional.
Three fields, about a minute.
- Candidate2
Nothing reaches a referee before the candidate says yes.
They confirm or nominate the referees.
- Us3
The chasing is the work. We do it, you do not.
Short form. We send the reminders.
- Us4
2 minutes from the closing date to the finished report.
Minutes after the references you asked for are in, or the closing date has passed.
Up to 3 reminders, sent in the first week, by us — never a call or an email you have to send yourself.
A report you can file and forget.
Every referee checked, every result linked to its evidence, and a PDF for the file.
The evidence, on one page
A Companies House record, domain and mail records, dates and a reply — open any result to see where it came from.
Ready for your file
A dated PDF and a full activity trail, so you can show what you checked, and when, if anyone ever asks.
Nothing you don’t need
No CV, no ID documents, no date of birth. Candidates and referees never make an account.
No reply, no charge
If nobody replies to any of your referees, we still send the report and return your credit.
There are 2 public sources — Companies House records, and mail and domain records — read by three of the five checks. Both are named in our privacy notice.
Five checks, each with its own evidence.
Three read public records you can open yourself.
Referee email
Whether the address belongs to the employer's own domain, or is a free webmail account.
Employer record
Whether there is a registered company at Companies House matching the employer named, and whether it is active.
Employment dates
Whether the dates the referee gave agree with the dates the candidate stated, within 45 days.
Email authenticity
Whether the referee's domain publishes the sender checks that stop mail being sent in its name.
Response
Whether the referee answered using the link we emailed to them. A referee who never answers is recorded as an outcome.
A reference nobody checks is just paperwork.
Anyone can write one that reads well. PreHire checks whether it holds up, and shows you the evidence behind every result — not just an answer.
Made for small teams that hire a few people a year.
Small businesses
Hiring one or two people a year? Check their references properly, without a contract or a sales call.
Start a checkRecruiters and agencies
Check candidates before you put them forward. Pay per check, no contract.
See what it costsCare providers
Regulation 19 asks for verified references. This is the evidence, dated and filed.
For care providersSchools and colleges
KCSIE-ready reference checks for teaching and support staff.
For schoolsThe two services you’re most likely to be shown won’t put a price on their website. We do.
£9per check
- First check free — one per company
- Packs of 10 and 25
- Credit back if no referee replies
- Buy in minutes, no sales call
| PreHire | RefNow | Zinc | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price on the website | £9 | Not on their website | Not on their website |
| Buy without talking to sales | Yes | Yes, 5-credit minimum | Yes, for small teams |
| Checks references against records | Companies House, email domain | Says it checks references are genuine | Employment dates from HMRC |
| Credit back if no referee replies | Yes, automatic | Not on their website | Not on their website |
Your next hire's reference is either checked, or taken on trust
Run a real check on a real candidate and keep the report. Your first check is free — one free check per company email domain.