RefNow
Automated employment references with fraud checks for HR teams
Quote-based pricing 14-day free trial
Reference checksBackground checkAPI
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Bottom line
RefNow collects employment references by automation and sells them as credits. One credit covers up to 10 references for a single candidate. The vendor does not publish a credit price.
Stands out for: The vendor says 88 percent of references are completed by automation alone, with a typical turnaround of 36 hours, and that the platform flagged more than 1,000 suspicious references in a single month.
Watch out for: Digital ID and DBS checks are sold next to references, and the credit price is quoted rather than listed. The company is based in the UK.
Overview
RefNow Reference automates employment reference requests, reminders and fraud checks, and keeps a delivery log. The vendor says more than 400,000 references have been processed on the platform.
Pricing is credit based. One referencing credit collects up to 10 references from a single candidate. The pricing page offers bulk discounts and subscriptions and routes buyers to a demo. Digital ID, DBS checks and a separate RefNow Respond product for ex employee verification sit beside the reference product. A 14 day trial is offered.
Who it's for
Best for
- HR teams that want reminders, question profiles, and a delivery log on each reference
- UK and multi country employers that need referees outside one office
- Staffing teams that already use Bullhorn, Ashby, or BambooHR
- Buyers who want a 14 day trial before a credit subscription
Not ideal for
- A team that needs a published per check price before talking to sales
- A US buyer who wants a criminal background package as the main product
Key features
Automated references. Requests, reminders, question profiles and a delivery log run without recruiter chasing; the vendor says 88 percent finish by automation alone.
Fraud detection. Suspicious references are flagged, and each check keeps an audit trail.
Credit pricing. One credit collects up to 10 references for a single candidate.
Integrations. More than 65 connections, including Bullhorn, Ashby, BambooHR and ADP Workforce Now.
Pricing
RefNow sells references as credits. One credit collects up to 10 references from a single candidate. The pricing page lists reference, digital ID, and DBS products and tells buyers to book a demo. Bulk discounts and subscriptions are offered. No public credit rate is shown. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 24 Sep 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
Is RefNow expensive?
RefNow does not publish a price. It is one of 6 quote-based tools among the 9 reference checks tools in our directory. 1 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $70 a month.
- 6 quote-based
- 1 free tier
- 3 public price
Worked out automatically from every reference checks listing, so it updates as the directory changes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One credit can collect up to 10 references on the same candidate
- Fraud detection and an audit trail are part of RefNow Reference
- The integrations page lists more than 65 connections, including Bullhorn and ADP Workforce Now
Cons
- No numeric credit price is published on the pricing page
- ID and DBS checks pull the product toward UK screening, not references alone
- AI CV screening is described as upcoming, not a live reference feature
Integrations
ADP Workforce Now Ashby BambooHR Breezy HR Bullhorn AFAS Software Abacus Umantis BITE
How RefNow compares
See all RefNow alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.
| Tool | Free tier | From | MCP | API | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RefNow (this tool) | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | |
 Xref Xref publishes USD plans from $70 a month by headcount, where RefNow's credit price is quoted. | – | $70/mo | – | ✓ | Compare |
 VITAY VITAY is also quote only but documents a public API for developers. | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
 Referoo Referoo also has a 14 day trial and adds ID and background checks in Referoo Hub, with an Australia and New Zealand focus. | – | Sales-quoted | – | – | Compare |
 HiPeople HiPeople has a permanent free plan and paid plans from $70 a month, with skills surveys beside references. | ✓ | $70/mo | – | – | Compare |
Xref$70/mo API
Xref publishes USD plans from $70 a month by headcount, where RefNow's credit price is quoted.
VITAYSales-quoted API
VITAY is also quote only but documents a public API for developers.
ReferooSales-quoted
Referoo also has a 14 day trial and adds ID and background checks in Referoo Hub, with an Australia and New Zealand focus.
HiPeople$70/mo Free tier
HiPeople has a permanent free plan and paid plans from $70 a month, with skills surveys beside references.