Reference requests sent instantly.
Reports back in 1–3 days.
RefAssure sends reference requests the moment you submit them — no delay, no manual action, no demo required. Automated email and SMS chasing gets responses faster. Professional PDF reports delivered in 1–3 days. From 99p, no subscription, no contract.
Every day a reference is delayed is a day your candidate might accept another offer
Speed wins in recruitment. Manual reference checking typically takes 5 to 14 days — that is a long time for a candidate to sit and wait. RefAssure sends requests instantly and chases automatically, cutting average turnaround to 1 to 3 days. The difference between losing a candidate and securing them can be a single working day.
Why instant reference checking makes a difference
Candidates accept other offers
A 10-day reference wait is 10 days for a competitor to swoop in. Instant requests and fast turnaround keep your offers at the front of the queue.
Start dates get pushed back
Slow references push back start dates. For businesses with fixed onboarding cycles or urgent cover needs, delays cost real money.
HR time wasted chasing
Manual chasing takes 45–90 minutes per reference. Multiply that across your hiring volume and it is a significant hidden cost.
Compliance risks stack up
The longer a manual reference process takes, the more likely something gets missed — a follow-up, a consent step, a documentation gap.
How instant reference checking works
Six automated steps. Requests sent in seconds. Everything else handled for you.
Add candidate — 2 minutes
Enter name, email and mobile. Select your reference template. Done. The system takes over from here.
Candidate consent — instant
RefAssure immediately contacts the candidate by email and SMS for consent and referee details. No waiting.
Request sent — instantly
The moment consent is received, a branded email with a secure form link is sent to the referee. Seconds, not hours.
Automated chasing begins
5 email chasers + 2 SMS reminders sent automatically over 12 days if the referee does not respond.
Reference returned — 1–3 days
Most referees respond within 1 to 3 days. You are notified instantly when the reference is submitted.
PDF report — automatically
Professional PDF with full audit trail and consent record generated and available to download immediately.
Everything included in every instant reference check
One credit. One complete reference. No add-ons, no extras.
Instant request sent
Branded email to the referee within seconds of candidate consent being received.
Candidate consent
Written, timestamped consent collected by email and SMS before any referee is contacted. GDPR compliant.
5 automated email chasers
Sent automatically over 12 days if the referee does not respond. Zero manual effort.
2 SMS reminders
Sent to the referee during the chase sequence. Significantly improves response rates.
Professional PDF report
Full reference responses, consent record and timestamped audit trail. Auto-generated on completion.
Full audit trail
Every action timestamped and logged. Suitable for CQC, Ofsted and regulatory inspections.
RefAssure vs other instant reference checking platforms
Most competitors hide their pricing behind a demo request. Here is how the numbers actually stack up.
| Provider | Cost per reference | Monthly fee | Demo required | No contract | Candidate consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RefAssure This page | From 99p | None | No — self-serve | No contract | Built in |
| Reed Screening | Not published | Yes | Demo required | Contract | Not standard |
| Zinc | Not published | Yes | Demo required | Contract | Not standard |
| Checkster / Xref | £3–£8+ | £50–£500/mo | Demo required | Annual contract | Not standard |
| Manual process | £15–£40 in time | N/A | N/A | N/A | Rarely done |
The fastest way to check employment references in the UK — from 99p
If you are searching for instant reference checking, fast reference checks, or a way to automate employment references without the overhead of enterprise software, RefAssure is built for exactly that. Reference requests are sent the moment you submit the candidate. Automated email and SMS reminders chase referees automatically. And your professional PDF report is typically returned within 1 to 3 days — compared to the 5 to 14 days that manual reference chasing typically takes.
Why most "instant" reference checking platforms are not actually instant
Most reference checking platforms — including Reed Screening, Zinc and Xref — require you to book a demo, speak to a sales team, and sign a contract before you can send your first reference. Their pricing is not published. Industry averages suggest £3–£8 per reference plus £50–£500 per month in platform fees. The process of getting started alone can take days or weeks.
RefAssure eliminates all of that. Create your account online, buy credits from 99p each, and send your first reference request within minutes. No demo, no sales call, no contract, no waiting. That is what instant reference checking actually looks like.
Same-day vs instant reference checking — what is the difference?
When people search for same-day reference checks or instant reference checks, they typically mean two things: they want the request to go out immediately, and they want the response back as quickly as possible. RefAssure delivers on both. Requests are sent within seconds of submission. And the automated chase sequence — 5 emails and 2 SMS reminders — gets referees responding faster than any manual follow-up process could.
The reference itself still depends on when the referee responds — that cannot be forced. But the combination of instant requests and automated persistent chasing means most references are returned within 1 to 3 working days, with many coming back the same day or the next.
Pay-as-you-go instant reference checking — no subscription required
The pay-as-you-go credit system means there is no subscription, no contract and no minimum spend. Credits never expire. Whether you need one reference this month or one hundred, you pay the same 99p per reference. That makes RefAssure up to 90% cheaper than subscription-based competitors for the same automated reference checking workflow — instant requests, automated chasing, structured forms, and professional PDF reports with full audit trail.
Who uses instant reference checking?
Any UK organisation that needs fast, affordable employment references — from a single hire to high-volume onboarding.
Recruitment agencies
Speed is a competitive advantage. Instant requests and 1–3 day turnaround means your candidates start before the competition's do.
HR teams
Standardise your reference process across every hire. Consistent, GDPR-compliant, and no HR admin time after the initial setup.
Care providers
CQC-compliant instant references with candidate consent and full audit trail. Faster onboarding for care workers without compliance shortcuts.
Education providers
KCSIE-compliant instant references for teachers and support staff. Consent collected first, Ofsted-ready audit trail on every reference.
Instant reference checking — questions answered
Reference requests are sent instantly — the moment you submit the candidate details. There is no delay, no manual intervention and no waiting for someone to action it. The referee receives the branded email with a secure form link within seconds of you hitting send.
Most references are returned within 1 to 3 days. This compares to 5 to 14 days for manual reference checking. The difference is the automated chase sequence — up to 5 email chasers and 2 SMS reminders sent automatically — which significantly improves response rates without any manual effort.
No. RefAssure is entirely self-serve. Create an account online, buy a credit pack, and send your first reference request within minutes. No demo, no sales call, no contract to sign. Most competitors including Reed Screening, Zinc and Checkster require a demo before you can access pricing — RefAssure does not.
Yes. Before any referee is contacted, RefAssure collects written, timestamped consent from the candidate by email and SMS. This satisfies GDPR requirements and means every instant reference check comes with documented candidate consent. All data is UK-hosted and every action is logged to provide a full audit trail.
From 99p per reference. Credits start at £9.99 for 10 references. There is no monthly subscription, no contract, and credits never expire. Competitors typically charge £3 to £8 per reference plus monthly platform fees of £50 to £500 — making RefAssure up to 90% cheaper for the same automated workflow.
Every credit includes: instant branded email request to the referee, candidate consent collection by email and SMS, up to 5 automated email chasers, 2 SMS reminders, a professional PDF report on completion, and a full timestamped audit trail. Everything included — no add-ons, no premium tiers.
Start sending instant reference checks now
No demo. No contract. No subscription. Create your account, buy credits from 99p, and send your first reference in minutes.
From 99p per reference · No monthly fees · Credits never expire · UK data hosting