Frequently asked questions

RefAssure is automated reference checking software for UK recruiters, HR teams, and employers. Instead of manually emailing referees and chasing them for responses, RefAssure handles it all automatically - sending requests, following up with email and SMS reminders, and generating professional PDF reports when complete.

RefAssure is for anyone who needs employment references:

• Recruitment agencies - speed up placements with automated chasing
• HR departments - standardise your reference checking process
• Employers hiring directly - professional references without the admin
• Small businesses - no HR team needed, we handle it for you

We work across all industries including care, healthcare, education, hospitality, retail, construction, and professional services.

About 5 minutes. Sign up, buy a credit pack, and you can send your first reference request immediately. No demos, no sales calls, no waiting for account approval.

RefAssure uses pay-as-you-go pricing rather than subscriptions, so there's no traditional free trial. However, you can sign up and buy our smallest 10-credit pack for just £9.99 to test with real references before committing to larger packs.

RefAssure uses simple pay-as-you-go pricing. One credit = one reference. Credit packs:

• 10 credits - £9.99 (99p each)
• 25 credits - £23.75 (95p each)
• 50 credits - £45.00 (90p each)
• 100 credits - £85.00 (85p each)
• 250 credits - £200.00 (80p each)

No monthly fees, no subscriptions, no per-user charges. View full pricing details

No. Your credits never expire. Use them whenever you need them, whether that's next week or next year. Unlike subscription services, you won't lose unused allowances at month end.

Everything. Each credit (one reference) includes:

• Initial reference request email
• 5 automated email follow-ups over 12 days
• 2 SMS chase messages
• Professional PDF report
• Full audit trail
• GDPR compliant data handling

No hidden extras, no premium tiers.

Yes. Top up anytime from your dashboard. New credits are added to your existing balance instantly. Many customers start with a small pack to test, then move to larger packs for better per-reference rates.

No. Add your whole team at no extra cost. Credits belong to your business account and everyone can use them. No per-user fees, no seat limits, no surprises.

For most UK businesses, yes. Competitors like Xref, Zinc, and Checkster typically charge monthly subscriptions (£50-£500/month) plus per-reference fees (£3-£8 each). RefAssure has no monthly minimum - just pay for what you use from 80p per reference.

When you send a reference request, our system automatically follows up if the referee doesn't respond. The schedule is:

• Day 0: Initial reference request email
• Day 2: Email reminder
• Day 5: Email + SMS reminder
• Day 8: Email reminder
• Day 12: Final email + SMS reminder

That's 5 emails and 2 SMS messages, all automated, all included in 1 credit.

After 12 days and 7 contact attempts (5 emails + 2 SMS), if they still haven't responded, you can add an alternative referee or mark the reference as unresponsive. The credit is used when you send the request, not when it's completed - this motivates us to maximise response rates.

It depends on the referee, but our automated chasing significantly speeds up response times compared to manual follow-ups. Many references are completed within 2-3 days. The combination of email and SMS cuts through inbox noise and gets attention.

Yes. RefAssure includes a default template with standard employment reference questions, but you can fully customise your questionnaire. Question types available:

• 1-10 scale ratings
• Yes/No questions
• Short text answers
• Long text answers
• Single dates
• Date ranges (employment periods)

You can have up to 25 questions per template.

The PDF report includes all referee responses to your questions, plus referee details and completion timestamp for your audit trail. Typical information includes employment dates, job title confirmation, performance ratings, reason for leaving, rehire eligibility, and any additional comments. Reports are professionally formatted and ready to share with clients or store for compliance.

Yes, RefAssure is fully GDPR compliant. We have:

• Proper consent flows for data collection
• Data retention policies
• Secure UK-based hosting
• Data deletion processes
• Full audit trail with timestamps

Every action is logged so you have complete documentation for compliance purposes.

All data is stored on secure UK-based servers. Your data never leaves the UK. We use industry-standard encryption and security practices to protect your information.

Yes. RefAssure is used by organisations in care, healthcare, education, and other regulated sectors. The full audit trail and PDF reports provide the documentation needed for CQC compliance, safer recruitment, and other regulatory requirements.

Every reference in RefAssure has a complete audit trail showing when requests were sent, when chases were triggered, when the reference was completed, and what responses were received. The PDF reports include timestamps and can be downloaded anytime for your records.

Yes. You can invite unlimited team members at no extra cost. Credits belong to your business account and are shared across the team. Team roles include Owner, Admin, and User - so you can control who can buy credits and manage settings.

From your dashboard, go to Team settings and invite team members by email. They'll receive an invitation link to create their account and will immediately have access to send reference requests using your shared credit balance.

Yes. The dashboard shows all candidates and reference requests across your team. You can see who created each request, current status, and access all completed reports.

You'll be notified if an email bounces. You can then update the referee's email address or add an alternative referee. The original credit is not lost - it stays attached to that reference request.

No. Referees receive a unique link that takes them directly to the reference form. No login, no account creation, no friction. This maximises completion rates.

RefAssure is currently a standalone system. We're exploring integrations with popular ATS and HR systems. Contact us if you have specific integration requirements.

RefAssure works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It's also fully mobile-responsive, so you and your referees can use it on phones and tablets.