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, collecting candidate consent, and generating professional PDF reports when complete.

RefAssure is for anyone who needs employment references — recruitment agencies, HR teams, care providers, schools, healthcare organisations, and any UK employer who checks references before hiring. We work across all industries including care, healthcare, education, hospitality, retail, construction, and professional services.

About 5 minutes. Create your account, 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. You can create an account and buy our smallest 10-credit pack for just £9.99 to try it with real references. There are no contracts, so you are not committing to anything beyond your first pack. You can also try a reference template before you buy.

RefAssure uses simple pay-as-you-go pricing. One credit equals one complete reference. 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.

The prices you see are the final prices — no VAT is added at checkout or on your receipt. 10 credits cost exactly £9.99 and 250 credits exactly £200. Because no VAT is charged, there is no VAT to account for or reclaim on RefAssure purchases. The figure on the pricing page is the figure that leaves your account.

No. Your credits never expire. Use them whenever you need them, whether that is next week or next year. Unlike subscription services, you will not lose unused allowances at month end or when volumes drop.

Everything. Each credit includes: the initial branded email request to the referee, up to 5 automated email chasers, 2 SMS reminders, a secure referee portal link, a professional PDF report on completion, and a full timestamped audit trail. No hidden extras, no premium tiers.

Yes. Top up any time from your dashboard. New credits are added to your existing balance instantly — they all share the same expiry (never). Many customers start with a small pack to test, then move to larger packs for better per-reference rates.

Because credits never expire, most customers simply keep unused credits for future hiring rather than requesting refunds. If something has gone wrong with a purchase — a duplicate order or an accidental top-up, for example — email contact@refassure.co.uk and we will put it right. Nothing in this approach affects your statutory rights.

No. Add your whole team at no extra cost. Credits belong to your business account and everyone can use them — colleagues all draw from the same shared balance. No per-user fees, no seat limits, no surprises.

Yes — and this is a key differentiator. Before any referee is contacted, RefAssure sends the candidate an email and SMS asking them to formally consent to reference checking and provide their referee details. This consent is written, captured with a digital signature, timestamped, stored, and included in the PDF report. It satisfies GDPR requirements and is a KCSIE requirement for education providers.

When you send a reference request, RefAssure automatically follows up if the referee does not respond. The sequence is: Day 1 — request sent, Day 4 — email chase 1, Day 6 — email chase 2, Day 8 — SMS reminder 1, Day 9 — email chase 3, Day 11 — SMS reminder 2, Day 12 — final email chase. That is 5 emails and 2 SMS messages, all automated, all included in one credit.

Most references are completed within 2–3 days. The combination of email and SMS chasers cuts through inbox noise and significantly speeds up response times compared to manual follow-ups. The full automated chase sequence runs for around 12 days before a referee is treated as unresponsive.

Referees receive a professional email explaining who has requested the reference and why, with a secure single-use link to a structured online form. The form works on any device and takes minutes to complete — no account or password needed. If they do not respond, polite reminders follow automatically by email and SMS over roughly 12 days.

It still counts. If a referee replies to the request email rather than clicking the link, RefAssure captures the reply and matches it to the correct candidate automatically — including attachments such as a reference on the referee's own letterhead. The response is stored against the reference record with the same audit trail, and you are notified in your dashboard.

After 12 days and 7 contact attempts, if they still have not 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 is completed — this motivates us to build the most effective chase sequence possible.

Yes. You can fully customise your reference templates. Question types available: short text, long text, yes/no, scale 1–10, date, and date range. You can have up to 25 questions per template and save different templates for different roles or sectors. You can try a template to see how it works.

The PDF report includes all referee responses to your questions, referee details and completion timestamp for your audit trail, and the candidate consent record. Typical fields include 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 file for compliance.

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

Yes. The referee form is fully mobile-responsive and works on any device — smartphone, tablet, or desktop. This is important as many referees respond from their phone, especially to SMS reminders.

Yes. If replying to the email is easier than completing the online form, just reply — your response is captured and delivered to the employer, along with any attachments such as a reference document on your own letterhead. The structured form is usually the quickest option, but both routes are valid and both are recorded properly.

Typically just a few minutes. The form is structured — employment dates, job title, ratings and yes/no questions, with space for comments — so there is no letter to draft from scratch. It saves you the back-and-forth of a phone call, and there is nothing to print, sign, scan or post.

Yes. RefAssure collects written, timestamped candidate consent before any referee is contacted. All data is stored on UK-based servers. We process data with a clear lawful basis, use encrypted connections throughout, and provide a full audit trail on every reference. 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 throughout.

Yes. CQC expects written references and a documented, auditable safe recruitment process under Regulation 19. RefAssure produces written references (never telephone notes), captures candidate consent with a digital signature, lets you include safeguarding suitability questions in your templates, and generates a PDF with a full timestamped audit trail — ready to file in the staff recruitment record and produce at inspection. See our CQC requirements guide.

Yes. KCSIE safer recruitment guidance expects schools and trusts to obtain references directly from referees, verify them, and keep proper records — with the candidate informed. RefAssure captures candidate consent before referees are contacted, requests references directly from the referee (never via the candidate), and documents every step. See KCSIE reference checking and safer recruitment reference checks.

Yes. The NHS Employment Check Standards include verifying employment history and obtaining references covering a defined period. RefAssure's customisable templates capture employment dates, roles, gaps and conduct questions in a consistent structured format, and every reference produces a timestamped PDF for the candidate's file. See healthcare pre-employment checks for the wider picture.

Yes. RefAssure is used across all three sectors. For education, the platform satisfies KCSIE candidate consent requirements by default. For care, the full audit trail and PDF reports support CQC safe recruitment evidence. For healthcare, custom templates capture all pre-employment reference requirements including fitness to practise and employment gaps. Labour providers can also use the same audit trail as evidence for GLAA licensing standards.

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

Manual reference checking means drafting emails, chasing silence, inconsistent questions and records scattered across inboxes. RefAssure sends the request, chases automatically with up to 5 emails and 2 SMS messages over 12 days, asks the same structured questions every time, captures consent, and files everything in one PDF with an audit trail. From 99p per reference, that is usually less than the staff time one manual chase costs. See how it works.

For most UK businesses, yes. Most reference checking platforms charge a monthly or annual subscription whether you hire or not, sometimes with per-reference fees on top. RefAssure is pure pay-as-you-go: buy credits from 99p per reference, use them whenever you like, and never pay a standing charge. For businesses whose hiring volume varies month to month, that usually works out significantly cheaper — see pricing.

Yes. Because there is no subscription and credits never expire, RefAssure suits occasional hiring as well as high volume. The smallest pack is £9.99 for 10 references — if you only hire a few times a year, those credits simply wait until you need them, while still giving you automated chasing, consent capture and a compliant PDF report every time.

Yes. Add unlimited team members to your account at no extra cost. Credits are shared across the account — every team member draws from the same pool. No per-seat fees, no user limits.

From your dashboard, go to Team Settings and invite colleagues by email. They receive an invitation to join your account and can start sending references immediately using your shared credit balance.

Yes. Your dashboard shows all references across your account — who sent them, their current status, and when they were completed. You have full visibility over your team activity without needing separate logins.

If an email bounces, you will be notified in your dashboard. You can update the referee's contact details and resend the request. The system flags delivery issues so nothing slips through without you knowing.

RefAssure does not currently offer direct ATS integrations, but PDF reports can be downloaded and attached to any applicant tracking system or HR filing system. If you have integration requirements, contact us at contact@refassure.co.uk.