Run a real check on a real candidate, keep the report, and pay nothing. After that it is £9 a check — one candidate, up to three referees, one report. No subscription, no minimum, no sales call.
Buy one when you need one. No pack, no commitment.
Start a checkA pack is the same check at a lower unit price — nothing else changes.
The first one is free and takes no card. After that you pay by card — one check at a time, or a pack up front. No subscription, no minimum, no contract to come out of.
A pack sits on your account as credits and stays there — use them this quarter or next year. If a referee never replies, that credit comes back to you.
Row by row against the two UK services an SME is most likely to be shown. Everything in the PreHire column is on this page; everything in theirs is what their own website says, or does not say.
| PreHire | RefNow | Zinc | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price you can see | £9 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Buy without talking to sales | Yes | No — book a demo | No — book a demo |
| Verifies the referee is real | Yes, with evidence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Refund if a referee never replies | Yes, automatic | Not stated | Not stated |
| Minimum commitment | One check | Credit packs | Annual plans |
Compiled from each provider’s public website, July 2026. Neither publishes a price; both require a demo before you can buy. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Skip the demo — start a checkYou are not charged for silence. If a referee never responds, we send the report with the non-response recorded and return your credit automatically.
Still deciding? Read the questions we get asked most, or see the full sample report before you spend anything.