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Evident FAQs

EVIDENT BASICS

Evident is an online identity verification and data security platform backed by NEA. We work with companies of all sizes and across multiple industries to ensure that qualified individuals meet and maintain both business and regulatory requirements. We verify everything from background checks, criminal history, and driving records to professional licenses, certifications, and insurance policies on one centralized platform. With our single, secure API, businesses can reduce exposure to sensitive personal data, decreasing risk and liability for all parties.

How much does Evident cost to use?

We offer three volume-based package options: Pay As You Go, SME, and Enterprise.

The Pay As You Go package is designed for small but growing businesses with fewer monthly verification requirements (under $500.) You'll have no monthly commitment, and will only pay for the verifications that you run at the end of each month. Customers will have access to our full library of services, as well as access to the Evident Portal and API.

The Small Medium Enterprise (SME) package is designed for small and mid-sized businesses that need to manage at least 10 verifications each month. You’ll have a month-to-month commitment of at least $500, and will gain access to volume discounts and additional support from our Customer Success team. You'll have the flexibility to move up or down commitment levels before the first of every month.

The Enterprise Package is designed for businesses with a consistently high volume of $2000+ per month with an annual commitment. With higher volume, companies are eligible for additional discounts and a dedicated Customer Success Manager to meet all of their support and verification needs.

How does billing and invoicing work?

Billing and invoicing depends on your pricing package. The Pay As You Go and Month-to-Month (M2M) customers pay upfront for the agreed upon amount, with M2M customers billed on the 1st of each month. Pay As You Go customers are charged a replenishment amount each time their account balance falls below 10% of initial credit. If you decide to sign an annual agreement, you can choose to be billed monthly in arrears, or pay in advance for additional discounts.

Pay As You Go and M2M customers must have a credit card on file with Evident.

How long does it take to get up and running on the Evident platform?

Once you create an Evident account, we'll immediately enable you to run verifications using our portal and applicant interfaces. If you prefer to integrate with our single API, it can take anywhere from 1–3 days to start verifications depending on the type of integration you select. We offer several integration options in order to best align with your needs.

If, for example, you prefer to only do a backend integration and use our streamlined interfaces, the integration could take less than 1 day to complete; however, if you select a more customized user experience requiring front-end integration, the integration time will likely increase depending on the state of your onboarding flow.

  • Does Evident support partnerships?

We work with a number of businesses in various ways, and are always open to new partnership opportunities. Please submit new partnership inquiries to partnerships@evidentid.com and a team member will follow up accordingly.

  • How does Evident protect businesses from a data breach?

The Evident platform allows companies to specify exactly what information is exposed to their systems and people. Limiting visibility and exposure to granular personal data minimizes the risk of it being compromised in a potential breach.

Who Can Access Background Check Reports and Verification Results?

Only Evident platform users are allowed access to documents that contain sensitive personal information. If you need access to these documents and are not a current user, please contact your company's primary Evident account holder.

If you are the account holder and would like to add seats for other users, please visit: https://www.evidentid.com/support/customer/ and select "Add a New Service."

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INTEGRATION

What is the onboarding process and how long does it take?

Once you've determined your specific verification needs (e.g. background, policies, and regulatory compliance requirements), we'll configure your account so you can start running verifications in just 2–3 business days. You'll receive attribute-specific API documentation and a sandbox API after your initial kick-off call to begin the integration whenever you're ready.

How does Evident's API integration work?

Evident provides flexible integration, allowing businesses to choose the best option to meet your needs and that will evolve over time. We utilize a "crawl, walk, run" approach to get you off the ground as quickly as possible without overwhelming you.

Our secure web portal allows you to import applicant lists and notify them without any API integration. Applicants can respond through branded interfaces to submit the required inputs.

As your business scales, we recommend a backend integration to automate the creation and collection of verification results. This integration with our single API allows you to perform any verification supported by the platform and can typically be completed in less than a day.

For a completely streamlined user experience, we offer multiple ways to integrate with our AssureSDK so you can collect information from the identity verification recipient without exposing any personal information to your systems. While personal data bypasses your backend system, Evident will help you simultaneously achieve the best user experience and optimal security.

Visit our developer page for more details.

Does Evident use a web portal or an API? What is the difference between the two?

Evident offers portals for both customer and applicant use as well as APIs and SDKs for integration. These options can be mixed and matched based on the configuration that works best for your business. Our portals are based on the same APIs that are published, allowing you to accomplish the same capabilities with both.

The two key differences are scale and user experience.

Integrating with the API on the backend for creating requests and collecting results allows you to ramp up hundreds or thousands of requests per day without the administrative overhead of manually clicking into a portal.

Many customers prefer a user experience that keeps the customer or the applicant in a single interface for registration, providing the greatest continuity and flow while decreasing attrition. Additionally, by integrating with our SDKs, you can also achieve this streamlined user experience without the risk of exposing sensitive personal information.   

Is Evident integrated with any ATS platforms?

Evident is already integrated with Fountain, and we have a few more platforms like Greenhouse and Namely on the roadmap. We're always open to new integrations and welcome your feedback on platforms that you feel are a good fit.

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VERIFICATIONS

How will I know when a verification is complete?

The Evident platform sends notifications for every request once all verifications are complete and any policies have been evaluated. The type of notification depends on the mode of integration.

Verifications completed through the web portal will send an email notification. The email contains a direct link to the verification request so you can view the requests.

Integration verifications use WebHook to notify you when the status of the request has changed, but doesn't contain any other information specific to the results of the request. This notification allows you to programmatically check the request and retrieve the results via the API.

Does Evident offer Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) questions as an identity verification method?

We currently do not offer Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) as a method of identity verification because it is viewed as a legacy approach, which is easily defeated by malicious actors. With this antiquated and depreciated approach, every piece of information used for verification has been stolen many times over, and is available for purchase on the dark web for less than a dollar per identity. Malicious actors can purchase the information and regularly create fake accounts, which is why Evident and organizations like NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) will no longer support this method.

Evident's Identity Assurance Platform offers a broad range of identification options to help legitimize registrations and minimize the risk of malicious actors on your platform.

Is there a list of all the certifications available on the Evident platform?

We have thousands of options for services and credentials in our library. For an overview of our verification categories, please visit https://www.evidentid.com/services/

If you're interested in exploring additional verification options, contact your customer support representative to help you access the appropriate service in the customer portal. 

Can I incorporate some checks at the beginning of my onboarding process (e.g. professional licenses) and some at the end (e.g. background check)?

Absolutely! We strongly believe in a progressive registration approach and have built the platform with this in mind. Each check or verification request can be as small or as large as necessary to support your flow. Subsequent checks build on verifications established from preceding checks, thus relieving the data subject from having to provide the same information multiple times, and assuring the organization that the verifications are associated with the same individual.

Does Evident monitor and revalidate insurance coverage? Can Evident verify an additional party named on the policy? Is there a charge?

We offer data subscriptions for insurance that include one recheck either six months after submission, or shortly after the policy expiration date (to confirm renewal), whichever is sooner. This feature is part of our service with no extra charge to you.

Can I run a new or different check on the same applicant after the initial verification?

Absolutely! We strongly believe in a progressive registration approach and have built the platform with this in mind. Each check or verification request can be as small or as large as necessary to support your flow. Subsequent checks build on verifications established from preceding checks, thus relieving the data subject from having to provide the same information multiple times, and assuring the organization that the verifications are associated with the same individual.

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BACKGROUND CHECKS

Can Evident provide background checks for minors?

Yes, Evident is able to run background checks on minors. While not required, it's considered a best practice to obtain parental consent for any background check requested for a minor. That said, COPPA regulations will impact the collection of data from children under 13 years of age, and should be considered for potential implications to your platform. 

Is Evident able to send back detailed reports of background checks?

The Evident platform allows configuration of data returns to minimize the exposure your business has to personal information. While it's possible to obtain a detailed background check, most customers opt to retrieve a compliance summary to confirm that the individual meets their trust and safety policies. This approach also reduces the risk of bias and misinterpretation that can occur when reading complex background check reports. 

What does Evident do if someone disputes their background check?

Evident is a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), and has a duty to maximize the accuracy of the information contained in a background check report. In the event a consumer does not believe that the information contained in the background check report is accurate, they can initiate a dispute with Evident. We will re-verify the disputed information with the source to double check accuracy. If the information is found to be incorrect, it will be removed from the report and updates will be made to your view of the results.

The Evident dispute process is fully compliant with FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) regulations and we are fully committed to resolving disputes in a timely manner. 

Describe Evident's process for background re-checks or access to updates (e.g. If the user left the customer's platform, would Evident continue checking their criminal record with a data subscription?)

Evident maintains connections to a variety of law enforcement data sources which allow near real-time notifications for potential violations to your trust and safety policy. The customer is allowed to disable ongoing monitoring at any point, and any fees associated with an annual subscription that were part of a package verification are not refundable; however, month-to-month criminal alerting fees would terminate.

What does Evident do to stay up-to-date on legal and regulatory changes in the background check industry?

Evident's commitment to this is evidenced by our retention of one of the top FCRA attorneys in the U.S. This helps us stay current and compliant with evolving legal and regulatory changes, and supports our customer engagements.

Additionally, as a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) and other trade groups, we participate in conferences and other industry events to stay informed and current on legal and compliance trends. 

We also closely monitor news and events around employment screening, as well as larger trends and developments of the "sharing economy" (or "gig economy") and screening implications.

What types of background checks are available for me to use, and what are their applicable considerations? (e.g. Lookback periods, national vs. number of countries, FCRA compliance, etc.)

"Background check" is not a well-defined term – it can vary tremendously in scope and diligence of results returned from type to type and vendor to vendor. At Evident, we offer a broad range of options to help you achieve the right balance of cost and diligence.

  • National Criminal Screen – This non-authoritative search of aggravated criminal records is best used in instances where a very basic check is needed. This type of check should be considered extremely low diligence, and should not be used as the only criteria for determination of suitability for a candidate to participate on your platform. It is not a FCRA-compliant check.
  • Background Check: Current County of Residence – This check begins with a National Criminal Screen and then searches the courts that have jurisdiction for the county in which the applicant lives. This check provides low diligence, but does return authoritative information that can be used to determine if a candidate is suitable for your platform. This check can be used in FCRA-compliant processes.
  • Background Check: All Counties of Residence – This check begins with a National Criminal Screen then searches for criminal records in each county in which the individual has resided for the past 7 years. This is a high-diligence check returning authoritative information that can be used to determine if a candidate is suitable for your platform. This check can be used in FCRA-compliant processes.
  • Marketplace Trust and Safety – This check begins with a National Criminal Screen and ensures complete criminal records are gathered from all court systems where the individual has lived in the past 7 years. The check is cost-optimized to offer similar high diligence to the All County Check, but for a lower price. This check can be used in FCRA-compliant processes. 

Is Evident a NAPBS-accredited company?

We are compliant with the requirements of the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program Standard version 2.0, which has an effective date of April 6, 2018.

We are pursuing accreditation with NAPBS and expect to receive accreditation in Q4 2018 or Q1 2019.

Given the improvements to security and compliance, we feel that version BSAAP v2 is the superior standard that all background check providers should adhere to.

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ATTRIBUTES AND CAPABILITIES

How long does it take for Evident to add a new service to a customer profile?

Service additions are dependent on the complexity of the subject area associated with the data. Most service options, which are a reflection of licenses and do not require sophisticated policy evaluation or correlation between multiple authorities, are added in 1–2 weeks. More sophisticated service options can take 1–2 months to be added to the platform.

Do Evident's services vary by geography?

Evident's coverage varies by service, and is continuously updated as we add new options. If you have specific services or geographies in mind, please send your details to: sales@evidentid.com.

What is the maximum number of requests per hour?

Businesses may run as many requests per hour as necessary.

Which party is responsible for sending pre-adverse/adverse action notifications?

Evident's responsibility is to provide you with the tools to simplify and automate your company's compliance. We give you the capabilities to send pre-adverse and adverse action notifications, but, under the FCRA, it is the End User’s (RP/business) responsibility, and not the CRA (Evident) to send adverse action. As such, the RP/business must define the content of the adverse action notification as well as the policy to determine when it will be sent. Evident does not assume liability associated with these notifications.

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DATA STORAGE AND HOW IT IS SHARED

What information does Evident need to collect from users?

The input required for each verification is different, but we always give you the option to collect the least amount of information needed to produce the best results. Our API documentation gives your developers the precise input requirements, and we will work with you prior to integration to provide a summary list.

Who holds the Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?

Evident distributes PII to the maximum degree possible based on integration mode. Our customers are not required to handle or hold unwanted PII, which is maintained in the users' profile and protected by Evident software – either in the cloud or on the user's mobile device. 

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IDENTITY RESOLUTION

What is identity resolution?

Identity resolution is a process that confidently matches data from different sources to the end user or data subject. The goal is to provide assurance that the data/attributes are actually associated with the individual.

This is a challenging process given the varying types and large quantity of identifiers used across various data sources, as well as the nuances in common identifiers like "Name." To understand this complexity, consider cases that include: nicknames, legal names vs a name someone goes by, names with multiple spellings, and common names (e.g. Joe Smith.)

Evident's platform implements numerous techniques to ensure that only attributes associated with the individual are added to the individual's profile. 

Why is identity resolution important?

Identity resolution is essential to ensure that the reported information is associated with the individual for whom the verification is performed.  

Without robust identity resolution, common names or poor identifiers may lead to false positives of credentials being associated with the individual. The result is that you may incorrectly think someone is qualified to participate in your platform when in reality, they're not.

What is progressive identity proofing?

Progressive identity proofing is the process by which additional identity verification steps are performed based on either/or:

  • Risk signals received from the latest verification step or fraud detection tools 
  • Applicant's progression in registration and onboarding steps to join the platform 

What does Evident mean by multi-level identity proofing and what are the options?

Strong identity verification is best accomplished via a multi-level proofing strategy. Evident's Identity Assurance Platform utilizes many techniques that combine information in order to give you clear confidence that the end-user is who they say they are. Each technique accomplishes something unique and adds an additional layer of assurance:

  • ID Document Verification: The applicant is asked to take a photo of the front and back of their driver's license, passport, or ID card. Evident performs a forensic analysis of the document for authenticity and scans the barcode on the back to capture information in order to populate personal information fields. This technique accomplishes several things:
    • Requires the applicant to possess the ID document that matches the SSN owner to be background checked later
    • Proves the ID document is a real government-issued ID and not a fake ID
    • Streamlines the user experience with rapid form fill and avoids typos
  • Selfie Match to ID: The applicant is asked to take a live photo of themselves. Evident uses a specialized comparison software to contrast the photo on the applicant's ID document with the selfie. You have the flexibility of receiving a thumbs up 👍or thumbs down 👎answer, a confidence level or score, or the actual selfie image. This technique helps to ensure that the applicant is not impersonating someone by using their ID document, and also allows the selfie image to be utilized in pre-filling an applicant profile.
  • Public Records Identity Check: This uses the biographical information collected via the ID document (first, middle, last name, address, DOB, gender, drivers license #) as well as a SSN, phone number, and email address if desired to validate key identity attributes across previous and current states searches. This check seeks to verify consistency and provide confidence the identity is not synthetic.

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CUSTOMER OUTREACH

Does Evident send reminder emails to applicants who haven't submitted their information?

Yes. If you choose to use our interfaces to collect information from the candidates, we will send initial emails and follow-up call-to-action notifications. Automatic reminder emails will be sent to individuals who have not taken action on their request email at designated intervals over the course of 10 days.

Our standard follow-up email cadence is as follows:

  1. Initial Request
  2. 24 hours if no response is received
  3. 48 hours if no response is received
  4. 96 hours if no response is received
  5. 1 week if no response is received
  6. 10 days if no response is received

Does Evident have any case studies or success stories?

Depending on the industry and size, we have a number of case studies we can share!

Online Marketplace

Caregivers

Transportation and Delivery

Can Evident help us send a mass email to all of our users with a single, static URL that leads them to fill out a form and triggers a link to be verified?

Unfortunately, no. The Evident platform requires one unique link per applicant. We do this with the applicant's security in mind so that their identity and associated verifications are closely tied. 

Is there a way I can show my team the Evident demo?

Absolutely! Visit this link to watch a video recap of our platform demo, and feel free to share it with your team. We can also send individual links to anyone interested in simulating the applicant's user experience of the verification process. We're also happy to provide screenshots of the applicant flow for your review.

Describe Evident's customer support services.

Your sales partner will work with you through the implementation go-live date, ensuring that your use case and specific needs are met, and that you are set up for success with the product.

After the go-live date, a customer success manager will support you with the following:

  • Training, answering support-related questions
  • Helping you take advantage of unique capabilities and product features
  • Optimizing pricing as you grow in volume
  • Supporting any additional needs that may arise

Our support team is available Monday through Friday, 8am – 9pm EST.

Is Evident FCRA-compliant, and what does that entail?

Evident, as a company, is a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) and complies with the FCRA requirements for CRAs. Our Identity Assurance Platform provides you with a toolset that simplifies FCRA compliance for end-users of consumer reporting, including: capabilities around disclosure, authorization, pre-adverse action, adverse action, and individualized assessments.

Our platform offers the following capabilities that you may select from to simplify FCRA compliance:

  • Disclosure & Authorization: Gain explicit acknowledgment that the consumer has received the disclosure and has obtained the applicant's consent to a background check. Our platform allows you to specify the content of the disclosure and we provide reference templates that can be used to understand typical content.
  • Pre-Adverse Notification: A violation of your defined criminal policy will result in initiating a pre-adverse notification email to the applicant. While our platform allows you to customize the content of the disclosure, we provide reference templates that can be used to explain standard content. Typically, the notification is used in the following instances:
    • Inform the candidate of a pending negative decision
    • Inform candidates of their rights under FCRA
    • Provide a copy of the information that the decision is based on (e.g., a copy of the background check report)
    • Allow the applicant to dispute the accuracy of information in the background check report
    • Give the applicant the opportunity to provide any additional information that should be known before making a final decision.
  • Adverse Action: If after a specified period (typically 7 business days) the applicant has not initiated a dispute of accuracy of information in the background check and you have not received any information which changes your decision, the platform can send an Adverse Action notification. Our platform allows you to specify the content of the disclosure, and we provide reference templates that can be used to understand typical content.

Per FCRA regulation, you are the end user of the consumer report and are directly responsible for making the employment decision. Our goal is to simplify this process and reduce the administrative overhead associated with processing background check reports.

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REGULATORY TERMS

FCRA

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, more commonly abbreviated as FCRA, is U.S. Federal legislation enacted to promote the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information when used in certain cases. The regulation applies to any data that is used as part of a process to determine suitability for employment, credit, and tenant. FCRA defines clear roles and responsibilities to the consumer for different entities. Under FCRA, Evident is considered a CRA, and our customers/businesses are considered the end-users of consumer reports.

While not taking on responsibility of FCRA requirements for the end-user, the Evident platform offers a set of capabilities that simplify and automate achieving compliance.

CRA

The Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) is defined by FCRA as any person who – for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis – regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit or other consumer information for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties. Evident is considered a CRA.

DPPA

The Driver's Privacy Protection Act, more commonly abbreviated as DPPA, is a U.S. federal statute that governs the privacy and disclosure of personal information gathered by the State Department of Motor Vehicles.

NAPBS

The National Association of Professional Background Screeners, more commonly abbreviated as NAPBS, is an industry organization established to represent the interests of companies offering employment and tenant background screening services. The stated goal is to establish and promote a high level of ethics and performance standards for the screening industry.

Core Values:

  • Integrity and ethics
  • Advancement of knowledge
  • Compliance
  • Service to our members
  • Collaboration
  • Proactive engagement

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DRIVING TERMS

MVR

Motor Vehicle Records, also abbreviated as MVR, is a report that contains driving record details. The report contains information about your driving history including:

  • Status of drivers license (valid, suspended, canceled, etc.)
  • Traffic accidents
  • Driving record points
  • Traffic law violations, convictions, and fines
  • DUI public records

CDL

Commercial Drivers License, also abbreviated as CDL, is a driver's license classification that is required to operate certain types of commercial motor vehicles in the U.S. The CDL also includes a classification, most commonly by gross vehicle weight rating, that dictates the type of vehicle the individual is licensed to drive. 

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DATA TERMS

CSA

Compliance Safety Accountability: The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) data-driven safety and enforcement program.

DAC

DAC Employment History: A background check report that's specific to commercial truck operators and contains: employment history, license history, driving history, drug/alcohol records, etc.

This report is generated from a proprietary database maintained by HireRight. At this point, Evident does not have permissible use to access it, and businesses must engage directly with HireRight to obtain a report.

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TECHNOLOGY TERMS

API

An Application Programming Interface, more commonly known as an API, is a set of defined communication protocols that allows two applications to communicate with each other. 

SDK

A Software Development Kit, more commonly known as a SDK, is a set of software libraries that expedite the creation of software applications.

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