specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Accurate Background
providerId: accurate-bg
created: '2026-07-03'
modified: '2026-07-03'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Background Checks
- Employment Screening
- Compliance
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Accurate Background spend. Cost is driven by consumption of
  screening services, not by API calls: each ordered package and each individual
  search (criminal, SSN trace, employment/education verification, drug/health,
  MVR, identity/work authorization, international) is a billable unit, plus
  pass-through court, verification, and third-party access fees. The developer
  account and sandbox are free; production billing accrues per screening under a
  services agreement. There is no separate metered API/platform fee in the public
  documentation.
notes: >-
  Per-unit screening prices are not publicly listed and vary by package,
  jurisdiction, and pass-through fees; reconcile with Accurate. The largest and
  most variable cost drivers are court-access and verification pass-through fees
  on order volume.
sources:
- https://www.accurate.com/solutions/background-check-api/
- https://developer.accuratebackground.com/
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Accurate Background
serviceCategory: Background Screening and Compliance
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Accurate API
  ServiceCategory: Background Screening and Compliance
  ProviderName: Accurate Background
  PublisherName: Accurate Background
  InvoiceIssuerName: Accurate Background
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: screenings_ordered
  description: Background-check orders placed, billed per ordered package.
  unit: orders
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - package
- name: searches_run
  description: Individual searches within an order (criminal, verification, drug, MVR, international, etc.), each billable.
  unit: searches
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - search_type
- name: pass_through_fees
  description: Court-access, verification, and third-party pass-through fees incurred fulfilling a screening.
  unit: fees
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - jurisdiction
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track orders and searches per account and package; separate base screening cost from pass-through court/verification fees.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag orders to the requisition, team, or client so screening spend maps to internal cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size packages to role/jurisdiction to avoid unnecessary searches; use candidate-data collection workflows to reduce reruns; adjudicate via API to cut manual review cost.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per hiring program; review monthly screening volume and pass-through fees against budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com