Sterling Background Check Cost 2026: Quote Only, No Inferred Rates
Sterling is enterprise quote-only and now part of First Advantage. The procurement realities, what changed post-acquisition, and why we do not republish inferred per-check rates.
The fast facts
| Segment | Enterprise |
| Pricing model | quote only |
| Cheapest published | Quote only - contact Sterling sales |
| Free tier | No |
| Geographic coverage | 15+ countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, China, others). |
| Source | www.sterlingcheck.com/pricing/ |
| Verified | June 2026 |
Tier breakdown
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | Quote only | Criminal, drug screening, MVR, employment verification, fingerprinting. Sold as customised package. |
The pricing model in one paragraph
Enterprise quote-only. Sterling's public pricing page is a marketing landing only, with no per-check rates published. Sterling now operates as a First Advantage company following the October 2024 acquisition.
Notes from the pricing page
- Acquired by First Advantage on 31 October 2024; the public Sterling page now displays 'Sterling is now a First Advantage company'.
- Sterling does not publicly disclose its enterprise pricing or escalator terms; year-on-year contractual changes are private to each customer.
- We do not publish inferred per-check rates for Sterling: contact their sales team for an enterprise quote.
The First Advantage acquisition
First Advantage completed its acquisition of Sterling Check on 31 October 2024 (per First Advantage investor relations). The combined entity is reported as the largest US background-check provider by revenue, above $1B. For procurement that means RFPs sent to both vendors now route to one commercial team; pricing across the two brands is increasingly aligned.
Why we do not show a per-check number
Sterling does not publicly disclose its enterprise pricing or escalator terms; year-on-year contractual changes are private to each customer. Third-party listings cite per-check rates with annual minimums but those figures cannot be cited to Sterling itself. We do not republish them as authoritative. Use the sales contact link above for an authoritative quote scoped to your hiring volume.
What you can know without a quote
- Geographic coverage: 15+ countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, China, and others).
- Customer profile: Fortune 500 and large-enterprise HR.
- Contract structure: Annual minimum commitment with a setup fee; specifics vary by buyer.
- Sister brand: First Advantage (same commercial team post-acquisition).
Procurement timeline
Sales cycles for enterprise background-check vendors typically run 4 to 8 weeks for the first contract, with annual renewals subject to escalators that may not be transparent in the original master service agreement. Build that timeline into hiring plans, especially if your current vendor is up for renewal.
Alternatives in the same segment
- HireRight, similar Fortune 500 customer profile, also quote-only.
- Accurate Background, US-primary enterprise with global expansion.
- Cisive, regulated-industry specialism (healthcare, financial services, transportation).
- Checkr / GoodHire Enterprise tier, also quote-only but with published SMB pricing as a starting point.
Try it in the calculator
The multi-vendor calculator includes Sterling alongside the rest of the background check field. Enter your monthly volume to see how Sterling's pricing model compares against published alternatives.
Where to go next
- Multi-vendor calculator, estimate annual cost at your volume.
- Enterprise background checks, full segment breakdown.
- Quote-only vendors, the operational consequences of vendor pricing opacity.
- Methodology, every source URL and verification date.