Tinder’s free background checks are now available on two of Match Group’s other dating apps: Match (formerly Match.com) and Stir, a dating site for single parents (via CNBC). The system works similarly to Tinder in that people can use it to see if the person they’re talking to or planning to meet up with has a history of “violent and harmful behavior,” as the company’s press release puts it, though there is some nuance there that we’ll discuss later.
When Match Group added this feature to Tinder earlier this year, one of the checks required a multi-step process. According to the company, the process on the Match service should be a little easier — if you’re talking to someone about meeting up, a box will pop up asking if you want to run a background check. Tapping on the link will show you some additional information and safety tips before redirecting you to Garbo, the service that performs the background checks.
Once there, you’ll need to enter information about the person you’re trying to run a background check on, such as their first and last names, phone numbers, birthdays, locations, and so on. According to a help document, Match will not provide any of this information, so you’ll have to know it already or get it from the person you’re trying to run a background check on. That is obviously easier said than done without raising suspicions.
The background check payment structure is similar to Tinder’s — regular users will be able to run two background checks for free before having to pay Garbo for subsequent ones. Four free background checks will be provided to Premium subscribers.
It’s always a good idea to notify a few people when you’re going to meet up with a stranger and to give them a time frame for when you expect to return home. And if something doesn’t feel right, either take extra precautions or skip the meetup entirely.
