On this page13 sections
- Ratings and complaints
- Intelius vs. competitors
- Pricing
- Step by step
- Intelius legitimacy and licensing
- Intelius cost
- How to cancel Intelius and avoid surprise charges
- The rules: why you can't use Intelius for hiring or renting
- How to remove your information from Intelius
- Is Intelius accurate?
- What customers say
- Alternatives
- FAQ
Intelius is fine for personal lookups like checking an unknown caller or finding an old contact, but its $0.95 trials convert to about $35 a month if you don't cancel, and that recurring billing is the top complaint on BBB and Trustpilot. It is legitimate. It was founded in 2003, is owned by PeopleConnect, Inc. (the company behind TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate), holds an A+ BBB rating and is a registered California data broker. Intelius isn't a consumer reporting agency, so you can't legally use it to screen tenants or employees, and you should confirm anything important with official court records.
Your options
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PeopleFinders Alternative Adults doing a personal lookup, such as finding an old friend's contact details or checking an unknown caller, who will watch the renewal date.
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Spokeo Alternative People who want a current phone number, address or relative for someone they know, and who will cancel as soon as they are done.
- Company
- Intelius, LLC, San Diego, CA; founded 2003 in Washington state; owned by PeopleConnect, Inc.3
- Price
- People search $42.69 every 2 months ($21.35 a month); $0.95 trials of 5 or 7 days that renew at $35.30 or $34.95 a month (pricing page archived July 30, 2026)1
- Add-ons
- Downloadable report files, $3.99 one time1
- FCRA status
- Says it is not a consumer reporting agency; reports can't be used for credit, insurance, employment, housing or other FCRA purposes1
- Past enforcement
- $1.3 million settlement with the Washington Attorney General (August 2010) over enrolling customers in paid memberships without clear consent4
- BBB
- A+, accredited since July 7, 2021; 362 complaints in the last 3 years5
- Deletion requests
- 32,339 California deletion requests in 2024: 30,959 complied, 1,380 denied, median 1 day to respond3
- Support hours
- Customer Care Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm PT1
Pros
- Low $0.95 trials for phone and address lookups
- Unlimited reports on its membership plans
- A+ BBB rating and a claimed Trustpilot profile that answers complaints
- Fast online results without calling anyone
Cons
- Trials renew at about $35 a month unless you cancel
- Several overlapping plans make the real price hard to compare
- Can't be used for hiring, renting, credit or insurance decisions
- Report details can be outdated or wrong
- Same parent company as TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, so switching brands doesn't change much
Best for: Personal lookups, like identifying an unknown caller or finding an old friend's contact details, when you'll remember to cancel.
Skip it if: You need to screen a tenant or employee, or you only need one search and tend to forget trial end dates.
Intelius vs. competitors
| Company | Lowest listed price | Trial | Allowed for hiring or tenant screening | Regulator action | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelius | $21.35 a month on a 2-month plan | $0.95 for 5 or 7 days | No | Washington AG settlement (2010) | |
| TruthFinder | $29.99 a month | No | FTC, 2023 | Read review | |
| Spokeo | $19.95 a month; $44.85 for 3 months | No | FTC $800,000 penalty (2012) | Visit site | |
| GoodHire | From $29.99 per check | None | Yes, sold as employment screening | Read review |
Background checks we reviewed
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Intelius This review BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Personal lookups, like identifying an unknown caller or finding an old friend's contact details, when you'll remember to cancel. -
PeopleFinders BestGuide rating: 4.5 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Adults doing a personal lookup, such as finding an old friend's contact details or checking an unknown caller, who will watch the renewal date. -
Spokeo BestGuide rating: 4.4 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: People who want a current phone number, address or relative for someone they know, and who will cancel as soon as they are done. -
BeenVerified BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: People who need several personal lookups in a short window, such as tracing a relative or checking callers, and will cancel on time. -
Instant Checkmate BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: People who want to run several personal lookups in a short window, such as checking a date, a seller or an old contact, and will cancel on time. -
PeopleLooker BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: People who need several personal lookups in a short period, such as reconnecting with someone or checking unknown callers, and will cancel on time. -
Truthfinder BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: People who need several personal lookups in a short period and will cancel before the membership renews. -
GoodHire BestGuide rating: 4.3 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small businesses that run a few employment background checks a year and want posted prices and help with FCRA paperwork.
Intelius pricing at a glance
Intelius membership prices, from its pricing page archived July 30, 20261
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| People search, 2 months | $42.69 every 2 months ($21.35 a month) | Unlimited person and address reports |
| People search, monthly | $25.11 a month | Unlimited person and address reports |
| Reverse phone lookup plus people search trial | $0.95 for 5 days, then $35.30 a month | Unlimited phone, person and address reports |
| Address lookup plus people search trial | $0.95 for 7 days, then $34.95 a month | Unlimited address and person reports |
| Downloadable report files (add-on) | $3.99 one time | Download reports and view them offline |
Intelius's live site blocked automated access, so these are the latest archived prices. Intelius says it can bill promotional plans at the rate shown when you enroll and can change prices without notice. Plans renew until you cancel. Charges show as PCH*INTELIUS on your statement.
Intelius, step by step
Run a search
Enter a name and state, a phone number or an address. Intelius shows possible matches before you pay.
Pick a plan
Choose a $0.95 trial or a paid membership. Note the date the trial converts and the renewal price.
Read the report
Reports open in your online dashboard and may include addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and criminal, traffic and court records.
Verify anything important
Check criminal and court records with the county court or state agency before acting on them.
Cancel before renewal
Cancel online in your account or call Customer Care, and save the confirmation.
Intelius legitimacy and licensing
Yes, it’s a real business, not a scam. Intelius was founded in 2003 by former InfoSpace executives in Washington state, was bought by private equity firm H.I.G. Capital in 2015, and is now part of PeopleConnect, Inc., which also runs TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search and Classmates. It registers as a data broker in California as Intelius, LLC at 375 Camino De La Reina in San Diego, and it holds an A+ BBB rating with accreditation since July 2021.
Legit doesn’t mean problem free. BBB logged 362 complaints in the last three years, and in 2010 Intelius paid $1.3 million to settle a Washington Attorney General case over enrolling customers in paid memberships after checkout without clear consent. It didn’t admit wrongdoing.
Intelius cost
Its pricing page, archived July 30, 2026, listed people search at $42.69 every two months ($21.35 a month) or $25.11 on the monthly option. Its reverse phone and address bundles start with a $0.95 trial of five or seven days, then renew at $35.30 or $34.95 a month. A downloadable report file costs $3.99. We couldn’t load the live page because the site blocks automated access, and Intelius says prices can change without notice.
There’s no free full report. Intelius says it can’t offer the service for free.
What customers say about Intelius
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Helpful, patient customer service when you call
- Quick results for phone and address lookups
- Lots of information in one report
Common complaints
- Unexpected recurring charges after a trial
- Trouble canceling or finding which account was billed
- Outdated, incomplete or wrong report details
- Subscription model doesn't suit people who need one search
How to cancel Intelius and avoid surprise charges
You can cancel online in your Intelius account whenever you like, or call Customer Care Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm PT. Charges show on your statement as PCH*INTELIUS. Recurring charges after a trial are the most common complaint on BBB and Trustpilot, so cancel at least a day before the trial ends and save the confirmation.
If you’re charged after canceling, contact Intelius first, then dispute the charge with your card issuer. You can also file a complaint with the FTC or your state attorney general.
The rules: why you can't use Intelius for hiring or renting
Intelius says it doesn’t provide consumer reports and isn’t a Consumer reporting agency. A company that assembles reports used for eligibility decisions and must follow FCRA accuracy and dispute rules. Compare background checks under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You may not use its reports to decide on credit, insurance, employment, housing or any other FCRA. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, the federal law that governs consumer reports used for employment, housing, credit and insurance decisions. Compare background checks purpose. Intelius itself points employers to GoodHire. FCRA screening requires a permissible purpose, accuracy procedures and notices to the person screened.
How to remove your information from Intelius
Intelius lists a privacy center at intelius.com/privacy-center for opt-out and deletion requests. In 2024 it reported 32,339 California deletion requests, complying with 30,959 and denying 1,380, with a median response time of one day. It also reported honoring all 226,356 requests to opt out of the sale or sharing of data.
California residents can also use the state’s free DROP platform to send one deletion request to registered data brokers at once. Removing yourself from one site doesn’t remove the public records behind it, so check sister sites like TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate too.
Is Intelius accurate?
Treat it as a starting point. Intelius builds reports from federal, state and county public records and other sources such as social media, and reviewers report outdated addresses, missing records and unrelated people mixed in. Confirm criminal and court records with the court or agency that holds them before you act on anything.
Alternatives to Intelius
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Free official records
County and state court websites, state inmate locators and the national sex offender public website (NSOPW.gov) are free and more reliable for criminal history.
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Lower monthly prices if you only need contact details and addresses, and it isn't a PeopleConnect brand.
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GoodHire
If you're screening an employee or tenant, use a company that sells checks for FCRA purposes, with the person's consent.
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Another people search subscription outside the PeopleConnect family, if you want to compare data.
Next steps
Intelius reviews
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Frequently asked questions
Is Intelius a scam?
No. It's a real people search company founded in 2003 and owned by PeopleConnect, with an A+ BBB rating. Most complaints are about recurring charges after trials, not about fake reports.
How much is Intelius per month?
Its archived July 2026 pricing page listed people search at $21.35 a month on a two-month plan ($42.69 total) and $0.95 trials that renew at $34.95 or $35.30 a month.
Is Intelius free?
No. You can see possible matches for free, but full reports need a trial or membership.
Who owns Intelius?
Intelius belongs to PeopleConnect, Inc., the owner of TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search and Classmates. Private equity firm H.I.G. Capital bought Intelius in 2015.
How do I cancel Intelius?
Cancel online in your account or call Customer Care Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm PT. Keep the confirmation, and cancel before your trial or billing period renews.
Why is Intelius charging my card?
Usually because a $0.95 trial converted to a monthly membership. Charges appear as PCH*INTELIUS. Contact Intelius to cancel and ask about a refund, and dispute with your card issuer if needed.
Can I use Intelius for tenant or employee screening?
No. Intelius says it isn't a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA, so its reports can't be used for housing, employment, credit or insurance decisions. Use an FCRA-covered screening company instead.
Has Intelius been sued or fined?
In August 2010 Intelius paid $1.3 million to settle a Washington Attorney General lawsuit over enrolling customers in paid memberships after checkout without clear consent. It didn't admit wrongdoing.
How do I remove myself from Intelius?
Use the Intelius privacy center at intelius.com/privacy-center. California residents can also use the state's DROP platform to reach many data brokers at once.
How accurate are Intelius reports?
Not reliably enough to act on alone. Reports come from public records and other sources and can be outdated or mixed up with other people, so verify important details with official records.
Sources (8)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- Intelius: Pricing and membership information (Wayback Machine, July 30, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Intelius (founding and ownership history) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- California Privacy Protection Agency: Data broker registry (registry.csv) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Washington Attorney General: State general fund benefits from Intelius bad business practice (accessed October 12, 2026)
- BBB: Intelius.com business profile (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Intelius reviews (accessed October 12, 2026)
- CFPB: Consumer complaint database search, Intelius (accessed October 12, 2026)
- California DROP: Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (accessed October 12, 2026)
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