The Work Number by Equifax and Income Checker provide different kinds of income evidence. The Work Number uses employment and payroll records available through participating contributors and authorized access. Income Checker analyzes deposit patterns from successfully connected, applicant-selected bank accounts.

Neither source answers every screening question. The practical comparison is coverage, applicant workflow, report content, current pricing, and the legal requirements that apply to your use case.

How The Work Number database and report work

The Work Number is an Equifax employment-verification service. A verifier requests access for an authorized purpose, and report availability depends on whether relevant employment information is available through participating data contributors. The fields returned can vary by contributor, product, requester, authorization, and use case.

Before purchasing, ask Equifax or your screening provider to confirm:

Whether the applicant's employment source is likely to be covered.
Which report fields are available for your product and purpose.
The applicant authorization and dispute process.
Current pricing, reseller fees, and any volume terms.
What happens when a record is unavailable or incomplete.

Do not assume a particular employer, payroll processor, turnaround time, report field, or price without confirming it for the product you will use.

How bank-based income analysis works

Income Checker uses a different workflow:

You send the applicant a secure request link.
The applicant authorizes a bank connection through Plaid.
Income Checker reviews deposit activity available from the successfully connected accounts selected by the applicant.
You receive a report with estimated monthly income and deposit patterns for review.

The report does not authenticate employment, reveal accounts the applicant did not connect, or classify every deposit with certainty. For more detail, see what bank-based income reports are and how they work.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	The Work Number (Equifax)	Income Checker (bank-based)
Primary source	Employment and payroll records available through participating contributors	Deposit activity from successfully connected, applicant-selected accounts
Availability	Depends on contributor participation, authorization, product, and use case	Depends on applicant consent, supported institution, successful connection, and selected accounts
Self-employed or gig income	Confirm current contributor and product coverage	Can surface observed deposits in connected accounts
Report fields	Vary by product, contributor, and authorized access	Estimated income and deposit patterns shown in the Income Checker report
Pricing	Confirm directly with Equifax or the reseller	Published one-time credit packs (view pricing)
Timing	Depends on data availability and provider workflow	Report generation follows applicant completion and a successful connection
Legal requirements	Depend on provider, data, purpose, jurisdiction, and decision workflow	Depend on provider, data, purpose, jurisdiction, and decision workflow

Coverage and workflow differences

An employment database can be useful when the relevant record is available and the verifier needs employment-sourced information. Its usefulness depends on participation and the exact product being purchased. If coverage is uncertain, confirm the fallback process before making it part of a time-sensitive application workflow.

Bank-based analysis does not depend on one employer contributing to an employment database. It can summarize observed deposits from multiple sources in connected accounts, including payroll, contract, or gig deposits. That does not make coverage universal: the applicant must consent, the institution must be supported, the connection must succeed, and the report only reflects the accounts and transactions available for review.

For more on delays in employer-led workflows, see why employer verification can be slow and what to do instead.

Pricing and purchasing

The Work Number's exact price can vary by product, requester, reseller, and volume. Obtain a current written quote rather than relying on an old public estimate.

Income Checker publishes one-time, non-expiring credit packs. One report costs $14.99, 10 reports cost $90, and 50 reports cost $250. See all current pricing options.

Compare the total cost for your expected volume, any implementation or reseller fees, and what happens when a requested record is unavailable. A cheaper report is not a better fit if it does not provide the evidence your written process requires.

Compliance and decision use

Legal obligations can depend on the provider, data source, purpose, jurisdiction, notices, and how the result affects a housing decision. Product labels and comparison tables do not determine the legal classification of your workflow.

Use consistent written criteria, provide required notices and dispute pathways, and consult qualified counsel about FCRA, fair-housing, privacy, recordkeeping, and other obligations that may apply. Do not use either report as an automatic decision or as a substitute for a lawful review process.

Which approach fits?

The Work Number may fit when you need employment-sourced information and have confirmed current contributor coverage, report fields, pricing, authorization, and legal requirements with Equifax or your provider.

Income Checker may fit when you want a self-serve, bank-based view of deposit activity with published one-time pricing. Preview the example report before purchasing to confirm that its output matches your review process.

Some workflows may use both sources because they answer different questions. If so, define in advance when each source is requested and how inconsistencies are reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Who operates The Work Number?

The Work Number is operated by Equifax. Confirm the current product, coverage, report fields, pricing, authorization process, and permitted use directly with Equifax or the screening provider selling access.

How does The Work Number work?

Authorized verifiers request employment information available through The Work Number. Whether a report is available and what it contains depend on contributor participation, the purchased product, authorization, and use case.

How much does The Work Number cost?

Pricing can vary by product, reseller, requester, and volume. Request a current written quote that identifies the report, fees, contract terms, and treatment of unavailable records. Income Checker publishes its current one-time totals on the pricing page.

What does a Work Number report show?

Report content varies. Ask the provider to identify the fields included in the exact report you plan to purchase and the conditions under which those fields are available.

Try Income Checker | View an example report | Learn how bank-based income analysis works