Guide
How bank-based income verification works
A short guide for landlords and property managers who want to understand transaction-based income analysis—what it is, why it matters, and how it fits into your screening process.
What is bank-based income verification?
Instead of asking applicants for pay stubs or calling employers, you send them a secure link. They connect their bank account through a trusted provider (we use Plaid). We analyze deposits and transaction patterns to produce an income report—typically with up to 12 months of history—that you can use to assess affordability.
The applicant stays in control: they authorize the connection, and the data is used only to generate the report you requested. No ongoing access to their account.
Why landlords are moving beyond pay stubs
- 1Fraud risk. Pay stubs and PDFs can be altered. Bank-sourced deposit data is much harder to fake.
- 2Speed. No waiting on employers to return calls or send verification letters. Applicants complete the flow in minutes.
- 3Broader picture. Multiple jobs, gig income, and side income show up in deposit history—often missing from a single pay stub.
How the process works
You create a verification request
Enter the applicant’s name and email. You get a unique link to send them (email or your own process).
They connect their bank
They open the link, choose their bank, and sign in via Plaid. Credentials are never stored; the connection is used only to pull transaction data for the report.
You receive the income report
Once we’ve analyzed deposits, you get a report with estimated income, deposit patterns, and payroll frequency. You can export a PDF for your files.
What’s in the report
Reports are designed to answer the questions you care about: regular income level, consistency over time, and how it’s paid (e.g. biweekly vs. irregular). You see deposit-based income estimates and supporting detail—not raw transaction dumps.
Who it’s for
Income Checker is built for small landlords, property managers, and leasing teams who screen applicants and want a faster, more reliable alternative to pay stubs and employer verification. We support thousands of U.S. banks and credit unions. We are not a Consumer Reporting Agency; our reports are transaction-based analysis to support your own decisions.
Security and privacy
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We use Plaid for bank connections—they never share login credentials with us. Only you (the requester) see the income report; we don’t sell or share applicant data. Applicants can revoke access from their bank settings at any time.
Read our security practices →Ready to try it?
Pay per verification or choose a monthly plan. No long-term commitment.