Knowing what a background check reveals is important, especially when you’re looking for a job or an apartment. You want to understand what information is being looked at and what’s kept private. A common question is whether background checks include details about your credit card, or if they can see if you receive government assistance like EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) benefits. Let’s break down this question and explore the types of information found in typical background checks.
Does a Basic Background Check Include Financial Information?
No, a typical basic background check does not show your credit card information or whether you receive EBT benefits. Standard background checks usually focus on criminal history, employment verification, and sometimes credit history. They are designed to help employers or landlords assess your trustworthiness and suitability for a role or living situation. Accessing credit card details or EBT information would require specific legal authorizations and wouldn’t be part of a standard check.
What Do Background Checks Usually Cover?
Background checks have different levels of detail depending on who’s requesting them and what they’re needed for. For instance, a background check for a job might be different from one done by a landlord. Here’s a breakdown of the most common things they cover:
- Criminal History: This is the main focus, looking for arrests, convictions, and any pending charges.
- Employment Verification: Checking your past job history, including dates of employment and sometimes your job titles.
- Education Verification: Confirming your degrees or educational qualifications.
- Credit History: A credit check shows how well you manage your finances, like if you pay your bills on time, but it does NOT include your credit card information or EBT status.
Depending on the job or situation, other items might be included, but they are often related to the job functions. For instance, a job where you would be driving a vehicle may have a driving record search conducted on you.
How Does a Credit Check Differ from a Background Check?
While often used together, credit checks and background checks are separate. Credit checks focus on your financial history, which can be a part of a background check, but not always. The information is used to determine whether you are responsible with your financial obligations and include things like:
- Payment History: Do you pay your bills on time?
- Outstanding Debts: How much money do you owe to lenders?
- Credit Utilization: How much of your available credit are you using?
- Credit Score: A number that summarizes your creditworthiness.
Credit checks generally do not reveal specific credit card information. Nor will they show you whether you receive EBT.
Can Employers Access EBT or Credit Card Details?
Generally speaking, employers and other organizations cannot access your EBT information or detailed credit card information through a standard background check. EBT benefits are protected by privacy laws, meaning your EBT details are not usually shared with employers. Credit card information is also private.
If an employer needs to know details about your finances, such as credit or bankruptcy records, it is often acquired through a credit check. Even then, they wouldn’t see your specific credit card numbers or your EBT information.
Why Is EBT Information Private?
EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) benefits, like food stamps and other government assistance, are protected for privacy. This privacy ensures the people receiving the benefits can do so without fear of discrimination. The government wants people to feel comfortable using these essential services.
EBT information is usually only accessible to:
| Who Can See It | Why |
|---|---|
| The individual | To manage their benefits. |
| Government agencies | To administer and distribute benefits. |
| Authorized retailers | To process purchases. |
This protection extends to preventing employers or landlords from accessing this information.
Are There Any Exceptions?
There are a few, rare exceptions where someone might access financial information in a more detailed way, but this isn’t common with basic background checks. The government might need financial information for investigations, or a court order might be needed in some legal situations, such as child support cases. These are very specific and require proper legal procedures.
For example, if you were to go through a financial audit, the auditing team would have access to a lot more financial information, but this does not mean it will be publicly available.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a standard background check, the kind most often used by employers and landlords, generally does not include your credit card information or EBT status. These details are private. Background checks focus on things like criminal history and sometimes credit history, and are designed to assess trustworthiness. Understanding the scope of a background check helps you know what information might be shared and allows you to protect your personal financial information.