📄 Credentialing your organization
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    • Credentialing Your Organization


    Who must be credentialed?

    All organizations requesting or receiving a consumer report from BrightScreen.


    What is credentialing?

    The process of ensuring that your organization meets the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other applicable laws in order to request and receive consumer reports.


    When does credentialing take place?

    Express-tier accounts

    Standard-tier accounts
    Enterprise-tier accounts

    Each time an order is placed via our Express order form

    Prior to onboarding & periodically thereafter (typically annually; varies based on a risk assessment)


    How is my organization credentialed?

    Express-tier accounts

    Standard-tier accounts
    Enterprise-tier accounts

    Using the information provided on the Express order form, we conduct a check of your organization's credentials using publicly-available sources, such as a Secretary of State's office, licensing databases, information available on public websites, and other means.

    Information we may request and verify includes, but is not limited to:

    • Basic organization information, such as your address, phone, email, and your best points of contact
    • W-9
    • Certificate of Good Standing
    • Current business license

    Using the information provided on on our online onboarding form, we conduct a check of your organization's credentials using publicly-available sources, such as a Secretary of State's office, licensing databases, information available on public websites, and other means.

    Information we may request and verify includes, but is not limited to:

    • Basic organization information, such as your address, phone, email, and your best points of contact
    • W-9
    • Certificate of Good Standing
    • Current business license

    How do I begin the credentialing process?

    Express-tier accounts

    Standard-tier accounts
    Enterprise-tier accounts

    Provide the required information when you place an order with our Express order form.


    Complete our online form:

    Onboard your organization for Standard or Enterprise service


    How long does credentialing take?

    Typically 1-3 business days, depending on the quality of the information you provide and the method of verification. Frequent, repeat Express customers may have much shorter re-credentialing based on the recency of the last credentialing.

    What happens when credentialing is complete?


    Approval

    If we do not need additional information and your organization meets the requirements, you will be approved to order from BrightScreen. Upon approval, the following occurs:

    Express-tier accounts

    Standard-tier accounts
    Enterprise-tier accounts

    Your order will be fulfilled.

    Our team will reach out to your Primary Account Holder (PAH) within a business day of approval for an introduction, scheduling of onboarding training, and to answer any questions you may have.


    Request for more information

    If we believe there is a simple mistake in the information you provided to us, we may reach out to you for additional information. If we contact you for more information and do not receive a sufficient response, you may be denied the ability to order from BrightScreen.


    Denial

    If your organization does not meet our credentialing requirements, you will not be able to order from BrightScreen. Upon denial, the following occurs:

    Express-tier accounts

    Standard-tier accounts
    Enterprise-tier accounts

    • You will receive an email notice with an explanation of why your organization was not credentialed. 
    • Your order will be not be fulfilled.
    • You will be charged a credentialing fee. See our Payment Policy.
    • You will not be charged for products or services not rendered to you per our Payment Policy.
    • You may appeal our decision using the Denial Appeal process below.
    • You will receive an email notice with an explanation of why your organization was not credentialed.
    • Your organization will not receive account access.
    • You will be charged a credentialing fee. See our Payment Policy.
    • You may appeal our decision using the Denial Appeal process below.

    Reasons for denial

    Your organization may be not be credentialed if one or more of the following apply:

    • Your provided legal name (the name registered with your Secretary of State) is a mismatch against your W-9 and/or provided evidence of good standing
    • Your email address is a mismatch against the name of your organization (every organization must be credentialed on its own, even if there is a parent/child relationship)
    • We could not complete our phone, web, and address verification process
    • You do not have a permissible purpose that BrightScreen services (we do not provide consumer reports for credit transactions, for example)
    • We have reason to believe that you submitted false or misleading information
    • We have reason to believe that you do not have a legitimate business purpose to access applicant data

    Denial Appeal

    • You may request a re-review of your organization by providing a written request to our Compliance team
    • If your appeal is successful, we will refund the credentialing fee charged when you were denied
    • If your appeal is unsuccessful, your organization will be barred from doing business with BrightScreen permanently. Additionally, is we suspect malintent in your request to access background check data, we may contact the appropriate authorities.