Pro pack
R299 once-off
R7.48 per check
For agencies, consultancies and small lenders with a steady flow of files.
- 40 checks
- Valid for 180 days
- Full report + PDF export
- Email and WhatsApp support
Check a candidate’s payslip before you make the offer
A previous payslip often sets the salary you offer, and a bank statement sometimes backs it up. Check those PDFs for signs of editing the eye cannot see before they shape your decision.
Salary history is easy to overstate on paper
Recruiters ask for recent payslips to confirm a candidate’s current package, and some roles call for a bank statement before a salary advance or relocation benefit. Candidates send these as PDFs, and HR reads the figures at face value. An inflated salary on the last payslip becomes a higher offer, and the difference stays with you for the length of the contract.
Reference calls confirm dates and job titles, rarely the pay. A file check adds a quick, consistent step for every shortlisted candidate, so nobody is singled out and nobody slips through.
A senior hire, two ways
The offer follows the payslip
A shortlisted candidate for a finance manager post sends two payslips showing a package well above budget. HR stretches the offer to match, and the candidate accepts. A later dispute about benefits brings out the previous employer’s real figures, far lower than the payslips said.
The payslip is checked first
HR uploads the payslips when they arrive, as it does for every finalist. One comes back with signs of editing. The recruiter asks for a payslip issued directly by the previous employer’s payroll and bases the offer on documents that were checked. The report stays in the recruitment file for as long as your policy allows.
What HR gets for each file
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A clear result per document
Each payslip or statement gets a plain verdict on screen: signs of editing found, no signs of editing found, or could not be assessed.
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A score for original PDFs
Payslips exported from a payroll system and statements downloaded from a banking app get an integrity score. A scanned or photographed copy gets a report without a score, because it is checked as an image.
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A report for the candidate file
Export the report as a PDF and store it with the recruitment record, so the step is consistent and documented.
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The limit of the check
For an unsigned file, “no signs of editing found” is the best outcome. It does not prove the previous employer issued the payslip, so keep your usual reference and qualification checks.
Handling candidate documents under POPIA
Payslips and bank statements are personal information, and the Protection of Personal Information Act governs how you collect and use them. Tell candidates which documents you ask for and why, collect only what the role needs, keep them secure and delete them when you no longer need them.
If you upload a candidate’s document to Atomara, your organisation is the responsible party and we act as your operator. POPIA expects a written contract that requires the operator to keep security safeguards and to report breaches to you (sections 20 and 21). Files are processed outside South Africa, which section 72 addresses, and are deleted within 30 days; see our privacy policy. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Recommended plan for HR teams
In-house HR teams and background-check firms that check finalists every month usually start with the Pro pack: 40 checks, valid for 180 days. Screening firms with higher volumes can compare Business on the pricing page.
Statements from these banks
Also relevant
Questions HR teams ask
Should we tell candidates their documents will be checked?
Yes. Say so in your recruitment privacy notice, together with why you ask for the documents. Your own legal adviser can confirm the right basis for your process.
Do we need to check every applicant?
Checking only finalists keeps the number of documents down and keeps the step fair, as long as every finalist is treated the same way.
Does this replace a background check?
No. Criminal, credit and qualification checks answer other questions. Atomara only tells you whether a PDF shows signs of editing.
The candidate sent a photo of a payslip. What now?
Photos cannot be uploaded; only PDFs up to 10 MB can. A photo saved inside a PDF is checked as an image and gets a report without a score. Ask for the payslip as a PDF from payroll.
Does anyone at Atomara read the candidate’s payslip?
No. The check is automated, the report appears on screen straight away, and the uploaded file is deleted automatically within 30 days.
Add document checks to your hiring process
Tell us roughly how many candidates you screen a month, and whether you hire in-house or screen for clients. We reply within one business day.