Vendor Strategy · Live Scan Fingerprinting
Certifix vs IdentoGO: Can You Use Both in Your Fingerprinting Business?
Entrepreneurs ask this question constantly — and the answer surprises most of them. Not only can you use both Certifix and IdentoGO, but understanding how to deploy each one strategically is what separates a good fingerprinting business from a great one.
The most common assumption when comparing Certifix and IdentoGO is that you have to choose one. You don’t. They serve structurally different purposes — and building a fingerprinting business that uses both intelligently gives you coverage across a wider range of clients, submission types, and revenue channels than either platform alone.
This post explains exactly how each platform works, where they overlap, where they don’t, and how to deploy them together in a real fingerprinting business.
The strategic framework in one sentence: Use Certifix to build your independent fingerprinting operation and own your margins. Add IdentoGO as a supplemental partner layer to capture the state-mandated submission volume that routes through their exclusive contracts — and earn a per-applicant fee on top of your existing business.
How Each Platform Works — Side by Side
| Category | Certifix | IdentoGO |
|---|---|---|
| Model Type | Open partner network | State contract franchisee |
| Who Sets Your Pricing | ✓ You do | IdentoGO / agency rate |
| Your Branding | ✓ Your business stays front | You become an IdentoGO Center |
| Payment Structure | Your service fee minus platform costs | Per-applicant fee from IdentoGO |
| State-Mandated Submissions | Not exclusive — competitors exist | ✓ Exclusive in 40+ state programs |
| FDLE / AHCA (Florida) | ✓ Certified | Available |
| Florida Insurance Licensing | ✗ Cannot process | ✓ Exclusive — $49.50 fee |
| Walk-in Friendly | ✓ Yes | Appointment-based primarily |
| Entrepreneur Starting Point | ★ Primary platform | Supplemental layer |
Layer 1 — Your Foundation
Certifix — Your Independent Operation
Where your fingerprinting business is actually built
Foundation
Certifix is your platform for the majority of fingerprinting work you’ll do day-to-day. FDLE background checks for healthcare workers, teachers, childcare providers, and contractors. AHCA submissions for the healthcare industry. FBI background check submissions for professionals and employers. Most of your client volume lives here — and with Certifix, you own the pricing, the client relationship, and the brand experience.
This is the layer that builds your business identity. Clients find you, book with you, and associate their fingerprinting experience with your business — not with a corporate chain. Your Google Business Profile gets the reviews. Your phone number gets the referrals. Your reputation grows with every clean, fast submission.
The income model is direct: You charge a service fee, Certifix handles submission, you keep the margin. Scale is a function of appointments per week, not of IdentoGO’s contract landscape in your state.
✓ Why Certifix is Your Foundation
- You own the pricing — margin control is yours
- Your brand stays front-facing with every client
- Covers the highest-volume Florida submission types
- Walk-in and appointment service both supported
- Scales with your marketing and client relationships
✗ What Certifix Doesn’t Cover
- State-contract-exclusive submissions (those go to IdentoGO)
- Florida insurance license fingerprinting — IdentoGO mandatory
- Some state-specific programs with exclusive vendor requirements
Understanding How to Layer These Two Platforms Profitably
Our course shows exactly which Florida agencies route through IdentoGO exclusively, which go through Certifix, and how to structure your intake process to handle both without losing a single client to a vendor mismatch.
Layer 2 — Your Supplemental Revenue
IdentoGO — Your State-Contract Layer
Supplemental income from state-mandated submissions your clients can’t avoid
Supplemental
Here’s the reality of IdentoGO that most entrepreneurs eventually discover: for certain submission types, your clients have no choice. Florida insurance license applicants are required by the state to submit fingerprints through IdentoGO and pay $49.50 directly to them. New York state licensing boards route through IdentoGO. Texas’s FAST program is IdentoGO-exclusive. More than 40 state programs carry similar exclusivity arrangements.
If you’re not an IdentoGO Center, you can’t process these clients — you can only refer them elsewhere. That’s not necessarily a loss if you do it well (it’s a trust-builder), but it is a revenue miss on clients who are already walking in your door.
The IdentoGO partner program allows existing businesses to apply as IdentoGO Centers. Partners receive branded equipment, staff training, marketing support, and a per-applicant payment for each submission processed. The setup is designed to layer onto an established business rather than stand alone — which is exactly what makes it the right supplemental layer on top of an existing Certifix operation.
The trade-off is clear: you operate inside IdentoGO’s brand and pricing structure for that submission type. The client is technically IdentoGO’s customer for that transaction. But the appointment happened at your location, and the relationship continues with your business for every fingerprinting need that routes through Certifix.
✓ Why Adding IdentoGO Makes Sense
- Captures state-mandated submissions your Certifix platform can’t process
- Per-applicant revenue on top of your existing operation
- Clients associate the appointment location with your business
- Training and operational support included in partner program
- State agency clients are directed to IdentoGO Centers specifically — gives you a Google Maps listing advantage
✗ The Trade-offs
- IdentoGO brand overlays yours for those submissions
- Per-applicant rate is set — you can’t negotiate the margin
- Partner approval is selective — not guaranteed
- Adds operational complexity — two platform systems to manage
The Practical Workflow
How the Two-Platform Model Works Day-to-Day
When a client calls or walks in for fingerprinting, the first intake question is always the same: “What is this for and which agency receives it?” That answer routes the submission:
FDLE general, AHCA healthcare, FBI direct, most employer background checks
FL insurance licensing, state licensing boards with exclusive contracts, 40+ state mandated programs
Submissions you can’t process — always with a recommendation and a reason to return for their next need
Operators who’ve built this intake process into their workflow stop losing clients to vendor mismatches almost entirely. The client gets the right submission from you — or the right referral from you — and your reputation as the knowledgeable local fingerprinting resource compounds with every interaction.
Referrals aren’t losses: When you accurately route a Florida insurance license applicant to IdentoGO and explain exactly why — because their agency requires it — that client remembers you knew the answer. Their next fingerprinting need that routes through Certifix? They’re coming back to you instead of starting their research over.
Common Questions
Certifix + IdentoGO FAQ
Yes — and for established operators in markets with significant state-mandated submission volume, using both is the right strategy. Certifix handles your open-market independent operation. IdentoGO adds a supplemental layer for state-contract-exclusive submissions. They complement each other rather than compete for the same client type.
Start with Certifix. It gives you pricing control, branding flexibility, and covers the majority of everyday fingerprinting volume. Once that operation is established and you have consistent client flow, adding IdentoGO as a supplemental layer becomes a logical expansion rather than a distraction from building your foundation.
IdentoGO pays partners on a per-applicant basis for submissions processed at your location. The rate is set by IdentoGO based on the service type and state contract — you don’t negotiate the per-applicant fee. This contrasts with Certifix, where you set your own service fee and earn margin on the difference between your charge and platform costs.
Florida insurance license applicants are required by the Florida Department of Financial Services to submit fingerprints through IdentoGO and pay $49.50. This is a state-mandated exclusive arrangement — Certifix cannot be substituted for this submission type. Our course covers the complete list of Florida agency submission requirements and which vendor handles each.
Final Word
The Answer Is Both — Deployed in the Right Order
Certifix vs IdentoGO isn’t a competition — it’s a sequence. Build your independent fingerprinting business on Certifix first. Add IdentoGO as a supplemental revenue layer once your foundation is solid. Know which Florida agencies require which vendor so you never lose a client to a mismatch you could have anticipated. That knowledge — more than any single platform — is the real competitive advantage in this market.
Build the Complete Fingerprinting Business — Not Just Half of It
Our course covers Certifix, IdentoGO, state-specific submission requirements, and the complete business model for profitable fingerprinting operations in Florida and nationwide.
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