What Cluely does and how the subscription works

Cluely is a background check and people search service that lets you look up information about individuals — criminal records, contact details, property ownership, and other public data. The subscription model means you pay a recurring fee (usually monthly) for access to their search tools, rather than paying per search.

When you sign up, you choose a plan tier. Each tier gives you a set number of searches per month or access to certain report types. If you reach your search limit before the month ends, you either wait for the next billing cycle or pay extra for additional searches. The subscription renews automatically on your billing date unless you cancel it.

Cluely pulls information from public records — court documents, property records, voter registration, and similar sources. They do not create the data; they aggregate and organize what is already publicly available. This matters because it affects what you can and cannot find, and it shapes what you are legally allowed to do with the information once you have it.

Key Takeaways

  • Cluely subscriptions renew automatically each month, so you must cancel before your next billing date if you want to stop paying.
  • You can change your plan tier (upgrade or downgrade) at any time, and the change usually takes effect immediately or at your next renewal.
  • Search limits reset monthly on your billing date, not on the calendar date, so the timing depends on when you first signed up.
  • Cluely's terms of service restrict how you can use the information — you cannot use it for employment screening, tenant screening, credit decisions, or insurance decisions without the person's knowledge and consent.
  • If you dispute information in a Cluely report, you need to contact the original source (the court, property assessor, or other public agency), not Cluely directly.

How to cancel or pause your subscription

To cancel, log into your Cluely account, go to your account settings or subscription page, and look for a "Cancel Subscription" or "Manage Subscription" button. Click it and follow the prompts. Cluely will usually ask why you are cancelling and may offer you a discount to stay; you can decline and proceed with cancellation.

Cancellation takes effect immediately, but you keep access until the end of your current billing period. If you paid for a monthly plan on the 15th, and you cancel on the 20th, you can still use Cluely until the 15th of next month. After that date, your account locks and you lose access to search tools.

Cluely does not offer a formal pause option, so if you want to stop paying temporarily without losing your account history, your only choice is to cancel and re-sign up later. When you re-sign up, you will be treated as a new customer and may see a promotional rate for the first month.

Upgrading or downgrading your plan

Log into your account and find the subscription or billing section. Most subscription services let you change your plan tier from there. If you upgrade (move to a higher tier with more searches or features), the change usually takes effect immediately, and you pay a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle.

If you downgrade (move to a lower tier), the change typically takes effect at your next renewal date. Cluely does this to avoid refunding you mid-cycle. For example, if you are on a $30 plan and downgrade to a $15 plan on the 10th of your cycle, you will pay the $30 rate through your renewal date, then switch to $15 after that.

Check your account page or contact Cluely's support team if you are unsure how a change will affect your current billing cycle. The exact timing can vary depending on your plan type and when you make the change.

Understanding your billing cycle and renewal dates

Your billing date is the day your subscription renews and you are charged. It is not the same as the calendar date. If you signed up on March 17th, your billing date is the 17th of every month. Your searches reset on that date too, so if your plan includes 50 searches per month, you get 50 new searches on the 17th, not on the 1st.

You can usually find your billing date in your account settings under "Subscription" or "Billing." Knowing this date matters because it is your deadline to cancel if you do not want to be charged again. If you cancel on the 16th and your renewal is the 17th, you will still be charged; you have to cancel before the 17th.

If you have questions about a charge or think you were billed twice, check your account to confirm your renewal date. Then contact Cluely's support team with your billing date and the charge in question. Keep your receipt or bank statement handy.

What to do if you are charged after cancelling

If you cancelled but were still charged, the most common reason is that your cancellation did not go through — the button did not register, or there was a technical error. Log back into your account and check whether your subscription status shows as "Active" or "Cancelled." If it shows as active, you need to cancel again.

If your account shows cancelled but you were still charged, contact Cluely's support team immediately with the charge date and amount. Provide a screenshot of your account status showing the cancellation. Most companies will issue a refund for charges after a confirmed cancellation, though it may take a few business days to process.

If Cluely does not refund you, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company or bank. Call the number on the back of your card and explain that you cancelled the subscription but were charged anyway. Your bank can reverse the charge while the dispute is being investigated.

How search limits work and what happens when you run out

Each Cluely plan includes a certain number of searches per month. A "search" typically means one full report on one person. Some plans offer unlimited searches; others cap you at 10, 25, 50, or another number. The limit resets on your billing date, not on the first of the month.

When you reach your limit, you cannot run new searches until your next billing cycle begins. Some plans let you purchase additional searches on demand — you might pay $2 or $5 per extra search, depending on Cluely's current pricing. Check your account to see if this option is available on your plan.

If you consistently run out of searches before your renewal date, upgrading to a higher tier may be cheaper than buying extra searches each month. Compare the cost of your current plan plus extra searches against the cost of the next tier up, and upgrade if it saves money.

Restrictions on how you can use Cluely reports

Cluely's terms of service prohibit using their reports for certain purposes, even though the information itself is public. You cannot use a Cluely report to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance, or any other transaction without the person's knowledge and written consent. This is partly because Cluely is not a licensed consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and partly because using public data for these purposes can violate state and federal law.

If you are a landlord, employer, or lender and need to run background checks, you should use a service that is licensed as a consumer reporting agency and complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Those services have legal obligations to verify accuracy, give people the right to dispute information, and notify them that a report was run on them.

Using Cluely reports outside the permitted scope can expose you to legal liability. If you are unsure whether your intended use is allowed, contact Cluely's support team or consult a lawyer.

Disputing information in a Cluely report

If you find incorrect information in a Cluely report — a criminal record that is not yours, a property listed under your name that you do not own, or outdated contact details — you cannot fix it by contacting Cluely. Cluely aggregates data from public sources; they do not create or verify it.

To correct the information, you have to contact the original source. If the error is a criminal record, contact the court that issued it. If it is a property record, contact your county assessor or recorder's office. If it is voter registration data, contact your local election office. These agencies can correct their records, and once they do, Cluely's report will eventually update to reflect the change — though it may take weeks or months.

If you believe Cluely is displaying information that is factually wrong even after the source has corrected it, you can contact Cluely's support team and ask them to investigate. Provide documentation from the original source showing the correction. Cluely may update their data or remove the outdated information, but this is not may provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?

No. Cluely subscriptions are non-refundable once the billing cycle has started. If you cancel on the 20th of your cycle and your renewal date is the 25th, you keep access until the 25th but do not receive a refund for the unused days. To avoid paying for a full month you do not use, cancel before your renewal date.

What happens to my account if I do not cancel and just stop using it?

Your subscription will continue to renew and charge you every month. Cluely does not automatically cancel inactive accounts. You must manually cancel to stop the charges. Check your bank or credit card statements regularly to catch any unwanted recurring charges.

Can I change my payment method without cancelling and re-signing up?

Yes. Log into your account, go to billing or payment settings, and update your card or payment information. The change takes effect on your next renewal date. If your current payment method fails, Cluely will usually try the new method you have on file.

Do I lose my search history if I cancel?

Your search history may be retained in your account even after cancellation, depending on Cluely's data retention policy. If you re-subscribe later, you may be able to access past searches. Contact Cluely's support team if you want to know what happens to your data after you cancel.

Is there a way to get a discount on my subscription?

Cluely sometimes offers promotional rates for new customers or discounts for annual plans instead of monthly. When you cancel, they may offer you a discount to stay. If you are looking to reduce costs, ask their support team whether any current promotions apply to your account, or consider switching to an annual plan if it is available and cheaper per month.