About UpfrontCheckScanner

UpfrontCheckScanner is the automated browser UpfrontCheck uses to check how prices and fees are shown on a business's online checkout, at that business's request. We also use it, sparingly, for research on public booking pages (results are published only in aggregate, without naming businesses). It identifies itself in every request with the label UpfrontCheckScanner/0.1 and a link to this page.

What it does and does not do

• It visits a checkout the way a shopper would, at a human pace, on a schedule (typically weekly to monthly).
• It never logs in, never types any details into forms, and never pays.
• It never gets around CAPTCHAs or other bot protection. If it is blocked, it stops.
• When a cookie banner appears, it chooses "reject" (essential cookies only).
• It follows robots.txt, including rules written for User-agent: UpfrontCheckScanner, unless the business that owns the checkout has asked us to scan it and proved it controls the site.

To stop or limit it

Add to your robots.txt:

User-agent: UpfrontCheckScanner
Disallow: /

or write to us at [email protected].

To allow it (for your own checkout)

If you asked us to check your checkout and your booking or ticketing platform blocks automated browsers, ask the platform to allow requests whose user agent contains UpfrontCheckScanner. See the instructions in your account under "Authorise our scanner".