Systems and methods are described for facilitating payments and transactions using social background checks. Such systems and methods may use social networks with both individual members communicating over a network to a social authentication computing system. The authentication of transactions associated financial institutions are determined through the use of relationship measures based on social media interactions. Transactions and services available to a user are determined based on a measure of social identity through the use of social media platforms. Available contact and interaction data from one or more social media platforms is leveraged to analyze a level of trust that a transaction is not a consequence of fraudulent activity. Transactions that have a low level of risk of being a consequence of fraudulent activity are benefited through faster transaction times and other improvements.