How supplier verification works
Verification is a documented check of who a supplier is and whether its published testing documents hold up. It is not a safety or quality endorsement.
What verification is not
It does not mean products are safe, pure, legal to use for any purpose, or suitable for human or animal use. We never describe a supplier as “safe”.
Two levels
Business verified
- Company registration
- Trading identity and address
- Website control
- Contact channels
- Published policies
Business and documentation verified
- Company registration
- Trading identity and address
- Website control
- Contact channels
- Published policies
- Batch-specific certificates
- Laboratory identified
- Certificate confirmed by the laboratory
- Batch traceability
What each check confirms
- Company registration
- The trading company is on the relevant public register, its status is active, and the registered name matches the business trading on the website.
- Trading identity and address
- The website names the legal entity and gives a business address consistent with the register.
- Website control
- The applicant controls the website domain (confirmed through the profile claim).
- Contact channels
- The published email and phone contacts reach the business; we test them during the review.
- Published policies
- Terms, refund or returns, and privacy policies are published and name the business.
- Batch-specific certificates
- A sample of certificates of analysis is batch-specific, dated and legible.
- Laboratory identified
- The certificates name a laboratory that exists and can be contacted.
- Certificate confirmed by the laboratory
- At least one sampled certificate was confirmed as genuine directly by the issuing laboratory.
- Batch traceability
- Batch numbers shown on product pages match certificates.
Process
- The supplier claims its profile and applies from its dashboard, or our team opens a review.
- A verification reviewer, who has no commercial role, works through every check in scope and records what was checked and where.
- Approval needs every check to pass. The supplier is told the reason for any refusal.
- Verification lasts 12 months, is shown with its dates on the supplier’s profile, and lapses automatically unless renewed.
- We suspend a verification, with a public note, if we find it no longer holds.
Questions
Does verification mean a supplier's products are safe?
No. Verification confirms business identity and, at the higher level, that published testing documents are genuine and traceable. It does not assess product safety, quality or suitability for any use.
Can a supplier pay to be verified?
Suppliers on the Verified plan pay for the time a reviewer spends on their application. Payment does not decide the outcome: every check must pass. Verification does not change the editorial score.
How long does verification last?
12 months. It then expires unless the supplier is reviewed again. We can suspend a verification at any time if we find it no longer holds.
Who can use the words 'Verified Supplier'?
Only suppliers with a current verification, on this site and in our embeddable badges. Badges check the live status every time they load.