Trust Score: Reputation Based on Evidence, Not Volume
A business with 500 unverified five-star reviews and a business with 20 verified reviews backed by cryptographic proof are not equally trustworthy. Volume without verification is noise. The Trust Score measures signal.
The structural problem
Star ratings aggregate opinions without weighting for credibility. A review from a first-time anonymous account counts the same as a review from someone with a long, verified history across multiple businesses. This flat weighting creates an obvious attack vector: create accounts, post reviews, manipulate ratings. The platforms know this. Their countermeasures are reactive and incomplete.
What the data shows
According to a BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey (2024), 75% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. The same survey found that 49% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This trust is placed in systems with known integrity gaps. The disconnect between consumer reliance and system reliability is the core problem.
Sources: FTC enforcement actions, Trustpilot Transparency Reports, academic research on review platform economics.
The VeriBureau approach
The VeriBureau Trust Score (0–100) is computed from three inputs: the verified review score (1–5), the reviewer's protocol-wide reputation weight (earned through verified contributions across multiple businesses), and industry-specific calibration (telecommunications is scored differently from healthcare). The methodology is published on our /methodology page. The computation is deterministic — given the same inputs, anyone can reproduce the score.
Limitations and honest disclosure
The Trust Score becomes more meaningful with scale. A business with three verified reviews has a less reliable score than one with fifty. We display confidence indicators alongside scores and are transparent about statistical limitations. The industry calibration is based on our current data, which is limited. As the protocol grows, calibration will improve.
Frequently asked
Is VeriBureau free?
Yes. During the founding period, all features are free with no limits. Future pricing will be per-token, not subscription — announced with advance notice.
Is VeriBureau immune to fake reviews?
No system is immune. VeriBureau raises the cost of fake reviews significantly by requiring cryptographic proof of transaction, but a business could theoretically generate tokens for fictitious transactions. We mitigate this through pattern analysis and the public audit chain, and we are transparent about this limitation.
How long does integration take?
Dashboard registration takes 2 minutes. API integration depends on your stack — most developers complete it in under an hour. No-code options (email invitations, QR codes) work immediately.
Verify it yourself
Read the full methodology. See how scores are computed.