Why Proof Matters
Understanding the landscape
The absence of proof creates a specific vulnerability: the cost of publishing a false review is near zero, while the cost of the damage it causes can be substantial. This asymmetry — cheap to attack, expensive to defend — is the defining characteristic of the current review ecosystem. It is not unique to any single platform. It is inherent to any system that does not require proof.
In law, testimony without evidence is treated with appropriate skepticism. In medicine, treatments without clinical evidence are not approved. In science, claims without reproducible proof are not accepted. In digital commerce, reviews with zero evidence of any transaction are treated as reliable data. This inconsistency has consequences.
The data
Requiring proof of transaction introduces friction. Not every customer will complete a review when a Proof Token is required. Review volume will be lower than on open platforms. This is a real tradeoff. VeriBureau's position is that fewer verified reviews provide more reliable signal than many unverified ones — but we acknowledge that others may weigh this tradeoff differently.
Data references: FTC, World Economic Forum, Harvard Business School, platform transparency reports.
The VeriBureau approach
The case for proof is simple: it aligns the cost of publishing with the value of the information. A review backed by transaction proof carries inherent credibility. A review without proof carries none. When every review in a system is provably tied to a real transaction, the resulting Trust Score is computed from evidence, not volume. This is not a radical idea. It is the standard that should have existed from the beginning.
Limitations and honest disclosure
Proof of transaction does not prove the review content is accurate or fair. A real customer can still write a misleading review. What proof eliminates is the most damaging attack vector: reviews from people who were never customers. This is a significant but not total improvement.
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.
The protocol is open
Proof is a higher standard. We think it is the right one.