A verification badge answers a narrow question: has this business shown us the documents that matter for the work it offers, and did we check them? It's an important question, but it isn't the same as "will they do a good job?".
What we check
Every business must provide registration and identity evidence. On top of that, the documents we ask for depend on the category of service:
- Cleaning, gardening and general maintenance — typically public liability insurance.
- Electrical work — insurance plus relevant qualifications and registrations.
- Personal training — insurance and relevant qualifications.
- Children's lessons and childcare — safeguarding evidence appropriate to the role, and any licences the law requires.
We don't ask for documents that aren't relevant to the work — an ironing service doesn't need an electrical qualification.
Documents expire
Insurance and many certificates have expiry dates. We record them, remind businesses before they lapse, and if an essential document expires we restrict the affected services until a renewed document has been checked. A badge reflects the current state, not a one-off check years ago.
What a badge doesn't mean
Verification is not an endorsement of workmanship, punctuality or value. It doesn't guarantee an outcome. That's why you'll always see verification shown alongside other evidence:
- Verified reviews — only customers who received a completed service can leave one.
- Review confidence — how much review history supports the rating.
- Track record — completed jobs, cancellations and how complaints were handled.
Using badges well
For low-risk, easily-reversed jobs, reviews and price may matter more than paperwork. For anything involving electricity, gas, children or vulnerable people, check that the right documents are verified and, where relevant, ask the provider directly about their registrations. Our verification page explains each badge in full.