Trust badge

A trust badge, or trust mark, is a logo or seal on a website that signals reliability: a certification, a membership of a trade association, a review score from an independent platform, or a payment or security logo.

Common types

• Certification and quality marks from an organisation that checks the business, often with its own complaints procedure
• Review scores from an independent review platform
• Payment logos that show familiar ways to pay
• Memberships of trade associations or professional bodies
• Guarantees, such as a money-back period

When they help

A trust badge works when visitors recognise it and know what it means. A familiar quality mark from your own country or industry can reassure a visitor who has never heard of you, especially at the moment of paying. An unknown badge with an impressive name says little.

They're one of several trust signals. For a first impression, a few recognisable marks near your main button usually beat a row of logos in the footer.

Only use badges you've earned

In the EU, showing a trust mark, quality mark or similar label without the required authorisation is on the list of commercial practices that are always unfair (Directive 2005/29/EC, Annex I). Beyond the legal risk, a fake badge destroys trust once someone clicks it and finds nothing.