How to use a Confidence Score

A single, honest trust signal

The Confidence Score is our independent assessment of how much trust a supplier has earned — combining verification checks, genuine customer reviews, product transparency and complaint history into one number from 0 to 100.

It is not a measure of product safety, legality or purity. It reflects how transparent, verifiable and well-reviewed a supplier is. Every supplier is assessed against the same criteria. Affiliate commission contributes up to 20 of the 100 available points, and all other criteria are assessed independently of any commercial relationship - see our disclosure.

Score bands

The final score maps to one of five confidence bands. The colour you see on a supplier's badge always matches the band below.

How to use it when you're shopping

The score is a shortcut, not the whole story. Here's how to put it to work when you're comparing suppliers.

1. 1 Read the band, not just the number. The colour on a supplier's badge tells you the band at a glance — green is strong, amber is mixed, red means tread carefully. The exact number only matters near a band boundary.
2. 2 Weigh price against trust. The cheapest supplier isn't always the best buy. A few pounds saved means little if the score points to thin verification or unresolved complaints.
3. 3 Open the full breakdown. Every supplier profile shows the signals behind its score — verification, reviews, transparency and complaint history. Skim it before you commit.
4. 4 Treat the baseline score as unknown, not earned. A supplier we haven't formally reviewed sits at the baseline 50 rather than a number it has worked for. "Under review" means we're re-checking, so wait for the score to settle if you can.

The 9 signals we score

Each signal contributes up to a fixed maximum. Add them all together and a flawless supplier reaches 100 points before any penalties or caps are applied.

Penalties

When we find evidence of dishonest behaviour, we subtract points directly from the score. Penalties can stack.

Score caps

Some failures are serious enough that no amount of positive signals should produce a high score. When one of these applies, we cap the score at a ceiling — and if several apply, the lowest ceiling wins.

How we calculate it

The score is built in four simple, repeatable steps:

1. 1 Add up every positive signal the supplier earns (up to 100 points).
2. 2 Subtract any penalties for dishonest behaviour.
3. 3 Clamp the result so it always sits between 0 and 100.
4. 4 Apply the lowest active cap, if any serious failure applies.

A worked example

Suppliers on the same score

Scores are whole numbers, so plenty of suppliers share one. Suppliers with equal Confidence Scores are ordered by affiliate commission, then customer reviews on peptidereview.co.uk (how many, and how highly rated), then domain verification, then business identity verification. A supplier can never move ahead of a supplier on a higher score.

Red flags to watch for

Some warning signs sit outside the number, or explain a low one. If you spot these, slow down — whatever the score says:

• No published Certificates of Analysis or third-party lab testing for what you're buying
• Marketing aimed at human use, or medical claims about a research chemical
• A score that drops sharply, or a supplier suddenly placed under review
• Clusters of glowing reviews that all read the same, with no verifiable detail
• No real way to reach a person — no address, no working contact, no complaints process

What the score does not mean

The Confidence Score reflects transparency, verification and reputation — not laboratory-grade proof. It does not guarantee:

• Product safety, purity or potency
• The legality of any product in your jurisdiction
• Medical or research suitability
• Delivery, refunds or future supplier behaviour

Always carry out your own due diligence before purchasing. See our terms and FAQ.