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Trust guide

Verified Suppliers, Explained

Every seller on Expalink carries a public verification tier. This guide explains what each tier means, what evidence we collect, and how sellers move up the ladder.

Updated 2026-07-26

Why tiers exist

Most marketplaces flag a seller as verified or not. That hides a lot of useful signal. Our five tiers show how much evidence we have actually reviewed, so you can match the tier to the order size.

The 5 tiers

  • Unverified. Profile submitted. Nothing checked yet.
  • Basic. Email confirmed and profile reviewed by the Expalink team.
  • Identity. Government ID matched to the profile owner.
  • Trade. Business documents plus at least two buyer references.
  • Partner. Long standing seller with active concierge support.

Evidence we collect

The higher the tier, the deeper the file we hold.

  • Basic: email plus profile review notes.
  • Identity: government photo ID and selfie match, stored encrypted.
  • Trade: business registration, tax ID, and contactable buyer references.
  • Partner: trading history, dispute record, and a quarterly check in call.

How a supplier upgrades

Sellers move up by submitting the evidence for the next tier. Reviews usually take 1 to 3 business days. Buyers can filter the marketplace by minimum tier from /suppliers.

FAQ

Do buyers see failed tier attempts? No. Only the seller's current tier is public.

Can a tier be revoked? Yes. Sustained disputes or misrepresentation move a seller back down or off the platform.

More details on pricing at /pricing and the public policy at /trust.