Our Verification Process

BizMonda verifies every business before we list it. Verification isn’t an extra businesses can buy on top of a listing — it’s the baseline requirement to be listed at all. Here’s what we check, what we don’t, and what needs to be true for a badge to be earned.

What verification covers

Verification has a single purpose: to establish that a business is who it claims to be. Does the company exist, is it in good standing, does it have the licences required for its category, and is the entity behind the website the entity on the filings?

Two levels of verification

Both levels begin with a manual review. They diverge after that.

• Verified is only the manual review. Every business in our directory has this level of verification.
• Verified Plus is the manual review followed by an automated Know Your Business (KYB) screen. Verified Plus providers also receive a full profile.

It is the method that differs between levels, not the price. We named each level for what we checked, so you can tell at a glance how deeply a given business has been examined.

Level one: manual review

A researcher confirms four items manually. No part of this level is automated. None of it trusts the business to provide its own answers.

• Corporate filings. The entity exists, when it was formed, its registered address, and whether it is in good standing.
• Licensing boards. The entity holds the licences required for its category, those licences are current, and they cover the work the business advertises. A lapsed licence, or one that covers a different scope, fails that check.
• Public and regulatory records. Records from regulators and courts that inform us whether the business is operating lawfully.
• Public footprint. The website, the trading address and contact information match the registered entity. Not a reseller, not a shell.

If we can verify the claims made by the business against objective evidence, we award verification. If not, the business isn’t verified and can’t be listed.

Level two: manual review plus a KYB screen

Verified Plus includes everything in our standard verification and adds the KYB screen. This automatically checks four categories:

• Registry and incorporation. Matches the entity to official company registries. Confirms legal status, date formed, and registered address.
• Beneficial ownership. Determines who actually owns and controls the business. This includes officers and directors, not just whose name is on the website.
• Sanctions and watchlists. Checks the business and its officers against sanctions lists, politically exposed persons lists, and regulatory enforcement databases.
• Adverse media. Searches news and public records for litigation, enforcement actions, and reports of fraud against the business or the people running it.

What we don’t verify

To ensure the badge has value we must be specific about what we don’t do. We do not:

• Audit financials, or otherwise form an opinion as to a business’s solvency.
• Examine work product, visit offices, or inspect completed jobs.
• Test software, or otherwise evaluate the performance of a product.
• Verify prices, availability, capacity, turnaround times, or outcomes.
• Call customers or audit references.

Verification cannot and does not tell you if a provider is good. Compare more than one, ask for references and check them, and read your contract before you sign it.

Saying no

A badge that can’t be denied is worth nothing, so denial has to be real. A business fails verification if:

• the entity can’t be found, or has been dissolved;
• a required licence is missing or has lapsed;
• a licence that is held doesn’t cover the category being claimed;
• ownership of the entity can’t be determined;
• the business, an officer or a director appears on a sanctions or watchlist; or
• public records contradict what is claimed about the business.

A business that fails is not listed. It can remedy the problem — renewing a lapsed licence, for instance — and apply again; the fee applies to the new application, because the checks are run again.

Because we tell applicants up front whether they are likely to pass, most businesses that reach a full check do pass. That is a screening effect, not a lax standard.

Keeping it current

Verification isn’t a one-time process. Businesses change. Companies are sold, people leave, licences expire. We re-run these checks every twelve months. If a business no longer qualifies, we withdraw the badge.

This is also why directory information may be up to a year old. If it’s important to your decision, confirm it directly with the provider before you choose.

What it costs

Verification is a flat fee at either level. Businesses our editorial team selects are verified at our own cost and pay us nothing.

The fee covers running the check. It does not change if you pass or fail. It pays for the researcher doing the manual review, and for Verified Plus it pays for running the KYB screen. Since that cost is the same either way, that is why we charge for verification and why the fee is not refunded if verification is denied. To keep that fair we tell applicants ahead of time if there is a good chance they will fail.

The fee paid for the first verification includes three years of annual re-verification. When that period expires a re-verification fee applies, because those checks must be re-run. Our Advertiser Disclosure has a comprehensive breakdown of how BizMonda earns revenue.

Corrections

Something we’ve published about a business not right? Email us at legal@bizmonda.com and we’ll re-run our checks. Providers are responsible for telling us when something material changes — a licence lapsing, a change of ownership, or a change in the area they serve.