Online marketplaces face a trust problem that gets more expensive every year. Fraudulent sellers, fake identities, and unverified merchants cost platforms millions in disputes, chargebacks, and damaged reputation.
The Marketplace Fraud Problem
When anyone can create a seller account in minutes, bad actors flood platforms with fake listings, disappear after receiving payment, and create new accounts to repeat the cycle.
Traditional solutions — email verification, phone verification, manual ID checks — are either too weak or too expensive to scale.
How Credential Verification Changes Everything
Certiva credentials shift the verification burden away from the marketplace and onto a trusted third party.
Instead of building your own KYC pipeline, you simply require that sellers hold a valid Certiva credential before listing. A seller with a TMV credential has already been independently verified:
- Their identity is confirmed
- Their business is registered and legitimate
- Their merchant status has been independently reviewed
Your platform does not handle a single document. You simply check the credential number against Certiva's public registry.
Implementation Is Simple
Requiring Certiva credentials on your platform takes three steps:
Step 1 — Set your credential requirement Decide which credential tier your sellers must hold. Casual sellers might need an IRN. Business sellers might need a BRN. High-volume merchants should hold a TMV.
Step 2 — Add a credential field to your seller onboarding Add a simple text field: "Enter your Certiva credential number." No document uploads. No complex integrations required.
Step 3 — Verify via Certiva's public registry Your platform calls certiva.co/verify with the credential number. If the credential is active and valid, the seller is verified. If not, they are prompted to get verified before listing.
The Results
Marketplaces that require verified sellers report:
- Significant reduction in fraudulent listings
- Fewer buyer disputes and chargeback requests
- Higher buyer confidence and conversion rates
- Lower cost of trust and safety operations
Why Sellers Welcome It
Verified sellers actually want credential requirements — because it removes their unverified competitors. A TMV-certified merchant stands out on any platform that displays verification status.
Verification becomes a competitive advantage, not a barrier.
Partner With Certiva
If you operate a marketplace or platform and want to integrate Certiva credential verification into your seller onboarding, contact us at certiva.co. We are building partnership programs for platforms that align with our privacy-first verification mission.
A verified marketplace is a trusted marketplace. Start requiring credentials today.
