Comparing Online Trust Seals
While surfing the Internet you may have noticed the presence of trust seals on websites. These trust seals are often located at the bottom of a website’s homepage or on pages where you are asked to provide personal information. Trust seals come in all shapes, sizes and colors and can verify a number of different claims about a website, from a site’s use of data encryption to its status as a legitimate business entity. Scammers can copy legitimate trust seals so you should always verify a trust seal’s authenticity by clicking on it and checking the seal’s validation page. If you click on a trust seal and it does not open a seal validation page or if the seal validation page it opens is not hosted by the seal provider then it is possibly fraudulent and you should report it to the appropriate trust seal provider.
Trust seals fall into three categories: privacy seals, security seals, and reputation and reliability seals. Learn more about these categories below.Privacy Seals
Privacy seals verify that a website has strong information privacy practices outlined in its privacy policy and can also indicate that a site is subject to scans to detect privacy vulnerabilities.
TRUSTe Web Privacy SealThe TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal indicates that TRUSTe has reviewed a website’s privacy policy and it adheres to TRUSTe’s privacy program requirements. The seal also indicates that a website participates in TRUSTe’s privacy dispute resolution services and is subject to site privacy scans to detect vulnerabilities. Learn more.
If you see a TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal on a website you should navigate to the website’s privacy policy to verify the seal’s authenticity. Website’s legitimately displaying the TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal will have a TRUSTe Click-To-Verify Seal on their privacy policy. Click on the TRUSTe Click-To-Verify Seal on the left to see an example of a legitimate seal validation page.
Security Seals
Security seals verify that a website uses technology to protect your personal information (like SSL encryption) and/or it is subject to scans to detect the presence of malicious entities (like malware) or site vulnerabilities (like cross-site scripting).
Verisign Trust SealThe Verisign Trust Seal verifies the identity of a website’s owner and operator and confirms that the site is subject to daily malware scans and uses verified data encryption (SSL). Learn more.
McAfee Secure TrustmarkThe McAfee Secure Trustmark confirms that a website is subject to daily malware and vulnerability scans. Learn more.
Comodo HackerProof SealThe Comodo HackerProof Seal confirms that a website is subject to daily malware and site vulnerability scans as well as quarterly PCI compliance scans. Learn more.
GeoTrust SSL CertificatesThe GeoTrust SSL Certificate indicates that a website uses verified data encryption (SSL). Learn more.
Reputation & Reliability Seals
Reputation and reliability seals verify that a website is operated by a legitimate business entity and/or that a website has sound business practices as determined by consumers or a third-party.
BBB Accredited Business SealA BBB Accredited Business seal confirms a business’ BBB Accredited status and a website’s adherence to the BBB Code of Business Practices. Learn more.
buySAFE SealThe buySAFE Seal confirms that a website has undergone buySAFE certification to assess trustworthiness and reliability and provides guarantees for purchase terms of sales up to $25,000, identity theft protection for 30 days and 30 day price drop protection up to $100. Learn more.
Bizrate Customer Certified SealThe Bizrate Customer Certified Seal confirms that a website has a rating of 'satisfactory' or better on all twelve Bizrate metrics of quality and service and also signifies that a website solicits customer feedback and ratings directly via Bizrate surveys. Learn more.
Shopping.com's Trusted Store SealShopping.com's Trusted Store Seal confirms that a website has an average customer rating of four stars or more and at least 60 customer reviews. The seal also confirms that a website uses Shopping.com surveys to solicit feedback directly from consumers. Learn more.
Awards And Press
