Trust & Safety
How Pitchd verifies Partners and awards trust badges.
Last updated
Version 3. Trust is the foundation of every booking on Pitchd. This platform governance document explains how the Pitchd Trust & Verification Framework works — what verification means, how trust status is assessed, what the different trust levels indicate, and how the framework will evolve as Pitchd grows. It is written for Suppliers who want to understand what Pitchd looks for, and for Consumers who want to understand what the badges and status indicators on Supplier profiles mean.
When a Consumer books a service through Pitchd, they are trusting that the Supplier will show up, deliver what was promised, and be safe to work with. When a Supplier accepts a booking, they are trusting that the Consumer has legitimate intentions, that their payment is secure, and that the Platform will support them if something goes wrong.
The Pitchd Trust & Verification Framework is the system that makes that trust possible. It is how Pitchd verifies who Suppliers are, assesses how reliably they perform, rewards those who consistently deliver, and protects Consumers and Suppliers alike when things don't go to plan.
Trust status on Pitchd is dynamic. It reflects a Supplier's current performance, not a permanent label. It can improve as a Supplier builds their history on the Platform, and it can change if performance or compliance falls below platform standards.
The Pitchd Trust & Verification Framework exists to solve a problem that every marketplace faces: how do you know who you're dealing with?
On Pitchd, both sides of every booking need confidence. Consumers need to know that the Supplier they're booking is legitimate, insured, qualified, and reliable. Suppliers need to know that the Platform they're building their business on is protecting their reputation and rewarding their reliability.
The Trust Framework is designed to achieve six outcomes:
| Outcome | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Protect Consumers | Every Supplier on Pitchd has been verified before they can accept a booking. Consumers never book blind. |
| Reward reliable Suppliers | Suppliers who consistently deliver great service are recognised, rewarded with better visibility, and trusted with additional platform privileges. |
| Improve booking confidence | Clear, visible trust signals help Consumers make faster, more confident booking decisions. |
| Reduce marketplace risk | By monitoring performance, compliance, and conduct, Pitchd can identify and act on risk before it affects Consumers. |
| Encourage high standards | When Suppliers know that reliability, responsiveness, and professionalism are measured and recognised, it raises the standard across the marketplace. |
| Create a safer marketplace | A trusted marketplace attracts better Suppliers and more confident Consumers. Trust is Pitchd's most valuable long-term asset. |
Verification is the starting point of trust on Pitchd. Before a Supplier can accept bookings, they must be verified. Verification is not simply a box to tick — it is Pitchd's confirmation that a Supplier is who they say they are, that their business is legitimate, and that they hold the documents required to deliver their services safely and legally.
Pitchd operates four verification levels. A Supplier's verification level reflects their current status on the Platform: ○ Unverified → ✔ Verified → ★ Trusted → ⭐ Recommended. Each level is earned through performance, compliance and platform history.
A Supplier Custom Storefront has been created but not yet verified. This may mean compliance documents are still being reviewed, information is incomplete, or verification is in progress. Unverified Suppliers cannot accept bookings. Their Custom Storefronts may be visible in limited form during onboarding but will not appear in public search results until verification is complete.
A Verified Supplier has completed the Pitchd verification process. Pitchd has reviewed and confirmed their identity, business details, and compliance documents for their service category. Verification is a snapshot in time — Pitchd monitors compliance document expiry dates and notifies Suppliers before documents lapse. If a document expires and is not renewed, verified status may be suspended until it is updated. All Suppliers must reach Verified status before they can receive bookings.
A Trusted Supplier is a Verified Supplier who has built a strong operating history on the Platform. Trusted status is earned, not automatic. Pitchd assesses:
Trusted Suppliers may be eligible for improved search placement, access to additional features, and more favourable payout or deposit release conditions. These benefits may vary over time as the Platform evolves.
Recommended status is the highest verification level on Pitchd, reserved for top-performing Suppliers who consistently exceed platform standards across all assessment areas — not just good service, but reliable, professional, and trustworthy performance across a significant number of bookings.
Recommended Suppliers may receive enhanced visibility, including featured placement in search results and category pages, recognition in Pitchd communications, and access to the most favourable platform privileges available.
The Pitchd Reliability Score is a single number that reflects how reliably a Supplier performs on the Platform — a clear, at-a-glance signal of a Supplier's operating history. The score range is 0–100. A higher score indicates a stronger, more consistent operating history. A lower score may indicate a newer Supplier, a Supplier with limited booking history, or a Supplier who has experienced compliance, cancellation, or service delivery issues.
| Input | What it reflects |
|---|---|
| Booking completion rate | The percentage of Confirmed Bookings fulfilled without cancellation or no-show. |
| Supplier cancellation rate | How often a Supplier cancels Confirmed Bookings, and whether cancellations were for valid reasons. |
| Consumer reviews | The star ratings and written feedback left by Consumers following Confirmed Bookings. |
| Response rate and speed | How consistently and quickly a Supplier responds to Booking Requests within the acceptance window. |
| Compliance history | Whether compliance documents have been kept current, renewed on time, and never lapsed without notification. |
| Dispute history | Whether disputes have been raised against the Supplier and how they were resolved. |
| Account standing | Whether the Supplier has received warnings, restrictions, or other platform actions. |
| Marketplace trust signals | Other platform signals that reflect reliability, professionalism, and Consumer satisfaction. |
Pitchd does not publish the exact formula used to calculate the score — this is intentional, to prevent gaming rather than encouraging genuine improvement.
Score ranges are a guide, not a guarantee of status. A Supplier with a score of 75 is not automatically in Green Status — trust status is assessed holistically.
The Reliability Score is used internally to assess trust status, determine payout and deposit release conditions, and identify Suppliers who may need additional support or monitoring. Over time, elements of the score may be made visible to Consumers in a simplified form.
Pitchd operates a three-tier trust status system. Every Supplier has a trust status reflecting their current standing. Trust status is not the same as verification level — verification is about identity and compliance, while trust status is about performance and reliability. It may affect search visibility, payout timing, deposit release conditions, access to platform features, and promotional opportunities.
The highest trust level on Pitchd. Reflects a Supplier with a strong, consistent operating history — reliable fulfilment, positive Consumer feedback, current compliance, and a low cancellation rate.
The default status for new and most Suppliers. Reflects a Supplier operating normally but who has not yet built the verified history required for Green Status.
Indicates a Supplier's account is under heightened review. Red Status does not automatically mean suspension or removal — it means Pitchd is paying closer attention and may apply additional controls. Suppliers in Red Status are notified of the concerns and given the opportunity to address them.
Pitchd may change a Supplier's trust status at any time based on changes in performance, compliance, or conduct. Suppliers will be notified of significant status changes. The goal is not to punish Suppliers — it is to give every Supplier a fair, transparent signal of where they stand and what they can do to improve.
One of the most important things trust status does on Pitchd is determine how quickly — and how much — Suppliers can receive of their booking value ahead of service delivery. Pitchd operates a three-tier deposit release framework, designed to balance Consumer protection with Supplier cash flow, and to reward Suppliers who have demonstrated they can be trusted with earlier access to funds.
Deposit tier is assessed against objective criteria — a Supplier's Reliability Score, trust status, booking history, and, for the highest tier, verified industry tenure — rather than individual admin discretion. Pitchd retains the ability to adjust an individual Supplier's tier where a genuine risk factor requires it, in the same way trust status itself can change, but tier assignment is not a subjective or arbitrary decision.
A Supplier in Red Status is always assessed at Tier 1 regardless of their underlying Reliability Score or prior tier, for as long as they remain under heightened review. Tier assignment is reviewed on an ongoing basis as a Supplier's Reliability Score, trust status, and booking history evolve, and a Supplier will be notified when their tier changes.
Releasing part of a deposit ahead of service delivery means Pitchd is extending trust ahead of performance for that booking. This is a deliberate trade-off, offered only to Suppliers who have demonstrated it through Pitchd's own performance criteria or genuine, verifiable industry tenure — not a default position, and not available to every Supplier.
Regardless of trust status or deposit tier, every Supplier on Pitchd benefits from Pitchd's core payout commitment: except for amounts properly recoverable under the Payments Terms, the Supplier Agreement, or applicable law, Pitchd does not deduct more than the applicable Booking Success Fee from the Consumer's final transaction amount. Trust status and deposit tier affect when funds are released, not how much the Supplier ultimately receives.
Trust badges are visible indicators on a Supplier's Custom Storefront that help Consumers quickly understand the Supplier's credentials, specialties, and track record. Badges make it easier for Consumers to find Suppliers who match what they're looking for — and give Suppliers a way to showcase what makes them great.
| Badge | What it means |
|---|---|
| Verified Business | Pitchd has verified the Supplier's identity, ABN, and core business details. |
| Insured | The Supplier holds current public liability insurance at the level required for their service category. |
| Licensed | The Supplier holds all licences required for their service category — for example, a food licence, liquor licence, or security licence. |
| Top Rated | The Supplier has achieved a consistently high average star rating across a meaningful number of reviews. |
| Fast Responder | The Supplier consistently responds to Booking Requests within the acceptance window at an above-average rate. |
| Recommended | The Supplier has reached Recommended verification level — the highest status on Pitchd. |
| Most Booked | The Supplier is among the most frequently booked in their category or region. |
| Premium Partner | The Supplier is on the Pitchd Premium subscription plan. |
| Founding Partner badge | The Supplier joined Pitchd during the Founding Partner launch phase and was among the first to build the Platform. |
Pitchd may add new badges, retire existing badges, or update badge criteria over time as the Platform evolves. Badges are awarded and managed by Pitchd. Suppliers cannot purchase badges. If a Supplier believes a badge has been incorrectly awarded or withheld, they may contact Pitchd support to raise the matter.
Badges are accurate at the time they are displayed but rely on current information. If a Supplier's compliance documents lapse or their performance falls below the relevant threshold, a badge may be removed until the situation is resolved.
Pitchd is building towards a future where technology and AI play an active role in helping assess Supplier reliability, identify risk, and surface the best matches for Consumers. This is already underway in foundational ways — automated compliance reminders, performance tracking, and review pattern monitoring are all part of how Pitchd operates today.
Over time, Pitchd's trust systems will become more sophisticated. AI-assisted tools may help Pitchd assess:
Technology assists Pitchd in making better trust decisions. It does not replace human judgment. Every significant trust decision — including status changes, account actions, and badge awards — remains under the control of Pitchd's team. Automated signals inform decisions; they do not make them.
This matters for Suppliers. If a trust signal triggers a concern, a person at Pitchd will review it before any significant action is taken. Automated systems may flag, hold, or temporarily restrict an account in urgent circumstances — but Suppliers always have the right to contact Pitchd and have a human review their situation.
Pitchd will continue to develop its AI and analytics capabilities in line with the Master Plan 2026–2030 roadmap. As these tools become more capable, they will increasingly power features like the AI Event Builder, demand forecasting, and personalised Supplier recommendations — all of which rely on the trust data that the framework described in this document generates.
The trust framework only works if everyone participates in good faith. Pitchd takes marketplace integrity seriously and will act where trust signals or badges are being gamed, manipulated, or abused.
Trust status, Reliability Scores, and badges may be suspended, adjusted, or removed where Pitchd identifies any of the following:
Pitchd reserves the right to take immediate action where marketplace integrity is at risk, including suspending trust benefits, placing accounts under review, and taking the steps described in the Terms of Service and Community Standards. The goal is always to protect the marketplace for everyone — the Suppliers who are doing the right thing and the Consumers who depend on the Platform to connect them with trustworthy businesses.
The Pitchd Trust & Verification Framework is a living system. This is Version 2 — an update to the foundation set out in Version 1. It will continue to grow as Pitchd develops its platform, its data capabilities, and its understanding of what trust looks like across different categories, occasions, and supplier types.
Pitchd is working towards a future that includes:
Pitchd will communicate updates to the Trust & Verification Framework as they are introduced. Significant changes to trust status criteria or badge requirements will be communicated to affected Suppliers in advance.
The Trust & Verification Framework is a platform governance document, not a legal agreement. It describes how Pitchd thinks about trust, how it assesses Suppliers, and how it communicates trust to Consumers. It supplements — and does not replace — the legal documents that govern how the Platform operates.
The following Pitchd policies are directly relevant to the Trust Framework and should be read alongside it:
Where there is any inconsistency between this document and the policies listed above, the relevant policy governs. The Trust & Verification Framework describes how Pitchd intends the trust system to work — the policies describe what is legally required and what happens when things go wrong.
Trust is not something Pitchd can build alone. It is built through every booking that is fulfilled as promised, every review that is honest and genuine, every compliance document that is kept current, and every interaction between a Supplier and a Consumer that leaves both sides better off.
Pitchd's role is to create the conditions for trust — to verify, to measure, to recognise, to protect, and to improve. The Suppliers who embrace this framework and commit to the standards it describes are the ones who will thrive on Pitchd in the long run. And the Consumers who book through Pitchd will keep coming back because they know they can trust what they find here.
That is what this framework is for. For any questions about the Trust & Verification Framework, contact Pitchd support at support@pitchd.com.au. Pitchd Holdings Pty Ltd (ABN: 27 700 271 174), Level 1/100 Overton Road, Williams Landing, 3027.
