Verification Methodology

Stage 1 — Verified basics (required to list)

Every provider who appears on /browse or on a shareable /p/{userId} profile has cleared all of the following. Missing any single one keeps them off the platform.

1. 1. Certified ID document

   A commissioner-certified copy of the applicant's South African ID or valid passport, cross-checked against the live selfie in step 3. Tampered or non-matching documents are rejected.

2. 2. Bank account confirmation

   A bank confirmation letter dated within the last three months, listing an account name that matches the ID. Confirms an active South African bank account for payout routing and adds a live-KYC signal.

3. 3. Live selfie

   An in-browser getUserMedia capture (no pre-shot photo uploads). Matched against the ID document face. A fresh selfie is required every 24 hours before the provider can toggle online.

4. 4. Phone verification

   An SMS one-time code confirms the applicant controls the phone number they registered with. Verified numbers unlock booking notifications and dispute contact routes.

5. 5. Email verification

   Cognito-managed email confirmation on signup. All account-security events (password reset, login alerts, dispute notices) route through the verified address.

6. 6. Terms & Conditions accepted

   An explicit acceptance timestamp of the HomeSorted Terms, Community Guidelines and Safety Guidelines. Providers cannot appear on the marketplace until this is on file.

Stage 2 — HomeSorted Verified badge (optional but powerful)

Providers who complete Stage 1 can level up by earning the "HomeSorted Verified" badge — a small emerald shield displayed next to their name on every surface. To earn it:

• Upload a valid SAPS police clearance certificate issued within the last 12 months.
• Where legally required for their trade, upload the relevant trade certification (PIRB registration for plumbers, Department of Employment and Labour wireman's licence for electricians, gas installer registrations under OHS Act, etc.). Our admin team lists exactly which docs your trade requires when you sign up.

What the badge earns you (Stage 3 — ranking incentives)

The badge is not cosmetic. HomeSorted Verified providers receive concrete ranking boosts throughout the marketplace:

• Appear first in /browse and /services/* search results, ahead of Stage 1 providers, regardless of secondary sort (only "sort by newest" respects a level playing field).
• Priority routing on Direct Requests — clients hitting "request a quote" are matched to verified providers first.
• Eligibility for featured listings, promotions and monthly newsletter spots.
• Show up when a customer filters /browse to "HomeSorted Verified only".
• Their /p/{userId} profile displays the emerald "HomeSorted Verified" pill and matching schema.org hasCredential entries — a strong Google E-E-A-T signal.

Why the two-stage design?

Requiring police clearance up-front would delay onboarding by 2-4 weeks for every applicant — and most first-time providers give up during that gap. The two-stage ladder lets new providers start earning money the moment their baseline checks clear, while giving them a strong, market-visible incentive to complete the clearance and earn the badge. Clients who care about the extra assurance can restrict search to badge-holders in one click.

What verification does NOT prove

Verification confirms identity, banking, criminal-record status (where the badge is held), and live presence. It does NOT prove workmanship skill or tax status on its own. Provider ratings and completed-job counts on each profile speak to skill; SARS matters remain the responsibility of the individual provider.

Rejections and re-application

Providers whose documents are rejected are placed on "on hold" status, notified with the reason, and invited to resubmit. Repeat rejections on the same document (three or more) trigger a manual review by the platform integrity team before further re-submission is allowed.

Ongoing verification

• Every 24 hours a fresh live selfie is required before a provider can toggle online.
• The daily selfie audit surfaces the last 24 hours of captures to the admin team.
• Providers flagged for suspicious selfies are automatically taken offline pending review.
• Providers with a reliability band of "Use caution" are automatically blocked from bidding until their band recovers.

Audit trail

Every verification decision (approve, reject, hold, flag) is written to an immutable activity log with the reviewer, timestamp and reason. Users can request access to the audit trail concerning their own account by emailing privacy@homesorted.co.za.