Trust & Verification
Travomate Cargo provides a verification programme for both sides of the marketplace: capacity providers and cargo owners. Verification builds credibility, reduces risk for everyone, and helps legitimate businesses stand out.
Why Verification Matters
Freight involves real money and legal obligations. Risk runs both ways:
- Cargo owners need confidence that the provider they are dealing with is a legitimate, registered business that can actually carry their goods.
- Providers need confidence that the cargo owner is real. Unverified cargo owners are how fake-cargo listings and non-payment fraud enter a marketplace.
Verifying both sides closes both risks.
Verification Tiers
Both roles start from the same baseline check (company registration and VAT), and providers can go further with freight-specific credentials.
Cargo Owner Verification
To become a verified cargo owner, submit:
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Company registration | Proof of business registration in your country of operation |
| VAT number | Your VAT or tax identification number |
| Business profile | Company details: name, country, and contact information |
Capacity Provider Verification
Providers submit the same baseline, and may additionally evidence freight credentials:
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Company registration | Proof of business registration in your country of operation |
| VAT number | Your VAT or tax identification number |
| Business profile | Details about your business, services, and operating areas |
| Freight credentials (for the freight badge) | Operating authority, customs/forwarding licences, or equivalent evidence of freight operations |
Trust Badges and What Each One Verifies
A badge is only meaningful if it stands for a defined check. Each badge below states exactly what an admin confirms before awarding it.
| Badge | Awarded to | What the admin verifies |
|---|---|---|
| Verified Company | Either role | Company registration and VAT/tax ID are valid; identity matches the submitted business profile |
| Verified Cargo Owner | Cargo owners | Verified Company checks pass for a cargo-owner account |
| Verified Freight Provider | Capacity providers | Verified Company checks pass and freight-specific evidence (operating authority / forwarding or customs licence) confirms real freight operations |
Badges signal a defined check, not a guarantee
A badge confirms the specific items above were checked at the time of verification. It is not a warranty of performance, solvency, or insurance. For the risk position, see Insurance & Liability.
Verification Process
- Initiate: the user submits their business name, registration number, VAT number, and supporting details, creating a verification record in
pendingstatus. - Admin review: an admin reviews the submitted documents and approves, rejects, or requests more information.
- Auto-assignment: on approval, the system assigns the matching verification group and the badge appears on the user's profile and listings.
See Account & Group Lifecycle for how verification maps onto group assignment.
Ratings and Reviews
Both cargo owners and capacity providers can leave ratings and written reviews after a completed shipment. These are displayed publicly on each user's profile.
Reviews cover:
- Reliability and punctuality, including cancellations and no-shows (see Cancellation & No-Show Policy)
- Communication quality
- Accuracy of listing information
Phase 1 vs Later: What Is Checked, and How
Recording this explicitly so badge meaning is unambiguous as the programme deepens.
| Check | Phase 1 | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration & VAT | Manual admin review | Automated validation (e.g. VAT-ID lookup) |
| Freight credentials for the provider badge | Manual admin review | Manual, with a structured evidence queue |
| Sanctions / AML screening of counterparties | Not yet | Added to the admin verification workflow |
| Licensed Forwarder badge (AEO / customs-broker / operating licence) | Not yet | Introduced as a distinct, evidence-backed badge |
| Proof of insurance as a badge criterion | Not yet | Under consideration (see Insurance & Liability) |
Decision recorded: Phase 1 verification is manual admin review of company registration and VAT for both roles, plus manual review of freight evidence for the provider badge. Automated validation, sanctions/AML screening, and the additional freight badges are deferred to a later phase.
Verification builds trust for both sides
Verified users receive a badge on their profile and listings and appear more prominently in search. Whether you post cargo or offer capacity, getting verified makes the other side more willing to deal with you.