A 2024 BrightLocal study found that 62% of consumers are concerned about fake reviews when shopping online. When asked what would most increase their trust in a review, the top answer — ahead of photos, detailed text, or star distribution — was verification that the reviewer actually purchased the product.
Why shoppers distrust on-site reviews
Reviews that live on the brand's own website carry an inherent credibility question: did the brand filter or write these? Third-party platforms like Amazon or Trustpilot have built trust partly because of their verification infrastructure. A Verified Purchase badge brings that same signal to your own storefront.
What verification actually checks
Proper verification matches the reviewer's email address against your actual Shopify order history. It confirms that this specific email address placed and received an order containing the reviewed product. It doesn't check whether the customer liked the product — only that they bought it.
- ✓Order must exist in Shopify with fulfillment status
- ✓Email submitted with the review must match the order email
- ✓Product reviewed must match a product in that order
- ✓Verification happens at submission — badges cannot be revoked retroactively for genuine purchases
The display matters too
A verified badge that looks like a tooltip or a tiny icon is not doing its job. The badge needs to be visually prominent, immediately legible, and positioned close to the reviewer's name. 'Verified Purchase' in a small green chip next to the name, visible without scrolling or hovering, is the standard that converts.
Revova implementation
Verification is automatic on all plans. No configuration required. Every submitted review is checked against your Shopify orders API at submission time. Verified badges appear in the storefront widget and in review exports.