Trade verification.
Callout says every trade is verified. This is the page where that word has to mean something specific. Here is exactly what we check, who checks it, and what each badge deliberately does not claim.
Four checks, not one tick
A single 'verified' badge hides which claim it is making. So we don't use one. Each check stands on its own, shows on the trader's profile with the date it was granted, and none of them is automatic. A person reviews the evidence in every case.
Identity
- What we ask for
- A passport or driving licence, matched to a live photo of the person holding it.
- What the badge means
- The person whose name and face are on the profile is the person who will knock on your door.
- What it doesn’t
- Say anything about their work. It answers who, not how good.
Trade qualifications
- What we ask for
- The certificates and registrations that the trade actually requires: Gas Safe, NICEIC, and the equivalents for other trades. We check these against the issuing register, not just the piece of paper.
- What the badge means
- They hold the credentials their trade demands, and those credentials were live when we looked.
- What it doesn’t
- Cover work outside the trades listed on their profile.
Business
- What we ask for
- The trading name and company number, confirmed against Companies House.
- What the badge means
- There is a real, identifiable business behind the profile, one you could look up yourself.
- What it doesn’t
- Apply to sole traders who aren't registered as a company; plenty of excellent trades aren't.
Insurance
- What we ask for
- A current public liability certificate, checked for cover level and expiry date.
- What the badge means
- They carried valid cover on the date we checked it, and we hold the certificate.
- What it doesn’t
- Guarantee the policy is still live today, or that a given claim would succeed under it. Policies lapse; we re-check, but there is a gap between renewals.
What verification is not
It is not a warranty on the work. No document check can tell you whether a particular job will be done well. That is what ratings, reviews of past work, held payment and the dispute process are for, and they exist precisely because verification cannot do it alone.
It is not a criminal record check. We confirm who someone is and what they are qualified to do; we do not run DBS or background checks, and no badge on Callout should be read as one.
It is not permanent. Certificates expire and policies lapse. Each badge carries the date it was granted so you can see how current it is, and a check that expires comes off the profile rather than quietly standing.
It is not a substitute for asking. Verified or not, a good trade will happily talk you through what they are proposing before they start. Every offer on Callout has a message thread attached for exactly that.
What this changes for you as a customer
How to read the badges when you're comparing offers.
Open any trader’s profile from an offer. The badges are listed with their dates, alongside their rating, review count and past work, before you decide anything.
Which badges matter depends on the job. Trade qualifications carry the most weight on gas and electrical work, where they are a legal requirement rather than a nice-to-have. Insurance matters most where something could go expensively wrong.
If a badge doesn’t match what you can find out yourself, tell us. Report a problem has the route. We would much rather re-check a badge than leave a wrong one standing.
Getting verified as a trader
What to have ready, and what to expect.
You submit your details and documents in the app, under your profile. There is no charge for any of it.
Have to hand: photo ID, the certificates for every trade you want to be listed under, your company number if you trade as a limited company, and your current public liability certificate.
Everything you submit is stored unverified until a person has reviewed it. Badges appear on your profile one at a time as each check clears, so you are not blocked from bidding while a slower one is outstanding.
If a check is rejected we tell you why, and you can resubmit. Sensitive details such as your insurance policy number are never shown to customers.
More on how bidding, offers and payouts work in the Help centre.
Still stuck? Write to us.
A person reads every message. Include the job title and your postcode and we can usually answer in one reply instead of three.
- support@calloutapp.co.uk
- Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm