No algorithm decides.
A person verifies.

The owner tells us their story — the shop, the street, the craft. With the application we ask for three things: a storefront photo with the sign visible, the owner's government-issued ID, and a proof of registered business in the same name. No anonymous applications, no agencies applying on behalf of "brands".

We look up the address on Google Street View and match it against the storefront photo. A real sign, on a real street, at the address given. If the door doesn't exist, the conversation ends there — politely, but firmly.

The ID confirms a real human stands behind the counter. The business document — a tax registration, EIN letter or LLC filing — confirms a registered business in that same name. Both are checked once by our verification team, stored encrypted, never shared, and deleted once verification is complete. We verify people, we don't collect them.

Decision within 3 business days, with a reason either way. Approved shops receive the verified badge, a founding number if they're among the first 100, and a profile page that tells their story the way it deserves to be told.