Scoring methodology

Peptide vendor trust scores explained

By The Merit Research Team

A peptide vendor trust score quantifies how much independent verification evidence a vendor has — not how good their marketing is. Merit Verified's Merit Score (0–100) is derived entirely from observable evidence, with no paid placement and the full methodology published below.

The Merit Score (0–100)

Every component is derived from observable evidence — no reviews, opinions, or paid signals. Vendors earn from zero. A vendor with no independent COA on file is shown as Unscored, never assigned a flattering middle number.

Independent COAs +40

The largest component. Each COA is weighted by the reputation of the lab that issued it and decayed by age — a COA from 18 months ago is worth roughly half of a fresh one. This pushes vendors to maintain ongoing testing rather than relying on one old document. Volume of independent evidence is the single strongest signal of trustworthy testing practices.

Median measured purity +25

Based on the actual purity percentages reported across a vendor's COAs. Zero points for median purity below 95%; full 25 at 100%. Only COAs that report a measured value count — a COA that states "meets specification" without a number doesn't contribute to purity scoring.

Distinct independent labs +20

The number of different independent labs behind a vendor's COAs. One lab earns 8 points, two labs 14, three or more labs 20. Multiple independent labs are hard to fake at scale and indicate a vendor is getting genuine third-party testing rather than routing everything through a single preferred relationship.

Evidence breadth +10

The number of distinct peptides and lots tested. A vendor with deep COA coverage across ten different compounds is harder to game than one with a single well-tested flagship product. Breadth rewards vendors who test everything they sell, not just their best-performing SKU.

Years active +5

One point per year of verifiable operation. Longevity is weak evidence on its own — a vendor can operate for years while selling poor-quality products — but it's a useful tiebreaker between otherwise similar evidence profiles. New vendors are not penalized; they simply haven't accumulated this yet.

Vendors flagged as scam-flagged are floored to 0 regardless of evidence. Scores recompute on every re-index.

What the score does and does not measure

It measures observable verification evidence — not product quality in the abstract. A high Merit Score means a vendor has accumulated substantial independent COA evidence across recognized labs with strong measured purity. It doesn't mean every vial is perfect or that the vendor is risk-free.

It doesn't measure safety. COA purity testing confirms identity and concentration. It doesn't screen for solvents, heavy metals, endotoxins, or microbial contamination. The Merit Score doesn't reward vendors for those tests — not because they don't matter, but because they're rarely available publicly enough to index consistently.

It doesn't measure legality or FDA compliance. Some high-scoring vendors sell compounds that the FDA has reclassified or flagged. The Merit Score is an evidence score, not a legal clearance. Check the regulatory tracker for compound-level enforcement status.

Revenue never touches the score. Some vendors have affiliate arrangements with Merit Verified. Those links are labeled on every page. Affiliate status has zero input into the Merit Score, ranking, or inclusion — that independence is the load-bearing invariant. The day a paying partner ranks higher because they pay, the score becomes a lie.

See vendor scores Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

How is the Merit Score calculated?

The Merit Score is a 0–100 measure derived from five components of observable verification evidence: independent COAs (up to 40 points, weighted by lab reputation and age-decayed), median measured purity (up to 25 points), number of distinct independent labs (up to 20 points), evidence breadth across peptides and lots (up to 10 points), and years active (up to 5 points). No reviews, opinions, or paid signals are included. Vendors earn from zero — a vendor with no independent COA on file is shown as Unscored.

Can a vendor pay to rank higher on Merit Verified?

No. Trust signals cannot be bought on Merit Verified. No vendor pays to appear higher in the directory, receive a better score, or have flags removed. Some vendors have affiliate arrangements with Merit Verified — those links are labeled on every page — but affiliate status has zero input into the Merit Score, ranking, or inclusion. This separation is the load-bearing invariant that makes the score meaningful.

What does it mean if a vendor is Unscored?

Unscored means Merit Verified has found no independent COA evidence for that vendor in the registry. It does not mean the vendor is fraudulent — it may be newer, smaller, or simply not yet in the COA databases Merit Verified indexes. But it does mean you have no observable verification evidence to rely on. Merit Verified never assigns a middle number to a vendor with no evidence; Unscored is the honest representation of that state.

What is the highest possible Merit Score?

100. A vendor would need a high volume of recent independent COAs from three or more independent labs, median measured purity at or near 100%, broad evidence across many different peptide compounds and lots, and years of documented operation. In practice, most strong vendors score in the 60–85 range. A score above 85 represents exceptional and sustained independent testing practices.

Does the Merit Score tell me if a peptide is safe to use?

No. The Merit Score measures the quality of independent verification evidence — it is not a safety certification. A high score means a vendor has demonstrated consistent independent testing; it does not mean the peptides are approved for human use, free from all contaminants, or appropriate for your situation. Most research peptides are classified as research-use only and are not FDA-approved for human consumption.

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