Verification Methodology

Stablecoin acceptance changes quietly. A plugin gets disabled during a theme migration. A gateway account lapses. A merchant’s accountant asks them to stop. None of that produces an announcement, which is why a directory in this category is only as good as its verification discipline.

This page sets out ours.

The core rule

We never claim a merchant accepts a specific stablecoin unless the underlying evidence supports the claim. Where the evidence is weaker, the listing says so plainly and is withheld from search engine indexes until it is stronger.

That rule is enforced in the data layer, not just in policy. A merchant record cannot be marked verified without a recorded date, at least one verification method, and at least one citable source. The build fails if it is.

What the statuses mean

Verified. An editor completed a documented check within the last six months, recorded which methods were used, and cited sources a reader can open. This is the only status that earns the green badge.

Recently confirmed. A check was completed but is now older than six months. The information was right when we looked and has not been re-checked since. A verified listing degrades to this automatically as it ages — freshness is not something an editor can forget to update.

Payment availability may vary. Acceptance is real but inconsistent: it depends on your country, the product, which checkout you reach, or the size of the order. Applied where an unqualified “accepts USDC” would mislead.

Unverified. Compiled from the merchant’s own public documentation and not yet independently confirmed. Treat these as leads, not guarantees. They render on the site so readers and our own editors can see them, and they carry noindex and stay out of the sitemap.

No longer accepting. We believe the merchant has stopped. Kept for reference, because “did this merchant stop?” is a question people search for.

How we verify

We use one or more of the following, and record which:

Merchant documentation. A published help page, FAQ or checkout page on the merchant’s own site stating which coins and networks are accepted. Strong evidence, and the most common starting point.

Checkout test. Reaching the payment step of a real checkout to see the coin and network options presented. The strongest evidence available, because it reflects what a customer actually gets rather than what a help page written two years ago says. We do this where it is practical without completing a purchase.

Merchant announcement. An official post, release or public statement from the merchant.

Payment provider documentation. Where a merchant’s gateway is known, the provider’s documented asset list constrains what the merchant can possibly accept. Useful corroboration; not sufficient on its own, because a merchant may have enabled only a subset.

Merchant submission. Information supplied by the business itself through our submission form. Always corroborated before it results in a verified status — a merchant telling us they accept USDC is a claim, not a verification.

Direct merchant confirmation. Written confirmation from someone at the business.

What we record

Every merchant record stores the status, the date of the most recent check, the methods used, an editor’s note explaining the basis, and a list of sources with URLs. The sources are published on the profile so you can check our work rather than take our word for it.

Re-verification

Verified listings enter a six-month freshness window. Past it, the badge changes automatically and the profile shows the age of the check.

We prioritise re-verification by how likely a listing is to have changed and how much traffic it receives. Plugin-based ecommerce acceptance changes most often; a hosting provider that has taken crypto for a decade changes least.

Paid verified listings receive faster re-verification. That is a service-level difference in when we look, not a difference in what we are willing to say. A paying merchant does not get a verified badge without passing the same check.

What our verification is not

It is not a guarantee. A merchant that accepted USDC yesterday can stop today without telling anyone. Always confirm payment options at the merchant’s own checkout before you pay.

It is not an endorsement. We verify that a payment method is accepted. We do not verify that a business is well run, will deliver, or will treat you fairly. Do your own diligence, particularly on high-value purchases.

It is not a security review. We have not audited anyone’s infrastructure, custody or data handling.

Corrections

If a listing is wrong, tell us and include what you saw. We will re-check and update.

We publish the verification date on every profile precisely so you can judge how much weight to give it. A listing checked last month is worth more than one checked last year, and we would rather show you the date than hide it.

The single most important thing on this page

Stablecoin payment availability can change at any time. Always confirm payment options directly with the merchant, at their own checkout, before you pay. Blockchain transactions are generally irreversible.