Funds verification for
serious buyers & sellers
Sell high-value items confidently. Qualify buyers instantly with proof of funds. Free for sellers.
Create a verification link
Set a title and minimum proof-of-funds amount for what you're selling.
Share the verification link
Interested buyers sign up for instant and private funds verification.
View funded buyers
See all qualified buyers in the dashboard sorted by inquiry time.
Sell for free
- Create unlimited verification links for your listings
- Attract serious, pre-qualified buyers only
- Sort and prioritize buyers by inquiry time
- Get instant buyer fund verifications
$10 per Buyer Pass
- 30 day period for unlimited verifications
- No subscription; purchase when needed
- Instant, secure funds verification via Plaid
- No balance, bank, or account details shared
Enhanced transactions
Local marketplace transactions have always been fraught with potential risks and issues: thefts, muggings, scams, counterfeit cash, tire-kickers, time-wasters, hagglers, no-shows, last-minute cancellers.
ProofBadge helps mitigate these by verifying that interested buyers are sufficiently funded upfront. Serious buyers who prove they can afford what you're selling are far less likely to disappear, waste your time, or put you in uncomfortable situations.
When an interested buyer goes through ProofBadge, you know they've passed a legitimate process, giving you more peace of mind before you meet in person.
For sellers
Mitigation
Reduce the likelihood of dealing with scams, wasted time, and unsafe encounters. Buyers who prove they can afford what you're selling are preferable to transact with.
Prioritization
Prioritize high-intent buyers when you get significant inbound interest. Use ProofBadge as a filter, then sort qualified buyers to honor "First come, first served".
For buyers
Privacy First
Your financial details are 100% private. Sellers can only see if you meet their minimum proof-of-funds amount—not how much money you have or who you bank with.
Stand Out
Get prioritized by sellers via instant funds verification. A Buyer Pass grants you 30 days of fund checks for any item from any seller on the platform.
Powered by Plaid
ProofBadge uses Plaid, the industry-leading
financial technology platform trusted by over 12,000 companies, to securely verify funds.
Financial credentials are never seen or stored by ProofBadge. Plaid lets you connect your bank
through its own encrypted connection; ProofBadge simply checks if you have sufficient funds for
what you're buying.
Major consumer apps like Venmo, Cash App, Robinhood, and Coinbase all rely on Plaid for secure financial connections.
Your data stays safe with the same technology trusted by millions.
Frequently asked questions
General
No. Sellers do not need to connect a bank account unless they are also buying and want to verify their funds via a verification link.
Verification is instant. Once a buyer connects their account, the funds check happens in seconds. Sellers see successful verifications in the dashboard immediately.
Buyers sign up to ProofBadge and securely connect their bank account or brokerage through Plaid, the trusted verification service used by major financial institutions. ProofBadge checks that sufficient funds exist for the specific transaction amount and generates a verified badge. Sellers receive confirmation without ever seeing any balances or account details.
Send your buyer a verification link when you're ready to meet. The link lets them confirm their funds securely and privately in under a minute—without sharing any sensitive account details with you.
No. Sellers do not receive any portion of the verification fee. The fee covers the cost of secure financial verification through Plaid and other business operation expenses.
No. Sellers only see successful verifications. If a fund check doesn't clear the minimum amount, the seller is never notified. You can try again after adding funds or selecting a different account.
Since financial institution connections and balance checks cost money, we cannot offer refunds when transactions don't go through between buyers and sellers. However, a ProofBadge Buyer Pass gives you 30 days of fund checks that can be used for unlimited items from unlimited sellers.
Security & Privacy
Absolutely. All financial connections are handled securely through Plaid, which is trusted by millions of users and thousands of financial institutions. ProofBadge never shares your actual balance or account details. Sellers only see if you have sufficient funds for their item.
ProofBadge uses Plaid, a secure third-party service trusted by Venmo, Cash App, and other major financial institutions. When you connect your account, you enter your credentials directly into Plaid's interface—ProofBadge never accesses or stores them. Plaid then securely confirms your balance to ProofBadge. We only check if it meets the minimum proof-of-funds amount.
ProofBadge only requests the minimum permissions needed: account balance information. We do not access transaction history, account numbers, routing numbers, or any other financial data. The only information we receive is whether your balance meets the required amount for the transaction.
Never. Your bank or brokerage credentials are entered directly into Plaid's secure interface—ProofBadge never sees them, and sellers definitely don't. The only thing shared with sellers is whether you have sufficient funds for the agreed amount.
When you connect your account through Plaid, it generates a secure access token that allows ProofBadge to check your balance without needing your credentials again. ProofBadge encrypts and stores this token—never your username or password. If you disconnect a financial account, the token is instantly revoked. Deleting your ProofBadge account also revokes all connected tokens.
No. ProofBadge only verifies that a buyer has sufficient funds for a specific transaction. ProofBadge does not perform background checks, identity verification, or criminal record searches. ProofBadge cannot guarantee the safety of any transaction or the trustworthiness of any party. Always take appropriate precautions when meeting strangers and conducting private sales.
Misc.
Send your verification link when you're ready to meet a buyer in person, or if the transaction involves time-consuming disclosures. Verifying funds upfront ensures you're only investing time with serious, qualified buyers.
ProofBadge is completely free for sellers. A Buyer Pass costs $10 and lasts 30 days. During this period, buyers can verify funds for unlimited items from unlimited sellers.
Plaid, the secure verification API used by ProofBadge, charges for financial institution connections and balance checks.
ProofBadge works for any transaction, but is most commonly used for high-value, high-trust, or time-heavy sales. Examples include cars, trucks, electronics, designer goods, and boats.
ProofBadge supports over 12,000 financial institutions across the United States through integration with Plaid. This includes all major banks like Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Capital One, as well as credit unions, online banks, and brokerages like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Robinhood.
Yes. Your ProofBadge account works for both roles. You can create verification links as a seller to qualify buyers, and can also verify your own funds when buying from others.
No. ProofBadge is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or any other marketplace platform. ProofBadge simply provides a verification tool that buyers and sellers can use alongside any platform of their choice.
No. ProofBadge is designed to be as simple as possible. The website works great on any device—funds verification or buyer status checks can be done right from your phone's browser.
If you have any other questions, please reach out to support@proofbadge.com.