About ProofBadge
Our Mission
To power the modern economy with seamless, user-focused technology.
Company Facts
- Founded: 2025
- Headquarters: Dallas, TX, USA
- Industry: Fintech
- Status: Private
The Problem
Selling high-value items through online marketplaces has always been risky. Whether you’re listing a vehicle, vessel, electronics, or other valuable goods, meeting up with strangers in public places or at home puts you in a vulnerable position. Scammers, tire-kickers, time-wasters, and potentially dangerous encounters make transactions unsafe and inefficient. There should be an easy way to qualify interested buyers before meeting them in person.
Our Solution
ProofBadge was built on a simple premise: serious buyers are willing to prove they can afford what you’re selling. Our web app lets potential buyers demonstrate their financial capability for an item of interest without revealing any account details, bank balances, or personal financial information to sellers. For sellers, this means fewer wasted trips, safer meetings, and more confidence in every interaction.
How It Works
- Seller creates a verification link with a price and minimum proof-of-funds requirement for their listing
- Seller shares the verification link with each potential buyer before meeting
- Buyers verify their funds instantly via the verification link by securely connecting their bank through Plaid without exposing any bank, account, or balance details
- Seller sees verified badges and can confidently proceed with qualified buyers
What We Do (and Don’t Do)
ProofBadge is a financial verification service focused on proof of funds. We do not perform criminal background checks, identity verification beyond what is necessary for our service, or any form of character assessment. Our mission is specifically to help buyers prove they can afford a purchase and to help sellers meet only with financially qualified prospects. All other aspects of the transaction, including personal safety measures, remain the responsibility of the parties involved.
Security and Privacy
All financial connections are handled through Plaid, a trusted verification platform used by major financial institutions with millions of users. We never see or store your bank credentials, never share your exact balance or account details, and sellers only see whether you meet the minimum funds requirement for a specific item.
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.