Trust Tiers — v0
A ladder, not a label.
Trust on UFTA is earned, explainable, and revocable. The same rules apply to everyone — and tier movement is driven by evidence, not by relationship.
Who has a tier
- Providers — food trucks, caterers, walking tours, classes, rentals, venue operators, commissaries.
- Venues — physical places where events happen.
- Events — organizers and event identities.
- Specialists — vetted service partners who support the food economy: design and branding studios, equipment repair, HVAC and refrigeration, insurance, accounting and legal counsel, food-safety and permitting consultants, signage, photography. Specialists earn the same U0–U4 ladder on the same evidence basis as providers — verification, compliance, reliability, and consistent positive signal.
The ladder
U0 — Listed
Basic presence on UFTA. Self-asserted identity, minimal verification.
- Name, contact method, category
- Limited discovery visibility
- No compliance claims implied
U1 — Verified Identity
UFTA has confirmed the entity is real and reachable.
- Business or organization validation per UFTA process
- Verified contact methods
- Optional: IDConnect identity established
U2 — Compliant (Evidence Current)
Required compliance evidence is present and current for the relevant jurisdictions.
- Compliance Pack attached and reviewed
- Required permits, licenses, and insurance current (not expired)
- Verification posture explicit: self-asserted, verified, or third-party-attested
- Optional: IDConnect credentials issued for privacy-preserving proofs
U3 — Reliable (Operational Truth)
Demonstrated reliability over time, with measurable signals and a low dispute rate.
- Schedule and availability freshness maintained
- Operational signals supported when applicable (order accepting, ticket time, sold out, on-site)
- Low rate of unresolved disputes relative to activity
- Confirmed bookings honored; low no-show rate
U4 — Preferred (Trusted by the Network)
Best-in-class behavior, strong proof posture, and consistent community and partner trust.
- U3 sustained over a meaningful window
- High proof posture (verified or third-party-attested where applicable)
- Strong, measurable operational performance during events
- Consistent positive community signal — structured, moderated, not raw hype
What's shown publicly
Public surfaces show the tier badge and current/expired indicators, not raw documents or license numbers. Authorized verifiers can request privacy-preserving proofs via IDConnect — time-bounded and pairwise.
Downgrades and appeals
Tier movement is evidence-based. Expired compliance items, sustained dispute volume, or pattern fraud trigger downgrades through documented workflows. Every downgrade leaves a receipt, and every entity can appeal through the disputes path.
Suspensions are rare and reserved for safety failures or coordinated abuse; they too leave receipts and have an appeals route.