How We Score Peptide Vendors
The PVS (Peptide Verification Score) is a 0-100 quality metric built from 5 independent data pillars. Here's exactly how it works.
The Formula
5 Pillars, Weighted
Each vendor earns a 0-100 sub-score on five independent pillars. The final PVS is a weighted average.
PVS Score Formula
Pillar Breakdown
What Goes Into Each Score
Purity Testing
The highest-weighted pillar — because purity is the bottom line. HPLC chromatogram analysis is the gold standard: we require a single dominant peak with ≥ 95% purity, confirmed by mass spectrometry identity match. Heavy metals and impurity levels are screened against ICP-MS thresholds. Vendors cannot self-report; every data point is cross-checked against the issuing lab.
What we check
- HPLC purity confirmation (single dominant peak, ≥ 95% threshold)
- Mass spectrometry identity match (±1 Da tolerance)
- Impurity profile — all peaks identified and quantified
- Heavy metals screening via ICP-MS
- Purity trend analysis across multiple batches
COA Verification
Every vendor-submitted Certificate of Analysis is cross-referenced against lab databases, historical batch data, and our reference library. We verify the issuing lab's ISO 17025 accreditation, check for duplicate or suspicious COA patterns, and confirm batch-to-batch consistency. Researchers can also upload COAs directly — community submissions are reviewed within 48 hours.
What we check
- Independent lab accreditation (ISO 17025 required)
- Batch-to-batch COA consistency across ≥ 6 batches
- Certificate authenticity — direct lab confirmation
- Detection of duplicated, altered, or suspicious COA patterns
- Community-submitted COAs reviewed and weighted by submission history
Community Sentiment
Natural language processing aggregates community sentiment from r/Peptides, r/SARMs, r/ResearchChemicals, and related subreddits. Spam and shill detection filters remove promotional content. Recency-weighted scoring means recent posts count more.
What we check
- NLP-based sentiment classification (positive/neutral/negative)
- Volume-weighted scoring — more mentions matter more
- Recency weighting — recent posts carry more weight
- Shill detection via account history analysis
- Topic extraction for trend identification
Vendor Transparency
How open and responsive a vendor is to verification requests, customer inquiries, and independent testing.
What we check
- Pricing transparency and product labeling accuracy
- Response time to PepAssure verification requests
- Third-party lab testing availability
- Return/refund policy clarity
- Batch traceability and public contact information
Order Experience
Aggregated feedback from the research community on the actual ordering experience — from checkout to delivery to support.
What we check
- Verified buyer reviews tied to confirmed purchases
- Shipping speed and packaging quality
- Cold-chain handling for temperature-sensitive peptides
- Customer service responsiveness
- Order accuracy
Score Tiers
Interpreting Your Score
Exceptional
Top-tier vendor with consistent quality across all pillars. Typically verified for 12+ months.
Strong
Reliable vendor with minor areas for improvement. Safe choice for most research.
Average
Acceptable but with some flagged concerns. Review the breakdown before ordering.
Below Average
Significant issues detected. Proceed with caution and independent verification.
Poor
Major red flags. Not recommended for research use.
Our Principles
Why You Can Trust PVS
Independence
We accept no money from vendors. Claiming a listing is free, and paid tiers only unlock dashboard tools — they never influence your score.
Transparency
The full scoring formula is public. Vendors can see exactly which factors affect their score and how to improve each one.
Data-Driven
Every score component is measurable and reproducible. Subjective judgments are minimized through multi-source aggregation.
Real-Time
Scores update daily as new COAs, reviews, and community data flow in. Community-submitted COAs are accepted and reviewed within 48 hours. Stale data points are weighted down over time. Subscribe to score alerts on any vendor and we'll notify you the moment their score changes.
Transparency
What PVS Does Not Measure
PVS is an aggregate quality signal, not a substitute for your own due diligence. We explicitly don't measure:
- Individual batch quality — always check the specific COA for your order
- Therapeutic or safety claims — PVS is for research vendors only
- Regulatory compliance in your jurisdiction
- Price competitiveness — we focus purely on quality signals
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