Certification Standings

Earn your Standing.
It can't be bought.

Every IBT Standing is determined by two things: how many of your clients said you delivered, and what percentage that is. A formula decides. No one at IBT has a vote.

How Standings work

Two gates. Both have to open.

To earn any Standing, you need to hit two thresholds at the same time — not just one. Think of it as needing both a strong score and enough data to make that score meaningful.

Gate 1 — Satisfaction ratio

What percentage of your clients said yes? Higher standings need a higher percentage — 80% for Bronze, all the way to 95% for Platinum.

Gate 2 — Volume of positives

How many verified positive clients did you have? A 100% rating from 3 people doesn't carry the same weight as 95% from 500. Volume matters — and higher standings need more of it.

Your Standing is recalculated every time you renew — which is every year. Last year's Platinum doesn't carry over. You earn it fresh, every time.

How the decision is made
1.IBT contacts your clients and asks if they got what they paid for. Identities are verified.
2.The responses come in over 90 days. IBT counts verified positives and negatives.
3.The formula runs. If you pass the statistical threshold, you're certified. Your Standing is whichever level you hit on both gates.
4.You receive your certificate, badge, and directory listing. Your clients never know your individual score — just that you're certified.
Annual Standings

Four levels. All earned.

Your Standing is awarded after each certification cycle based on where your results land. There is no application for a specific Standing — the data decides.

🥉
Bronze

Verified. Meets the certification standard. Your clients are genuinely satisfied — and now there's independent proof of that.

≥80% satisfied
+ minimum response volume
🥈
Silver

Consistently strong. You're delivering across a broader client base, not just on a good run. That consistency shows up in the data.

≥85% satisfied
+ 1.5× minimum volume
🥇
Gold

Excellent at scale. High satisfaction delivered to a real volume of clients. This is where the top tier of service businesses land.

≥90% satisfied
+ 2× minimum volume
🏆
Platinum

Exceptional. Fewer than one in twenty clients unsatisfied, proven at real scale. The top of what IBT certifies.

≥95% satisfied
+ 3× minimum volume
Milestone Awards

For businesses that have stayed the course.

Annual standings reset every year. But longevity matters too. IBT recognizes businesses that have maintained continuous certification over the years with milestone awards — earned automatically alongside your annual Standing, never applied for separately.

🟢
Jade
2 Years Certified

You've renewed. That means two consecutive years of your clients being independently verified — not just once.

Pearl
3 Years Certified

Three years of verified client satisfaction. A pattern, not a fluke.

🌈
Opal
5 Years Certified

Half a decade of staying verified. Clients, staff, and practices have changed — and the standard held.

🔵
Sapphire
10 Years Certified

A decade. Businesses that last this long have built something real.

🟩
Emerald
25 Years Certified

A quarter century of verified client satisfaction. Legacy-level proof.

🔴
Ruby
50 Years Certified

Fifty consecutive years of client trust independently verified. The rarest credential in business.

💎
Diamond
100 Years Certified

One hundred years. If this day comes, we'll find a better way to honor it.

Milestone awards are added to your IBT profile and directory listing automatically. They don't replace your annual Standing — they appear alongside it. A Platinum Diamond is the combination of the highest current standing and the longest tenure.

Start working toward your Standing.

The only way to find out where you'd land is to apply. Most businesses are surprised by how strong their results are.