Published: 10 May 2025

Trustpilot is one of the world’s largest and most influential review platforms, boasting millions of reviews and a global reach. But the way its business model works means that ratings are often less objective than they appear-especially for brands that pay for premium accounts.

How Trustpilot Actually Works

Trustpilot operates a freemium model: any business can claim a profile and collect reviews for free, but paid subscriptions (starting at £259/month and rising to over £500/month for advanced features) unlock a suite of powerful tools. These include the ability to display only positive reviews on their own website (using “Trustboxes”), respond to reviews publicly, and, crucially, flag and challenge negative reviews for removal much more efficiently than non-paying brands can【9】【13】.

The TrustScore-a brand’s headline rating-is calculated using only recent reviews, not a true average of all time. This means that a flood of recent positive reviews (often solicited after a bad run) can quickly erase the impact of older negative feedback. In addition, Trustpilot’s own transparency reports have revealed that millions of fake reviews have been posted on the platform, with many remaining live for years before removal【8】【13】.

How Brands Influence Their Ratings

• Flagging and Reporting: Paid brands can flag negative reviews for alleged breaches of guidelines. If the reviewer does not respond with proof of purchase within 7 days, the review is removed. This process is often used to cull genuine but critical reviews【13】.
• Trustbox Filtering: Brands using Trustpilot’s “Trustbox” widgets on their own sites can filter out all reviews below a certain star rating. This means visitors only see 4- and 5-star reviews, not the full picture【13】.
• Automated Invitations: Brands can send automated invites to happy customers immediately after purchase, boosting the proportion of positive reviews【12】.
• Review Removal and Delays: Negative reviews flagged by brands are hidden from public view while under investigation, even if ultimately reinstated. This can artificially inflate scores during critical periods (e.g., product launches, PR crises)【13】.
• Fake Reviews and Review Bombing: Trustpilot has acknowledged the presence of millions of fake reviews. Some are posted by competitors or agencies, others by brands themselves to boost their own image【8】【13】.

Why Paid Accounts Skew the Truth

Studies of Trustpilot’s business model show that brands with paid accounts are far more likely to have high TrustScores than those using the free version. This is not just because they deliver better service, but because they can actively manage their public image: removing negative reviews, showcasing only the best feedback, and soliciting positive responses in bulk【8】【13】.

In one public case, a brand’s Trustpilot page displayed a warning that its ratings could not be trusted after evidence of manipulation-but this warning was quietly removed weeks later, and the manipulated reviews remained. The TrustScore itself was unaffected【8】. The public perception is that Trustpilot’s headline score is a reliable average, but in reality, it is heavily weighted towards recent, often solicited, reviews and can be gamed by those with the resources to pay for premium features.

The GoNoGo Difference

At GoNoGo, we believe that brand ratings should be objective, transparent, and immutable. No brand can pay to remove or hide negative reviews, and our scores are calculated using a transparent, published methodology. Every score is built on a foundation of independent data, and once published, it cannot be changed by the brand. Our interactive audit widget below lets you see just how easily scores can be manipulated elsewhere-and why GoNoGo’s approach is different.