Frequently asked questions

Best Rated Company is a UK directory that lists only the two best local businesses in each category, in each town. Companies cannot pay to appear. Every listing is independently checked for genuine customer reviews, sound finances and proper public liability insurance before it goes live.

A business must pass three checks in order. First, we screen its reviews across multiple platforms using AI to flag fakes, then phone a random customer to confirm the praise was never paid for. Second, we check it is financially sound — paying its taxes, not bankrupt or in liquidation, and not operating purely cash-in-hand. Third, we require proof of public liability cover in the trading name. Only then is it listed.

No. There is no paid placement of any kind. The entire purpose of the site is to be a list you can trust precisely because it cannot be bought. Listing is free, but the criteria are strict.

A shortlist is useful; a long list is just another search results page. Limiting each category in each town to a maximum of two businesses keeps the bar high and the choice genuinely meaningful. If both slots are full, new applicants join a waiting list.

No. Listing is completely free for businesses that meet the criteria. We are not a pay-to-play directory and we do not charge for placement.

If you run a reputable, well-established local business with authentic reviews on at least one platform and a working website, complete the application form on our Get verified page. If your category is full, you will be added to the waiting list. The only document we always require is a certificate of public liability cover in your business name.

Congratulations — you were chosen as one of the two best in your area. Use the verification form on our Get verified page to customise your listing and add details such as a phone number or email. We ask only for your certificate of public liability cover in the business name being verified.

We cover the whole of the United Kingdom. We list only local, independent businesses in each town and do not list national chains — the point is to surface the best business genuinely rooted in your area.

We do not host star ratings ourselves. Instead, we verify that the genuine reviews a company already has elsewhere are real — including by speaking to an actual customer at random — before we recommend them. That is a higher bar than a number on a page.

No. We take no commission and no referral fee. If you contact a listed company, mention that you found them through Best Rated Company — you may even get a small discount.