Methodology
How we rate shops
Four rules, five criteria, fixed weights. Every number in our rankings can be traced back to this page.
- I.
Affiliate partners and placement
Some shops on The Ledger are affiliate partners: when you buy through our links we earn a commission, and that can influence where a shop is placed. Places 1 to 3 are set by the editors — currently Nexo Research, Europa-Peptide and Peptid24 — and reader codes come only from shops we work with. Every other shop is ranked below by its overall score, built from public information: the shop’s own website where it has one, and public listings and buyer ratings such as PeptidesLookup.
- II.
Scores are editorial estimates
We score each shop from its public information: its website, imprint, terms, product pages and any certificates it publishes, plus public listings and buyer ratings. Scores are not lab results, and we have not run our own tests on any product. When a shop publishes more, its score can change.
- III.
Unknown facts are shown as unknown
If a shop hasn’t published its payment methods, lab partner, refund policy or anything else, our tables read “Not published”. We never fill a gap with a guess, and a missing fact counts against transparency.
- IV.
Reviews come only from verified readers
Reader letters require a verified email and are moderated before publication. We never publish invented reviews, counts or averages; where nobody has written yet, the page says so. Ratings from other sites are shown with their source, number of reviews and date, and linked. Neither is blended into our score.
Disclosure. Some shops on this site are affiliate partners: we earn a commission on purchases through our links, and this can influence their placement.
The five criteria
Each shop gets 0–10 on five criteria. The overall score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal place.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Purity & testing | 30 % | Stated purity, independent HPLC/MS testing, batch-level COAs. |
| Transparency | 20 % | Identifiable operator, imprint, clear terms and contact options. |
| Price & value | 20 % | Price level, free-shipping threshold and how generous the coupons are. |
| Shipping | 15 % | EU coverage, speed, discreet packaging, tracking. |
| Support | 15 % | Reachable contact channels and how problems get resolved. |
Worked example — Nexo Research: 8.6 × 0.3 + 8.2 × 0.2 + 8.8 × 0.2 + 9.0 × 0.15 + 8.4 × 0.15 = 8.6.
What the labels mean
- 9.0 – 10Excellent
- 8.5 – 8.9Very good
- 8.0 – 8.4Good
- 7.0 – 7.9Fair
- < 7.0Weak
How reader offers work
Every coupon we list comes from a shop we work with and carries its full terms, minimum order and end date. Offers disappear from the site automatically the day after they expire. Shops can change or withdraw a code at any time; if one fails at checkout, tell us in a reader letter and we will chase it.
Why we verify emails
Codes are masked until you verify an email address with a 6-digit code or Google sign-in. Shops cap redemptions, and codes posted in the open are scraped by bots until the shop switches them off. One verification opens every offer on The Ledger for 180 days, and you can unsubscribe from emails at any time.
Where to read more
Our editorial principles explain how we work with shops and what “not published” means in practice. Shops that want to be listed can read For shops. The current order is always on the rankings page.