Merchant Ratings
SWIM’s merchant rating system uses three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Your rating reflects the quality and consistency of your commerce — fulfillment speed, buyer satisfaction, and the health of your Drop economy. It’s a medal, not a number.
How ratings work
Section titled “How ratings work”After a buyer’s MBO is fulfilled, they receive a post-purchase email asking them to rate the experience. Ratings are collected at the fulfillment event, not days or weeks later when the transaction has faded. This keeps feedback timely and relevant.
SWIM’s system aggregates buyer feedback alongside platform-observable signals — fulfillment time, dispute rate, offer accuracy — to determine your tier. No single rating destroys a tier, and no single five-star review lifts you to Gold. It’s a running assessment of how you operate.
The three tiers
Section titled “The three tiers”Bronze
Section titled “Bronze”Bronze is the starting tier. All new merchants begin here. It signals that you’re active on the platform and making transactions, but your track record is still being established.
Bronze merchants have access to all core SWIM features: Stream creation, offer listing, Drop economy, and standard support.
Silver
Section titled “Silver”Silver is earned by consistently delivering on your offers. The signals that move you from Bronze to Silver include: fulfillment completed on time, positive buyer feedback, low dispute rates, and Drop economy activity that shows sustained buyer engagement.
Silver merchants receive priority support response times and early access to new platform features.
Gold is the mark of a merchant who has built a genuinely trustworthy commerce presence over time. Gold requires sustained performance across all signals — not just a good run, but a track record. Most merchants who reach Gold have been operating on SWIM long enough that their consistency speaks for itself.
Gold merchants receive the earliest access to new platform features, dedicated support, and — eventually — an expanded voice in platform governance discussions.
What moves your rating up
Section titled “What moves your rating up”- Fulfilling offers promptly and completely
- Delivering exactly what your offer descriptions promise
- Resolving disputes quickly and fairly when they arise
- Maintaining active, accurate offer listings (removing or updating stale listings)
- Sustaining buyer engagement with your Drop economy over time
What can move your rating down
Section titled “What can move your rating down”- Unfulfilled or significantly delayed MBOs
- Offers that don’t match their descriptions
- High dispute rates
- Extended periods of inactivity followed by sudden high-volume claims (a pattern that suggests inventory issues)
Maintaining and improving your rating
Section titled “Maintaining and improving your rating”The most reliable path to Gold is simple: do what you said you would do, faster than you promised. Keep your offer descriptions honest. Mark offers as fulfilled when they genuinely are. If a claim can’t be fulfilled for a legitimate reason, communicate proactively — buyers are more forgiving of honest communication than silence.