Skip to content

The 30 rules that protect your store

Every time a robot or assistant tries to buy in your store, Trusteed checks these rules in milliseconds. Hit "See it in action" on any rule to watch it work.

30
active rules
2
security tiers
<10ms
per evaluation

Who is buying?

Rules that verify the agent's identity before anything else.

R001BlockTier 1

The agent must identify itself

If a robot or assistant wants to buy in your store it must show its 'digital ID'. No identification, no purchase. That simple.

Example: An anonymous bot tries to add 3 shirts to the cart → Trusteed stops it before payment.

R002BlockTier 1

The agent's ID must be genuine

The agent's digital ID has a cryptographic 'signature' that proves it is real. If someone tries to use a fake or tampered ID, the purchase is stopped instantly.

Example: An attacker tampers with the agent token → invalid signature → blocked.

R003BlockTier 1

The order must not exceed what the user authorised

When a user lets an assistant buy for them, they set a limit ('no more than €100'). If the cart goes over that limit the purchase is stopped.

Example: User authorised up to €100 and the cart reaches €250 → blocked.

R004BlockTier 2

Digital ID too new

If the agent's 'digital ID' was created less than 24 hours ago, an extra check is added. New keys are a warning sign.

Example: Agent uses a key created 2 hours ago → extra check before payment.

R005BlockTier 1

Agent is blocked or revoked

If Trusteed has cancelled an agent's access — for abuse, fraud or any other reason — that agent cannot buy in any connected store.

Example: An agent marked as fraudulent tries to buy → blocked immediately.

R006BlockTier 2

Verification source not reliable enough

Not all systems that 'verify' agents are equally reliable. If the verification source has low confidence, the purchase is stopped.

Example: Agent verified by a low-confidence system (40%) → blocked.

R007BlockTier 2

Agent blocked in other stores

If an agent has been blocked in 2 or more Trusteed stores in the last 30 days, your store blocks it too. Shared protection between merchants.

Example: A bot blocked in 3 clothing stores → also blocked in your shoe store.

R008BlockTier 1

Agent requesting more permissions than authorised

The user gives the assistant specific permissions ('search only', 'add to cart only'). If the assistant tries to do something more — like pay without permission — it is stopped.

Example: Assistant with 'search' permission tries to process payment → blocked.

Is this order safe?

Rules that detect unusual behaviour, abuse patterns, and high-risk transactions.

R009BlockTier 1

Identity verification required at checkout

On automated payment routes, the agent must always identify itself. No exceptions at checkout.

Example: Agentic checkout with no agent token → blocked before processing.

R010BlockTier 2

First purchase from a new agent

Agents that have never bought in your store go through an extra check. Like asking for references the first time.

Example: New agent with no history in your store → review before approving.

R011BlockTier 2

Too many failed attempts in a row

If an agent fails payment more than 3 times in 5 minutes, something is wrong. Could be an error, could be an attack. Stopped for investigation.

Example: 5 failed payment attempts in 3 minutes → temporarily blocked.

R012BlockTier 2

High-risk product category

Some products (gift cards, expensive electronics, etc.) have higher fraud risk. The merchant can flag categories and require extra review for them.

Example: Agent tries to buy 10 gift cards → blocked (flagged category).

R013BlockTier 2

Conflict with the return policy

If you sell non-returnable products (digital items, unique sizes) and the agent has not confirmed it understands, the purchase is stopped to avoid disputes.

Example: Agent buys a digital course without confirming it has no return → blocked.

R014BlockTier 2

Delivery address risk or too many cancellations

Blocks deliveries to restricted countries (North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba) and agents that cancel too many orders after shipping.

Example: Order with shipping to Iran → blocked automatically by legal restrictions.

R015BlockTier 2

Price changed after adding to cart

If a product's price changed significantly since the agent found it, the purchase is stopped. The agent would be buying something different from what the user authorised.

Example: Product cost €50 when the agent found it, now costs €58 → extra check.

R016BlockTier 2

Insufficient or uncertain stock

If the product has very low or uncertain stock, the purchase is stopped to avoid selling something that may not be available.

Example: Last pair of trainers in stock, warehouse not confirmed → extra check.

R017BlockTier 2

Discount code abuse

If an agent tries more than 5 discount codes in a row, it is running a brute-force attack to find valid coupons. Stopped immediately.

Example: Bot tries 12 discount codes in 30 seconds → blocked.

R018BlockTier 2

Unusually large order

If the cart is 5 times larger than your store's average order, something does not add up. Could be an error, could be fraud. Reviewed before processing.

Example: Store with €50 average order, cart of €600 → review triggered.

Does it follow your store rules?

Rules around geography, payment methods, post-purchase behaviour, and product types.

R019BlockTier 2

Country not allowed by the merchant

The merchant can restrict which countries they sell to. If an order comes from an unauthorised country, it is blocked automatically.

Example: Store that only sells in Spain receives an order billed in Mexico → blocked.

R020BlockTier 2

Outside business hours

Some merchants — especially B2B — only accept agent orders during working hours. If an agent tries to buy at 3 AM it is paused until the next business day.

Example: B2B store only accepts orders 9–18h and one arrives at 23h → paused.

R021ReviewTier 2

First purchase of this agent in your store

Even if the agent is well-known in other stores, its first purchase with you always goes through an extra check. First time — reasonable to verify.

Example: Veteran agent with 500 global purchases, but first time in your store → review.

R022BlockTier 2

Payment method not authorised

The merchant can decide which payment methods to accept for agent purchases. If the agent tries to pay with an unauthorised method, it is stopped.

Example: Merchant does not accept BNPL for agents and assistant tries to pay with Klarna → blocked.

R023BlockTier 2

Too many returns

If an agent returns more than 50% of everything it buys, there is an abnormal pattern. It may be testing products at the merchant's expense.

Example: Agent with 70% of orders returned in the last 90 days → blocked.

R024BlockTier 2

Too many payment disputes

Chargebacks cost the merchant money. If an agent has opened more than 2 disputes in 30 days, it is blocked to protect the merchant.

Example: Agent with 4 chargebacks in the last month → blocked.

R025BlockTier 2

Suspicious delivery address

PO boxes and freight forwarders are signs of package re-routing — a common pattern in fraud. The merchant can block these addresses.

Example: Delivery to 'Package Forwarder LLC, Miami' → re-routing signal → review.

R026BlockTier 2

Subscription without explicit consent

Agents cannot subscribe the user to recurring payments without the user explicitly approving it. No written consent, no subscription.

Example: Assistant tries to activate annual subscription without user confirmation → blocked.

R027BlockTier 2

Gift card or stored-value purchase

Gift cards are hard to trace and widely used in fraud. By default, agents cannot buy them unless the merchant explicitly allows it.

Example: Agent tries to buy €500 in gift cards → blocked by default.

R028BlockTier 2

B2B order without purchase order

In business-to-business sales there must always be an official purchase order. If the agent places a B2B order without one, it is stopped.

Example: Company buys office supplies through agent with no PO number → blocked.

General settings

Simple catch-all controls that every store can configure in minutes.

R029BlockTier 2

Merchant security preset

The merchant chooses their security level: Open, Balanced, Strict or Regulated. Each level requires different evidence. Without the right evidence, the purchase is stopped.

Example: Merchant in Regulated mode: agent without regulatory evidence → blocked.

R030BlockTier 2

Basic store controls

The merchant can set simple rules: maximum order amount, allowed countries. The easiest rules to configure and the ones most small stores use.

Example: Merchant sets max €100 per agent order; cart of €180 → blocked.

30 security rules for AI agents — Trusteed