How we work
How FadeScore is calculated
FadeScore is a single number that blends how people rate a shop or barber, how much feedback exists, how their price compares to other listings in the same city, and—only when needed—how we've flagged verification on the shop. It's designed to reward strong reviews, fair pricing, and trustworthy listings—not hype alone.
The formula
We first compute a blended score from three weighted ingredients, apply verification, then round to one decimal place:
blended = (weighted rating × 0.6) + (review volume × 0.2) + (price value × 0.2)
FadeScore = round(blended × verification multiplier, 1 decimal)
multiplier: 1 if verified or not flagged · 0.9 if explicitly unverified (10% lower than blended)- Weighted rating (60%) — Star ratings from multiple platforms are combined using fixed weights so larger, established sources count a bit more.
- Review volume (20%)— Total reviews are log-scaled and capped so more feedback helps, but one viral spike can't dominate the score.
- Price value (20%) — Compared to a typical price level for that city: lower-than-average listed prices score higher, holding reviews equal.
- Verification — After the blend, we only apply a penalty when a shop is explicitly marked unverified on FadeScore. In that case FadeScore is 10% lower than the blended value (multiply by 0.9). Otherwise verification is neutral and we keep the full blend. Confirmed verified shops always use the full blend.
Platform weights
When we have data from a platform, it contributes to the weighted average like this. Other platforms default to a small share if they appear in your data.
| Source | Share of blend |
|---|---|
| 50% | |
| Yelp | 30% |
| 10% | |
| Booksy | 5% |
| Squire | 5% |
Other platforms in your data use a smaller default weight in the blend unless listed above.
For shop and barber owners
FadeScore is built for people choosing a barber, but the same rules tell you what moves your number. Here's what actually helps.
- Get verified — Staff verification removes the unverified penalty (10% off the blend) and shows the checkmark on your shop. Use Barber intake to tell us about your shop; we may follow up to confirm details.
- Reviews across platforms — The blend favors Google and Yelp, then other sources we sync. Strong, consistent ratings where your clients already leave feedback lift the weighted rating portion of your score.
- Review volume — More genuine reviews help up to a point (we use a log scale so volume rewards real traction without letting one spike take over).
- Listed price vs. your city — We compare your typical listed price to other shops we track in the same area. Keeping your listing's price accurate and fair relative to local norms affects the price-value part of the blend.
- Accuracy on your profile — Address, booking link, phone, and services help us and clients trust the listing. They don't replace verification, but they make your page more useful when people compare shops.
We don't sell higher FadeScores. If something looks wrong on your shop page, use Barber intake or reach out from About so we can correct data when needed.
What we don't do
- FadeScore is not a paid placement—scores come from the data above, not sponsorships.
- Prices and review counts reflect what's listed or synced from sources we have; they may lag real-world changes.
- City "average" price is derived from shops we track in that area—use it as a guide, not a guarantee.
Own a shop? Start with Barber intake. Browsing? See About FadeScore.