Red flag explained · Verification, age and operations
No connected data source: figures typed in by the seller
Short answer: If nothing in the listing says revenue or traffic is connected from Stripe, PayPal, analytics or a marketplace check, the figures were most likely typed in by the seller. They may be accurate, but you are trusting them unchecked. Ask for read-only access or exports that match the P&L.
When the checker raises it
Raised as medium severity when the listing mentions no verified or connected source, for example "Stripe verified", "connected Google Analytics" or a marketplace verification badge.
Why it matters
Marketplaces differ. Some show seller-typed figures unless a badge says otherwise; others connect payment data for some listings. A connected source shows the money arrived in an account. It does not show every payment belongs to this business, or that costs are complete.
Read-only access is a reasonable request at the first-message stage. A seller who refuses it is telling you something.
A worked example
Composite example, not a real listing
Asking price: $32,000
Average monthly revenue: $1,700
Average monthly profit: $1,350
Business age: 3 years
Owner hours: 4 hours per week
Traffic or revenue sources typed in: Social 50%, Organic search 30%, Email 20%.
What the red-flag checker returns: payback of 23.7 months on average monthly profit, and this flag:
Medium No connected data source mentioned
The figures appear to be typed in by the seller. Nothing in the text says revenue or traffic is connected from Stripe, PayPal, analytics or a marketplace check.
Ask: Can you give read-only access to the payment processor and analytics, or exports that match the P&L?
The same example also raises: Concentration not disclosed.
What to check
- Ask for read-only access to the payment processor and analytics, or exports that match the P&L month by month.
- Check three months of payouts against the stated revenue.
- Follow our step-by-step guide to verifying revenue.
Questions to send the seller
- Can you give read-only access to the payment processor and analytics, or exports that match the P&L?
- Can you share a monthly P&L for the last 24 months, with revenue and every cost line?
- Has anyone outside the business, such as a marketplace, broker or accountant, checked these figures? What exactly did they check?
- Are the revenue figures before or after refunds, chargebacks and platform fees?
Related flags
Useful next
- How to verify Flippa revenue
- What each marketplace verifies
- Free red-flag checker: paste a listing and see which flags it raises.
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The checker is a set of plain rules, not an AI model, and its flags are prompts for questions, not verdicts. Composite examples are invented. Informational screening only, not investment, legal or tax advice.