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Fifth biennial State of Ecommerce Trust survey of 1,295 US consumers shows more than 90% are concerned about each major AI-driven shopping threat, business legitimacy remains the top concern causing shoppers to abandon their carts, and 74% say a recognized trust badge makes them more likely to buy.
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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — TrustedSite today released the 2026 edition of its State of Ecommerce Trust research, the company’s fifth biennial study of how US consumers decide which online stores to trust. Drawing on a survey of 1,295 consumers conducted via SurveyMonkey Audiences, the report finds that artificial intelligence has turned a once-abstract worry into concrete, widely shared concern. When shoppers are asked about specific AI-driven threats, concern climbs above 90% for each one.
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AI has raised the stakes on the long-standing trust gap that every unfamiliar site has to close, and the research points to a familiar answer for closing it: a verified trust badge that shoppers recognize.
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“As AI reshapes online shopping, trust has become more important than ever. Consumers are navigating a landscape where it’s harder to tell what’s real, and they’re looking for credible signals before they buy. Earned, verified trust gives businesses a way to stand out and gives shoppers the confidence to complete their purchase.” — Lisa Dowling, CEO, TrustedSite
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Key findings from the 2026 survey
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- AI threats now score above 90%. Asked about specific AI-driven risks for the first time, 94% of shoppers are concerned about fake businesses created with AI-generated content, 93% about AI-generated phishing emails impersonating retailers, and 91% about fake product reviews written by AI.
- Business legitimacy remains the top concern causing shoppers to abandon their carts. 51% of shoppers cite questionable business legitimacy as a reason they have abandoned a purchase, up from 46% in 2024 and ahead of credit card security at 43%. In total, 89% of shoppers have abandoned a purchase because a site raised doubts.
- Unfamiliar sites still start in a hole. 96% of shoppers are concerned about sites they have never heard of, and 94% about sites they simply haven’t bought from before, compared with 48% for large, established sites. The pattern has held for eight years.
- A verified trust badge moves shoppers. 82% say they are more likely to trust a site that prominently displays a third-party verified trust badge than one that does not, and 40% read the absence of third-party trust indicators as a possible sign of fraud.
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Shoppers recognize and respond to trust signals
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Faced with an unfamiliar site, shoppers look for third-party proof. 82% say they are more likely to trust a site that prominently displays a third-party verified trust badge than one that does not, and 40% read the absence of third-party trust indicators like certifications, badges, or logos as a possible sign of fraud. Not every verification carries equal weight: shoppers say the statements that would most increase their likelihood of buying are that their data is encrypted and kept private (51%) and that the business’s contact information has been validated (50%), the verifications that map directly onto their biggest fears.
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For the first time, the 2026 survey measured TrustedSite’s own badge directly. 74% of shoppers said they would be more likely to complete a purchase on an unfamiliar site if they saw the TrustedSite badge. More than half (53%) said they already recognize the badge from their own shopping. That recognition reflects real exposure: more than 400,000 active sites display the TrustedSite badge, generating billions of consumer impressions.
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Survey intent is borne out in real checkouts. In A/B tests against a control, Cariloha measured a 4.7% increase in conversions and OnTime Supplies a 19.7% increase in conversions after adding the TrustedSite trust badge. Dozens of other stores have seen between 2% and 30% more sales.
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What it means for website owners
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The unfamiliar-site trust gap is not going away, and AI is making it harder to cross on appearance alone. The pressure reaches any site that asks a first-time visitor to share information or complete a purchase, from established retailers to new storefronts and service businesses. The 2026 data points to three priorities for earning a new visitor’s trust: prove the business is real, show that visitor data is safe, and display a trust badge that shoppers already recognize. The sites that win the next visitor will be the ones that can prove, quickly and credibly, that real people and real safeguards stand behind them.
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Full results are available on the TrustedSite blog: Read the 2026 State of Ecommerce Trust reportAbout TrustedSite TrustedSite offers an earned certification program for online businesses to help shoppers identify sites that demonstrate good business practices and maintain a high level of safety standards. By earning and displaying the TrustedSite trust badge, sites can show visitors that a reputable third party has verified their business, leading visitors to complete their purchases with confidence. Learn more at trustedsite.com.
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Methodology
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TrustedSite surveyed 1,295 US consumers via SurveyMonkey Audiences in 2026. Concern figures exclude “N/A” responses and are based on consumers who answered each question. Year-over-year comparisons reference prior surveys from 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
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View source version on businesswire.com:
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Contacts
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Lauren Ladra
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Director of Partnerships
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TrustedSite
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English (US)