Trust & safety

Producer verification

Producers submit official documentation — a USDA Farm ID, livestock brand registration, breed-association membership, or similar — before they can list animals. Our team reviews each submission, and approved producers display a green checkmark on their profile. Members can earn an additional breed-association badge by registering their herd ID with associations like Angus (AAA), Hereford (AHA), or Charolais (AICA).

Privacy-first messaging

Contact information — phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses — is never shown on profiles or in listings. All communication happens inside American Cattle Union's secure messaging system until both parties have agreed to share contact details. This protects both buyers and sellers from unsolicited contact and potential fraud.

Formal breeding agreements

For genetics and breeding transactions, American Cattle Union provides a formal agreement system. Both parties propose and accept documented terms — what was agreed, by whom, and when — so there's a clear, shared record that protects both the bull owner and the cow owner.

Bill of sale on every deal

When a sale closes on American Cattle Union, the platform generates a bill of sale automatically — lot description, buyer and seller, head count, price per head, date, and signature blocks. Only the buyer and seller can view and print it, so every transaction leaves a clean, documented record. The document is an informational record, not legal advice — ACU is the venue for the deal, not a party to it.

Fees & payments

American Cattle Union bills its own fees — memberships and the flat close fee — through Stripe, a PCI-compliant payment processor, and never stores card numbers or banking credentials. The sale price is different: it passes directly from buyer to seller and never through the platform. ACU does not receive, hold, or deduct from sale proceeds. Inspect at pickup and settle by the method you and the seller agree on — cashier's check or wire on delivery is the time-tested route — and keep the conversation and bill of sale on the platform so there's a record. Never pay for animals sight unseen, and treat pressure to pay by gift card, crypto, or payment app as a red flag.

Reporting & moderation

Every profile, listing, and conversation has a report button. Reports are reviewed by our team, typically within 24–48 hours. Producers found to be misrepresenting animals, engaging in fraud, or harassing other members will have their accounts suspended or permanently banned. Verified status can be revoked at any time.

Trust tiers

American Cattle Union uses a tiered trust system to reward long-standing, well-reviewed members:

• Unverified Browse listings and communities. Submit documentation to get verified before listing animals.
• Verified ✓ Full access — list animals, message connected producers, post in communities.
• Trusted Earned after 5+ positive reviews and 6+ months on platform. Enhanced credibility with other members.

We're building a network of large-animal veterinarians so the health claims on a listing carry a vet's name behind them — not just the seller's word.

• Vet-verified health records — BVD-PI, trich, and semen evaluation results on a listing, confirmed by the veterinarian who ran them.
• Paperwork for the haul — Health certificates and interstate paperwork coordinated where the sale happens, before the truck shows up.
• Pre-purchase exams — A local vet's eyes on the cattle before money changes hands — BSEs on bulls, preg checks on females.

Are you a large-animal veterinarian? We'd like to talk before this launches — get in touch.