General FAQ
3 min read
Frequently asked questions about TrustLens: what it does, how it works at a high level, and what to expect when you install it. For specific topics, see the linked detail docs.
What does TrustLens do? #
TrustLens is a behavior-based customer trust scoring and fraud detection plugin for WooCommerce. It analyzes the order, refund, coupon, dispute, and checkout data your store generates and turns it into a single 0–100 trust score per customer with six risk segments. Eight detection modules run in the background watching for refund abuse, coupon abuse, fraud rings, chargebacks, card-testing attacks, and shipping anomalies. You decide what to do about what TrustLens finds — block, allowlist, hold for review, or simply watch.
How is TrustLens different from other fraud plugins? #
Most fraud plugins focus on payment fraud — detecting stolen cards or AVS mismatches at checkout. TrustLens focuses on customer behavior fraud — patterns like serial returners, coupon abusers, fraud rings, and friendly-fraud chargebacks that emerge over time across many orders. The two are complementary; many stores use a payment-fraud tool alongside TrustLens.
Does TrustLens work with guest checkout? #
Yes. Customers are tracked by email address (hashed), not by WordPress account. Guest checkouts are fully supported.
Will TrustLens slow down my store? #
No. Score calculations run asynchronously through Action Scheduler. The checkout-time Request Gate (for Card-Testing Defense and block enforcement) adds < 10ms. Dashboard queries are cached. Stores with millions of orders run TrustLens without noticeable performance impact.
Is the free version actually complete? #
Yes. The WordPress.org download is the complete plugin — no trial limits, no disabled scoring, no locked detection modules. All 8 detection modules are in Free. The Pro version adds tools to act on what’s detected: an automation engine, advanced Chargeback Monitor, Card-Testing Pro features, payment-method controls, scheduled reports, and 10 advanced notification types.
What does TrustLens detect? #
Eight detection modules:
- Return Abuse Detection
- Order Pattern Analysis
- Coupon Abuse Detection
- Category-Aware Risk Scoring
- Linked Accounts Detection
- Shipping Address Anomalies
- Chargeback Tracking
- Card-Testing Defense
See Detection Modules Overview.
Does TrustLens auto-block customers? #
Not by default. Free TrustLens never auto-blocks. You review the customer’s profile and decide. Pro automation rules can be configured to auto-block on specific triggers, but that’s a deliberate choice — TrustLens won’t take that action behind your back.
How accurate is the trust score? #
The score is deterministic: it’s a sum of signals from rule-based detection modules, not a machine-learning prediction. The same inputs always produce the same output, and the calculation is fully auditable on the customer profile.
“Accurate” in the predictive sense varies by store. The defaults are calibrated against typical e-commerce patterns; tuning thresholds for your industry improves precision for your specific customer base.
What if TrustLens incorrectly flags a legitimate customer? #
Allowlist them. The allowlist locks their score at 100 / segment VIP and suppresses all negative signals. Future signals can’t move them. See Blocking and Allowlisting.
Does TrustLens send my customer data anywhere? #
No. All processing is local to your WordPress install. TrustLens does not call external services by default. External delivery only happens if you explicitly configure webhooks, Slack alerts, or email notifications. Customer identifiers are pseudonymized with keyed HMAC-SHA256 hashes; raw email addresses and addresses are never sent to Webstepper or anyone else.
How do I get started? #
- Install from WordPress.org
- Activate (WooCommerce must already be active)
- Open TrustLens → Dashboard
- Click Run Historical Sync
- Wait for sync to complete (varies by store size)
- Review the Customers list and Dashboard
See First-Time Setup.
What WooCommerce versions are supported? #
WooCommerce 8.0+ minimum; tested with 9.5. HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage) fully supported.
What WordPress versions are supported? #
WordPress 6.4+ minimum; tested through 6.9.
What PHP version do I need? #
PHP 7.4 minimum; PHP 8.1+ recommended for better performance.
Can I use TrustLens on multisite? #
Yes. Each site has independent customer profiles, scoring, and settings.
What payment gateways does TrustLens work with? #
Any WooCommerce payment gateway. TrustLens scoring works regardless of gateway. Auto-ingestion of disputes works natively with Stripe and WooPayments; other gateways (PayPal, Square, offline, custom) require manual dispute entry.
How long does Historical Sync take? #
| Store Size | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| < 1,000 orders | 2–10 minutes |
| 1,000–10,000 | 15–60 minutes |
| 10,000–100,000 | 1–6 hours |
| 100,000+ | 6–24 hours |
Sync runs in the background — it doesn’t block other operations.
Can I uninstall TrustLens cleanly? #
Yes. By default, deactivation preserves data (so reactivation restores everything). To remove all data on uninstall, enable “Delete all data on uninstall” in Settings → Data before deleting the plugin.
What support is available? #
Free users have access to community support through WordPress.org plugin forums. Pro users receive priority support via the TrustLens support portal.
How often is TrustLens updated? #
Releases ship roughly monthly. Major features in minor versions; breaking changes in major versions. Changelogs are published on WordPress.org and the TrustLens site.
Where can I report a bug? #
Free users: WordPress.org plugin support forum. Pro users: support portal with priority routing.
Include: TrustLens version, WordPress version, WooCommerce version, PHP version, steps to reproduce.
