Every SSL/TLS certificate encrypts traffic to your site with the same strong 256-bit encryption and is trusted by 99.9% of browsers. What differs is how much the Certificate Authority verifies about you before it issues - and that changes how quickly you get the certificate, how much trust it signals to visitors, and what it costs. There are three validation levels: DV, OV and EV.
DV - Domain Validation
A Domain Validated certificate confirms one thing: that you control the domain. You prove it by adding a DNS record, uploading a file, or approving an email - no paperwork, no company checks. Because there is nothing manual to verify, DV is issued in minutes and is the lowest-cost option.
Best for: blogs, personal sites, internal tools, staging environments, and any site that needs HTTPS quickly without displaying a company identity. If you just need the padlock and encryption, DV is all you need.
OV - Organization Validation
An Organization Validated certificate does everything DV does and verifies that your business is a real, registered organisation. The CA checks your company against official records and may call to confirm. Your verified company name is then embedded in the certificate, which anyone can see in the certificate details. Issuance typically takes 1-3 business days because a person reviews your organisation.
Best for: business and corporate websites, login pages, and anywhere customers submit data and expect to see that a real company stands behind the site.
EV - Extended Validation
An Extended Validated certificate is the highest assurance level. The CA performs a rigorous, standardised vetting of your legal entity - registration, physical existence, and your authority to request the certificate. This takes 3-5 business days and carries the highest warranty. EV is the strongest signal that a verified, legally-accountable organisation operates the site.
Best for: banks, payment and finance platforms, large e-commerce stores, and enterprises where maximum trust and liability protection matter.
What about Wildcard and Multi-Domain (SAN)?
Wildcard and SAN describe coverage, not validation - and they combine with the levels above. A Wildcard certificate secures a domain and all its sub-domains (*.yourdomain.in) with one certificate. A Multi-Domain / SAN certificate secures several different domains together. You can have a DV Wildcard, an OV SAN, and so on. Use our certificate finder if you are unsure which combination fits.
Quick decision guide
- Need HTTPS fast and cheap? Choose DV.
- Want your verified company name shown? Choose OV.
- Handling payments or sensitive data at scale? Choose EV.
- Many sub-domains or multiple domains? Add Wildcard or SAN coverage on top.
Buying in India
Whichever level you pick, buying through SSLStore.in means transparent pricing in INR, a proper GST tax invoice so registered businesses can claim input credit, and a full refund including GST if you are eligible - unlike buying abroad, where the tax is usually not recoverable. Certificates are issued by globally trusted CAs (Sectigo, DigiCert, Comodo and more); we handle billing, validation and lifecycle in INR.