Product certification is a comprehensive activity in both developed and developing countries and has a much longer history than management systems certification. It is also perhaps the most visible form of certification, as so many products carry the various marks of conformity issued by product certification bodies.

Some products, such as electrical appliances and telecommunications equipment, often carry multiple marks to satisfy regulators and consumers in different markets. For the general public and consumers this form of certification is perhaps the most recognized and understood. However, many consumers will not necessarily understand the purposes of individual product standards, and thus the significance of their certification. For example, some product standards might only address safety aspects, or only durability. Other standards might cover a combination of performance and safety characteristics

The purposes of a product standard may have other features, such as health and environmental impacts, compatibility, 

The purposes of a product standard may have other features, such as safety & environmental impacts, compatibility, energy efficiency etc. Whichever purpose is intended to be covered by a standard, there are two fundamental objectives of such certification, namely:

• Assisting consumers and end-users to make better-informed decisions about products in the marketplace.
• Assisting suppliers of the products to achieve marketplace acceptance.