Meta Platforms Inc., led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its paid verification services to businesses. The Meta Verified program, originally launched for creators in March, will now extend to businesses on Facebook, Instagram, and eventually WhatsApp. With this move, Meta aims to offer better visibility, account security, and troubleshooting services to verified business accounts.
Businesses can subscribe to Meta Verified at a rate of $21.99 per month for either Facebook or Instagram or $34.99 per month for both platforms. This pricing is relatively more affordable compared to X’s (formerly Twitter) business verification offering that starts at $1,000 per month.
“Businesses can buy verification on Facebook or Instagram for $22 a month or $35 for both,” the company said in a statement. While the service for individual creators starts at $12 per month, the business tier offers similar benefits including a verification badge, better reach, and impersonation protection.
To be eligible for the service, businesses will have to meet certain criteria such as verification through phone, email, or domain name, and maintain minimum activity on their pages or accounts. Specifics around these criteria have not been disclosed yet.
One of the key features for verified businesses is an enhanced placement in search results on Facebook and Instagram. “Paid business users will see their account at or near the top of search results,” Meta said, adding that verified businesses would also appear in a new feed carousel called “Recommended Meta Verified Businesses.”
While the service will initially be available on Facebook and Instagram, Meta plans to introduce a similar verification service on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp tier will allow businesses to create a searchable custom landing page and provide multi-device support for up to 10 devices. This will make it easier for multiple people within the business to handle customer queries and orders.
This move by Meta comes on the heels of controversies around paid verification services. Elon Musk’s X faced issues when subscribers impersonated brands and celebrities, leading the platform to introduce government ID checks for verification. Meta assures that its verification for businesses will require them to meet certain activity and security requirements.
Moreover, The Information reported dissatisfaction among individual subscribers to Meta Verified, who claimed they were not able to access promised human support.
The rollout will begin in select markets in the coming weeks, with no release date available yet for the WhatsApp verification service. Meta has also committed to share more details about the rollout and eligibility criteria in the near future.
