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As anticipated by many, Meta will be rolling out its verification program, Meta Verified, to businesses. Yep, that means that you can now pay to get a verification badge and other related perks (similar to Twitter Blue—now known as X Premium, naturally).

Should you buy into the scheme?

Let's dive into some of the details brands will need to consider.

Meta introduced the Meta Verified subscription for creators earlier this year, aiming to bolster their presence on Instagram and Facebook. Fast forward to Meta’s Conversations Conference in Mumbai, and they’re now officially expanding this program to businesses across Instagram, Facebook, and eventually, WhatsApp.

Let’s start with the big question:

How much does Meta Verification cost?

Monthly subscriptions currently start at $21.99 per month per Instagram account or Facebook Page. You can save a bit by paying $34.99/month to verify both a FB and Insta page.

One important caveat:

“Subscriptions purchased on mobile are $27.99 a month per Instagram account or Facebook Page. At this time, businesses purchasing on mobile are limited to 1 business asset subscription (Instagram account or Facebook Page). WhatsApp subscription pricing is not yet determined.”

What are the benefits?

The perks are appealing. Businesses that hop on the Meta Verified train will enjoy:

• A shiny verified badge, letting your audience know they're the real deal.

• Proactive monitoring against impersonation.

• Enhanced support for troubleshooting account hiccups.

• Enhanced discoverability: On Instagram and Facebook, Meta Verified businesses will be featured prominently, making them more visible in search results and feed recommendations.

Learn more about Meta Verified for businesses here, or look into joining the waitlist via your Facebook Business account.

Keep in mind, too, that businesses must meet eligibility requirements such as a Meta Business Account “older than about 3 months,”, minimum account activity, and turning on 2-factor authorization (“2Fac”).

Why it Matters

This is a new, huge step for the largest social media ecosystem. The big question will be whether or not brands buy-in—and how the badges are viewed by users.

On the business end, the price is likely low enough to get many medium-to-large brands to consider the benefits a no-brainer: Meta Verified offers businesses a chance to build trust, ensuring customers they're interacting with a genuine brand. Plus, with the enhanced discoverability features, businesses can potentially reach a wider audience, driving engagement and growth.

Smaller brands or those skeptical of the true ROI of the investment are likely to take a wait-and-see approach.

But the fact that Twitter (X) and Meta have both gone in this direction is a good sign that this new “pay to play” era of verification may be here to stay.