Meta Extends Verification Program to Businesses, Enhancing Reach and Protection

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is extending its Meta Verified program to businesses following its initial launch for creators in March. Currently in testing on Facebook and Instagram, this verification program will soon be available on WhatsApp for businesses as well.

Businesses can subscribe to Meta Verified for $21.99 per month per Facebook page or Instagram account, or pay $34.99 per month for both platforms. Pricing details for WhatsApp verification have not yet been disclosed.

Similar to the benefits offered to verified creators, Meta Verified for Businesses includes a verification badge, increased reach, and impersonation protection. Verified businesses will receive the same badge as creators, and the company has not specified if the impersonation protection differs for this tier.

Verified businesses can enjoy enhanced reach, with better placement in search results and recommendations in user feeds. Paid business users will see their accounts at or near the top of search results and will appear in a new feed carousel called "Recommended Meta Verified Businesses."

To qualify for subscriptions, businesses must meet eligibility criteria, which include phone, email, or domain name verification and maintaining a minimum level of activity on their pages or Instagram accounts. Specific requirements will be shared by Meta when the program begins to roll out.

Meta is also working on a verification program for WhatsApp businesses, which will include features such as creating a custom searchable web page on WhatsApp and multi-device support for up to 10 devices for business accounts.

WhatsApp already offers similar features through WhatsApp Premium for businesses, and Meta plans to expand its verification offerings on WhatsApp in the future.

Meta Verified for Business will launch in select markets in the coming weeks, although there is no release date available for WhatsApp business verification at this time.

When Meta introduced its verification program for individuals earlier this year, it offered a higher-priced subscription compared to X (formerly Twitter), which charges $8 per month. In contrast, X's business verification starts at $1,000 per month for a base subscription and $50 per month for each associated account, making Meta Verified a more cost-effective option for smaller organizations.

Recently, some individual subscribers to Meta Verified reported dissatisfaction with the promised human support, as detailed in a report by The Information.