How Much is Meta Business Verification?

Getting that little blue checkmark next to your business name on Instagram and Facebook is about more than just status, it’s a signal of authenticity and trust for your customers. For a long time, this was an exclusive badge for highly notable public figures and brands. Now, Meta offers both a paid subscription and a traditional free path to get verified. This guide breaks down the costs, benefits, and steps for each option so you can decide which is right for your business.

What is Meta Business Verification?

Meta Business Verification is the process of confirming that your Facebook Page or Instagram account is the authentic presence of your business. The primary reward is the verified badge - a blue checkmark - that appears next to your account name in search and on your profile. This instantly tells users that your account is legitimate and not an impersonator or a fan page.But the benefits go beyond just the badge. A verified status on Meta’s platforms can provide:

Increased Trust and Credibility: The blue checkmark immediately reduces customer skepticism and builds confidence in your brand.
Proactive Account Protection: Verified business accounts get proactive monitoring for impersonation and enhanced account security.
Access to Direct Support: Say goodbye to automated help forums. Verification often grants you access to a real person for account support when you need it.
Enhanced Visibility: Meta often boosts verified accounts in search results and recommendations, helping more potential customers discover you.

Paid vs. Free: The Two Paths to Verification

Before diving into the specifics, it's important to understand that Meta now offers two distinct methods for getting your business verified. Your choice will depend on your budget, your brand's public profile, and how quickly you want to secure the badge.

Meta Verified for Business: This is a paid monthly subscription service. It's designed for legitimate businesses of all sizes to gain access to the verified badge and a suite of premium tools by paying a fee and confirming their identity.
Traditional "Notability" Verification: This is the original, free method. It costs no money, but the requirements are much stricter. Your business must prove it is “notable” - meaning it’s well-known, highly searched for, and featured in multiple legitimate news sources.

Let's break down the cost and process for each path.

Meta Verified for Business: A Breakdown of the Costs

The most straightforward way to get the blue checkmark is through the Meta Verified for Business subscription. This model turns verification from an elusive status into a commercial service available to most legitimate businesses.

How Much Does It Cost?

The pricing for Meta Verified for Business is tiered based on the number of assets (Facebook Pages or Instagram accounts) you want to include in your subscription. As of late 2023, the standard pricing structure in the U.S. is as follows. Note that pricing can vary slightly by region and whether you subscribe via web or mobile app.

Basic Plan: $21.99/month when purchased on the web. This tier includes verification for one Facebook Page OR one Instagram professional account.
Bundle Plan: $34.99/month when purchased on the web. This tier includes verification for one Facebook Page AND one Instagram professional account.

Choosing to subscribe through the Instagram or Facebook mobile apps might result in a slightly higher price (typically around $27.99 for one asset) because Apple and Google take a percentage of in-app purchases.

What Do You Get for The Subscription Fee?

Paying for verification isn't just about the blue checkmark. The subscription bundles a set of valuable features designed for businesses:

The Verified Badge: A blue checkmark confirming your page's authenticity.
Impersonation Monitoring: Proactive protection to help find and flag accounts pretending to be your business.
Direct Account Support: The ability to contact a real person for help with common account issues.
Enhanced Discovery: Your account may appear at or near the top of search results and as a recommended account to follow.

Who is Eligible?

Not just anyone can pay for verification. Meta has specific eligibility criteria to maintain the integrity of the badge:

Your account must represent a real, registered business or organization.
You must have a professional Instagram account or a Facebook Page.
The account must have a history of activity, like prior posts.
Two-factor authentication must be enabled.
The account must follow Meta's Terms of Service and Community Standards.

How to Apply for Meta Verified for Business

The application process for the paid subscription is relatively simple.

Find the Meta Verified Option: This is usually found in the Account Center section of your Instagram or Facebook settings. You can also visit about.meta.com directly to sign up.
Select Your Business: Choose the business profile you want to verify from your linked accounts.
Choose Your Plan: Select either a single asset (Instagram or Facebook) or the bundled plan.
Set Up Payment: Provide your credit card or other payment information for the monthly subscription.
Complete Verification: You will be asked to confirm your business details. This could involve verifying your business phone number, email, or providing a copy of an official business document (like Articles of Incorporation, a tax filing, or a utility bill in the business's name).
Wait for Review: After submitting, Meta will review your information. This process usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours. Once approved, the verified badge and other features will appear on your account.

How to Get Verified for Free: The 'Notability' Method

If you believe your brand is a household name in your industry, you can still apply for verification for free through the traditional method. This route doesn’t involve any fees, but it requires you to prove that your business is in the public interest and meets Meta’s strict “notability” criteria.

What Does Meta Consider 'Notable'?

This is where the free path gets tricky. Notability isn’t just about having a lot of followers. Meta wants to verify accounts that are at risk of being impersonated because they are well-known. Their criteria can be broken down into four key areas:

Authentic: The account must represent a real, legally registered business. You'll need to prove this with official documentation.
Unique: It must be the only official presence of the business on the platform. Meta generally doesn't verify general interest accounts (e.g., "puppy memes").
Complete: Your profile must be public and have a bio, profile picture, and at least one post.
Notable: This is the hardest one. Your business must be "well-known, and highly searched for," and, most importantly, be "featured in multiple acknowledged news sources." Paid or promotional content (like advertisements or sponsored articles) does not count.

How to Apply for Free Verification

You can request traditional verification directly within the Facebook or Instagram app.

For Instagram:

Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
Tap Settings and Privacy > Business tools and controls.
Scroll down and tap Request verification. (Note: Be sure this doesn't redirect you to the paid subscription flow. The options can shift).
Fill out the application form. You’ll need to confirm your entity's full name and provide documents proving it (e.g., a utility bill, articles of incorporation).
Prove your notability by selecting a category for your account and providing links to news articles or social media accounts that show your brand is in the public interest.
Submit your application.

Meta's review team will manually review your submission and notify you of their decision within 30 days. Don’t be discouraged if you're rejected, you can reapply after 30 days.

Pros and Cons of the Free Method

Pros: It’s completely free, and some might argue the badge carries more weight since it was "earned" through public recognition rather than purchased.
Cons: The bar for approval is incredibly high and subjective. Getting enough legitimate press coverage to qualify is a major challenge for most small and medium-sized businesses. The process is also slower and has a much higher rate of rejection.

Which Verification Method is Right for You?

Deciding between the paid and free paths comes down to a simple assessment of your brand's current status and your goals.

You should choose the paid Meta Verified for Business subscription if:

You are a small or medium-sized business that is legitimate but not widely featured in national news.
You want the benefits of protection, support, and credibility now, without waiting for press coverage to accumulate.
Your budget accommodates a relatively small monthly subscription fee for peace of mind.
You have had issues with impersonator accounts in the past and need proactive monitoring.

You should try for the free notability verification if:

Your brand is a well-established, public-facing entity with significant organic press coverage in major publications.
You are a public figure, celebrity, or represent a large, globally recognized company.
You are not in a hurry to get verified and are confident you meet the high standard of notability.

Final Thoughts

Getting your business verified on Facebook and Instagram is no longer an insurmountable challenge. The paid Meta Verified for Business subscription, costing between $22 and $35 per month, provides a clear, accessible path for nearly any legitimate business to gain the credibility, protection, and support that comes with the blue checkmark. While the free, notability-based option still exists for highly prominent brands, the subscription model is now the most practical route for the vast majority of companies.

Boosting your brand's credibility with a verified badge is a great first step. The next is to truly understand and measure your performance across these platforms. Instead of wasting hours manually downloading CSVs from Facebook and Instagram to see if that investment is paying off, you can use a tool like Graphed. We connect to all your marketing and sales data, allowing you to ask questions in plain English - like "Show me our Instagram engagement rate vs. follower growth this quarter" - and get instant dashboards. It’s the easiest way to turn your data into clear answers.