Leading microblogging platform, Twitter has said its new subscription plan would allow small businesses to get verified on the platform at a lower cost.
Though the owner, Elon Musk, is yet to disclose when this concession will begin, the development comes amidst complaints that the $1,000 per month subscription fee for businesses is too high.
Musk had said the $1,000 charge would be for ‘large’ businesses, adding that the company is working out lower charges for small businesses. He, however, did not disclose how much small businesses would be charged to get the gold tick on Twitter.
According to him, Twitter would also be very careful in verifying businesses to avoid verifying fraudulent businesses.
Clarifying that the $1,000 per month subscription is for big businesses, Musk in a tweet responding to complaints on the platform, said: “We will have a lower cost tier for small businesses but need to manage the onboarding of organisations carefully to prevent fraud. The $1000/month is meant for larger organisations.”
Last month, individuals and several businesses were stripped of their verification badges, lately, Musk has been encouraging those affected to pay to get verified again.
Twitter had earlier announced that Nigerian businesses that want to get the verified badge on the platform would have to pay a sum of N460,500 every month. In addition, the organisations will also pay an extra N23,030 monthly for each business or individual affiliated with them to get verified.
While the prices vary from country to country, Twitter said they are subject to change.
The verification for business, which gives a gold badge, became available globally on March 31, which was followed by the removal of all legacy blue ticks in April.
Giving further insights into the issue, Twitter said: “Verified Organisation is a new way for organisations and their affiliates to distinguish themselves on Twitter. Rather than relying on Twitter to be the sole arbiter of truth for which accounts should be verified, vetted organizations that sign up for Verified Organisations are in full control of vetting and verifying accounts they’re affiliated with.
“Accounts affiliated with the organization will receive an affiliate badge on their profile with the organisation’s logo, and will be featured on the organisation’s Twitter profile, indicating their affiliation. All organisations are vetted before they can join Verified Organisations.
“We’ve already seen organisations, including sports teams, news organisations, financial firms, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profits join Verified Organisations and list their affiliated accounts publicly on their profiles. And starting today, Verified Organisations are available globally. We are now sending email invitations to approved organisations from the waitlist.”
