Twitter to charge businesses $1,000 per month to keep gold verified checks as it axes 'legacy' verified checks

• Twitter will charge businesses $1,000 per month for the gold "Verified Organizations" check.
• Social media consultant Matt Navarra first reported that Twitter was reaching out to businesses about the plan last month.

In the latest revenue generating effort for Elon Musk's Twitter, the social media giant is asking businesses to pay $1,000 per month to keep their gold verification check.

Twitter announced the policy Thursday night alongside its plan to begin removing "legacy" verified blue checks starting April 1, meaning only Twitter Blue subscribers will be verified starting next month. Musk has repeatedly criticized the way the verified checks were given to public figures, politicians, and journalists and said the system was "corrupt."

Social media consultant Matt Navarra first reported the new charge in February, along with screenshots allegedly showing Twitter employees offering the price to businesses looking to sign up as a "Verified Organization."

The Information confirmed the report on the same day, adding that it was unclear at the time when the change will take effect and when businesses that don't pay will lose their gold check.

Twitter did not respond to a request for comment when the $1,000 per month plan was originally reported last month, and Musk has since changed the company policy for communicating with journalists, which was still in effect when Insider reached out for comment again Friday.

Twitter currently offers gold checks to verified businesses, and also allows them to place a small, hyperlinked version of their logo next to the gold check of other pages associated with their business. A current example is the SportsCenter account, which has a small ESPN logo next to its name.

Under the new plan, the gold check will cost $1,000 per month, and each affiliated organization for a TV show, employee, etc. will cost $50 per month.

Twitter's announcement confirms Navarra's reporting that the program is called Verified Organizations, which the Twitter Business account first advertised in January, along with an application for early access.

The company also states on the "About Verified Organizations" page that it "reserves the right without notice to remove your checkmark or other badging at any time at its sole discretion, including if you violate our Purchaser Terms, Terms of Service, and policies, or if your account is suspended."

The subscription will be available in over a dozen countries to start, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and several others.

The new plan is the latest payment option added to Twitter since the release of the embattled Twitter Blue subscription service, which was suspended shortly after its debut due to the rise of impersonator accounts that came with the new $8 per month blue checks.

The plan was relaunched in December, when the gold checks were first introduced as an added layer of distinction between verified businesses and individuals who had just paid $8 for the blue check. In January, Musk also advertised a yet-to-be-released subscription service for Twitter that would allow users to access the site without ads.