X Lowers Gold Checkmark Price from $1,000 to $200

Elon Musk’s X is revamping its Verified Organizations program with an eye on smaller businesses, introducing a new, more affordable subscription tier. The newly launched $200 per month “Basic” plan is a significant drop from the $1,000 per month “Full Access” plan, making the coveted gold checkmark badge more accessible.

Details of the Basic Plan
The Basic plan, announced by the official @Verified account on X, is tailored for smaller businesses. It includes benefits like ad credits equal to the subscription fee, priority support from X, and access to the X Hiring platform for job postings. Subscribers to this plan will receive a gold checkmark verification badge and all the perks of the X Premium’s Premium+ plan, which costs $8 per month for non-organization users.

Comparing Basic and Full Access Plans
While the Basic plan is priced at $200 per month or $2,000 annually, the Full Access plan costs a steep $12,000 per year without an annual plan option. The major difference lies in the lack of the Affiliations feature in the Basic plan, a key component of the Full Access subscription. This feature allows Verified Organization accounts to list other X accounts on their profile, granting them X Premium and a logo next to their verified badge.

Analysis of the New Tier
The introduction of the Basic tier suggests that X is responding to feedback that the $1,000 per month price point was too steep for many. However, the Basic plan lacks the Affiliations feature, a central aspect of the Verified Organization subscription. Essentially, unless a business is already spending heavily on advertising on X, the Basic plan offers limited additional benefits over the $16 per month X Premium+ plan, apart from the gold verification badge.

A Strategic Move by X
This new tier seems to be a strategic move to broaden the appeal of X’s subscription services, particularly among smaller businesses. It reflects an understanding that the higher-tier pricing was not feasible for a significant segment of potential users. The introduction of the Basic plan could potentially increase the platform’s appeal to smaller enterprises looking for recognition and support on X.