X just overhauled its business verification system, splitting the old Verified Organizations into two distinct tracks and launching a three-tier Premium Business subscription starting at $200 monthly. The move signals Elon Musk's platform is doubling down on subscription revenue as its advertising business continues struggling to recover from the post-acquisition advertiser exodus.
X just made its biggest play yet for business customers, completely restructuring its verification system to chase subscription dollars as ad revenue remains shaky. The platform announced Tuesday it's splitting its existing Verified Organizations program into two distinct offerings: Premium Business for companies and Premium Organizations for governments and multilateral organizations.
The star of the show is Premium Business, which comes with the coveted gold checkmark and three pricing tiers designed to capture everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The Basic tier starts at $200 monthly - a significant discount from the previous $1,000 Verified Organizations price point - while Full Access maintains that $1,000 price tag with expanded features. Enterprise customers get custom pricing and dedicated account management.
"X is the best place to grow your organization's influence and speak directly to the people who matter," Seth Fuchs from X Engineering wrote in the announcement. The pitch reflects X's ongoing effort to position itself as the essential platform for business communication, even as many major brands remain wary.
The new Premium Business package bundles some intriguing features that go well beyond the basic checkmark. Companies get access to affiliate badges for partner promotion, advanced impersonation defense tools, and faster human support - addressing persistent complaints about X's customer service. More notably, subscribers will soon gain access to a "priority handles" marketplace where businesses can claim inactive usernames, with rare handles available for purchase.
X is also throwing SuperGrok access into the mix, along with real-time brand monitoring tools and hiring features. It's a comprehensive suite that suggests the company is serious about making Premium Business feel like a genuine business platform rather than just Twitter with a checkmark.
The timing isn't coincidental. X's advertising business has struggled significantly since Musk's acquisition, with major advertisers pulling spend over content moderation concerns. Subscription revenue represents a more predictable income stream that's less dependent on brand sentiment.
