X Premium: What Each Tier Includes and How the Blue Checkmark Works
X Premium has three tiers, and only two include the blue checkmark. Here is what you get, why a profile change can remove the badge, and whether it moves with an account.
What does X Premium include?
X Premium is an opt-in paid subscription on X (Twitter) with three tiers: Basic, Premium and Premium+. The blue checkmark comes only with Premium or Premium+, and X reviews an account before the badge appears. As of October 2026, that is the whole story behind "getting verified" on X.
X describes the tiers on its About X Premium help page. We summarize the parts that matter most here, but the exact feature lists change often, so check that page before you pay.
| Tier | What X says it adds |
|---|---|
| Basic | Entry tier with the base subscription features. It does not include the checkmark. X lists its current features on the help page. |
| Premium | Everything in Basic plus a checkmark, reduced ads, the option to apply for Original Content Rewards and Creator Subscriptions, larger reply prioritization, ID verification, Media Studio and higher Grok usage limits. |
| Premium+ | Everything in Premium plus SuperGrok access, Grok Bot, no ads anywhere on X, the largest reply prioritization, Radar Search and Articles. X notes that occasional promoted content may still appear. |
X's help pages are not always worded the same way. One page describes the Premium+ Grok benefit as higher limits, another as SuperGrok access. Treat the checkout screen in your own account as the final word on what you get.
X has also started folding Premium into a broader plan called The X Subscription, which bundles X, Grok and Cursor. According to X, existing Premium subscribers keep their plan, price and features for now, and every paid plan carries Premium benefits on the X account you connect. We would expect plan names to keep shifting, so read the current page rather than relying on an older screenshot.
- Only Premium and Premium+ include the checkmark
- It shows a paid subscription, not verified identity
- X reviews the account before the badge appears
- Photo, name or handle changes remove it temporarily
- Do not expect it to transfer to a new owner
- X can remove it at any time without notice
How much does X Premium cost?
X does not use one fixed price. As of October 2026, its help page says localized pricing starts at $3 per month or $32 per year on the web in available countries, plus any tax and payment fees. That "starting at" figure is the entry point, not the price of the Premium or Premium+ tier.
The price you see depends on your country, the tier, and whether you subscribe on the web or through an app store. We do not quote tier-by-tier prices because they vary by region and change over time. Open the subscription screen while you are logged in to see your exact price before you confirm.
How do I get verified on Twitter (X) now?
You subscribe to Premium or Premium+ on an account that meets X's eligibility requirements, then wait for X to review it. The old process, where X checked whether an account was active, notable and authentic, is no longer how the badge works. X says accounts that get the blue checkmark through a subscription are not reviewed against those older criteria.
This is the most common misunderstanding we see. The blue checkmark now signals a paid subscription, not a confirmed identity. X's blue checkmark page says it indicates an active Premium subscription, not account verification.
The general steps look like this. Menu labels change between app versions, so we describe them in general terms:
- Make sure the account has a display name and a profile photo.
- Confirm a phone number in your account settings.
- Open the Premium or subscription option in the app or on the web and choose Premium or Premium+.
- Complete payment. Most features unlock right away, but the checkmark does not.
- Wait for X's eligibility review. X says the checkmark appears on eligible profiles after that review.
X's Premium FAQ names a display name, a profile photo and a confirmed phone number among the requirements, and adds "among others". A third-party summary from Loomly adds that the account should have been active in the past 30 days and show no recent changes to its photo, name or handle. X's own page also requires no signs of platform manipulation and spam.
Premium also lists ID verification as a feature. That is a separate step from the checkmark, and X's help page is where to check how it currently works.
Can I buy a blue tick on Twitter?
Yes, in the narrow sense that you pay for a Premium subscription. No, in the sense that paying does not guarantee the badge. X reviews each account first, and it can take the checkmark away later.
Be careful with anyone who offers to sell you a checkmark directly, or a "verified" account with a badge already attached. The badge belongs to a subscription and an eligibility review on a specific account. X's blue checkmark page says X may remove the checkmark of an account at any time without notice. A seller cannot promise that a badge will stay.
The same page says violations of the Terms of Service or the X Rules, manipulation of X processes, or circumvention of enforcement actions can cost an account its checkmark or, in some cases, lead to suspension. If you are worried about reach after a change, our guide to a Twitter shadowban explains what is and is not a restriction.
Why did my blue checkmark disappear after I changed my profile?
X treats changes to your profile photo, display name or username as a trigger for re-review. Per X, those changes temporarily remove the blue checkmark until the account is validated again, and no further changes to those three fields are allowed during the review. The aim is to stop someone from earning a badge on one identity and then switching to another.
In practice, change them one at a time and only when you need to. If you are about to rename a Premium account, read our walkthrough on how to change your Twitter username first, and expect the badge to disappear for a while. We did not find a review time published on X's help pages.
| What happens | Effect on the checkmark, according to X |
|---|---|
| You change photo, display name or @handle | Temporary loss until the account is validated. Further changes to those fields are blocked during review. |
| Your subscription is not active | The checkmark depends on an active subscription, so it cannot stay without one. |
| Signs of platform manipulation or spam | The account can fail eligibility, lose the checkmark or, in some cases, be suspended. |
| Any other reason X decides on | X may remove the checkmark at any time without notice. |
If the badge is still missing after a long wait and none of these apply, contact X support through the help center. We cannot see X's internal review, so we cannot tell you why a specific account was passed over.
Does the blue checkmark transfer with an account?
You should assume it does not. X does not publish a rule that says a checkmark moves to a new owner, and the way the badge works points the other way. It depends on an active subscription, a payment method held by a particular person, and a review of the profile as it currently looks.
Think through what happens at a handover. The new owner usually changes the login email, adds their own security settings and often updates the name, photo or handle. Any of the profile changes can trigger the temporary loss described above. A subscription is also tied to whoever pays for it, so the seller would have to cancel theirs and the buyer would need their own. Because the checkmark is not a verification of identity, there is nothing to hand over that proves who the owner is.
Platform rules matter here too. X's rules, including its platform manipulation and spam policy, do not allow buying and selling accounts, and X can act against accounts involved. A checkmark does not protect an account from that. On Telegram, the Terms of Service also restrict this kind of transfer, and Telegram can act against such accounts.
What should I check before buying an account that shows a checkmark?
Treat the badge as a feature that may disappear, and judge the account on everything else. A checkmark tells you a subscription was active and the account passed X's review at some point. It tells you nothing about the account's history, audience or past strikes.
- Ask whether the subscription is active and who pays for it. Get the answer in writing, and plan to buy your own subscription instead of relying on theirs.
- Check the account's history. Look at posting patterns, the age of the account and any past restrictions. Our guide to a suspended Twitter account shows the warning signs.
- Confirm how the handover works. When we hand over an account, it goes over with the original email, the seller's recovery details are removed, and the buyer sets up 2FA. That order matters, because it leaves you in control.
- Use escrow or a trusted marketplace. We sell directly or through the escrow of EpicNPC, Fameswap and PlayerSells, where we are a VIP and KYC-verified seller.
- Do not count on the badge after you change anything. Renaming or changing the photo can remove it for a time.
Our checklist for buying a social media account safely covers these steps in more detail. We have been selling since 2019, and in our experience a clean, aged account matters far more to buyers than a badge that X can pull.
If you would rather start with an aged account that already has a clean history, see our Twitter (X) accounts for sale, or look at the aged X accounts page.
Questions people also ask
Is the X blue checkmark the same as being verified?
No. As of October 2026, X says the blue checkmark shows an active Premium subscription and that the account met eligibility requirements. It does not confirm identity or notability. Premium does list ID verification as a separate feature, so check X's help page for how that works today.
How long does it take to get the blue checkmark after subscribing?
X does not publish a fixed time on the pages we checked. It says most Premium features unlock immediately, but the checkmark appears only after a review of the account. We did not find a review time on X's help pages. Recent changes to your photo, name or handle can also hold the badge back.
Can I keep the checkmark if I change my username?
Not without a pause. X says changes to your photo, display name or username temporarily remove the checkmark until the account is validated again, and it blocks more changes during that review. Plan renames carefully and change only what you need.
Does Premium protect my account from suspension?
No. X says violations of its Terms of Service or Rules, manipulation of its processes or evading enforcement can cost you the checkmark or lead to suspension. Premium is a paid feature set, not immunity from enforcement or from a shadowban.
Can a checkmark be added to an account I bought?
You can subscribe to Premium on an account you own, but the badge still depends on X's review. Recent changes to the name, photo or handle can hold the badge back. We cannot promise the badge for any account, and buying accounts may conflict with X's rules.
