What a business can pay for on TopChoice, how it is labelled, what we will not take money for, and when we say no.
TopChoice Spotlight is our paid promotional package. It gives a business a prominent position above the editorial Top 5 on one trade and location page, with buttons to call it or open its website.
There is one Spotlight placement per trade, per location. Pricing is monthly or annual and is published on the Spotlight page rather than here, so there is only one place to keep it current. Billing, cancelling and refunds are covered in the terms.
Every occupied Spotlight placement carries a visible Sponsored label and sits above the Top 5, separate from it. Spotlight business profiles are marked as sponsored profiles. We do not run paid placements that look like editorial picks, and we do not take payment to change the wording of an editorial entry.
Buying a placement does not put a business in the Top 5, does not improve its position there, and does not keep it out. A Spotlight business can also appear in the Top 5 on the same page, but only when our research puts it there on merit. The factors are set out in our ranking methodology.
Some businesses listed on TopChoice are also clients of EightySix Digital, which operates this site. That relationship earns no preference in a Top 5 either, and our editorial policy explains how we keep the two apart.
A Verified Profile confirms that a profile is managed by an authorised representative of the business, and that key details are genuine: the website, phone number and email, that the business is currently operating, and relevant public registration details where appropriate, such as an NZBN.
Verification is a check, not an endorsement and not a guarantee of workmanship, and it carries no ranking benefit. A Spotlight business receives the same checks as part of its onboarding. A business that does not hold a Spotlight placement can apply for a standalone Verified Profile. See Verified Profiles for what is involved.
We can decline, suspend or remove a paid placement at our discretion, in line with the terms. That includes where a business is not genuinely operating in that location, where the details are inaccurate or misleading, or where we receive credible complaints about the business. Where we remove a placement for a reason other than a breach of the terms, we refund the unused part of the period paid for.
Editorial listings work the same way in the other direction: a business can be removed from a Top 5 at any time if the evidence no longer supports it, whether or not it holds a placement.
If something on this site looks like advertising and is not labelled, tell us. Email topchoice@eightysix.digital or use our contact form, and see our corrections policy for how we handle it.
For how the editorial side and the paid side fit together, see how TopChoice works.