A Verified Profile confirms your TopChoice listing is genuinely yours: that an authorised representative controls it, and that the business details shown are accurate. It's a trust signal for customers, not a ranking boost.
TopChoice has confirmed that this profile is managed by an authorised representative of the business and has checked key business details. Verification is not an endorsement and does not influence our independent Top 5 rankings.
Before a profile earns the ✓ Verified Profile pill, we check:
Verification confirms ownership/representation and business details. It is not a workmanship guarantee, not a TopChoice endorsement, and it does not influence our independent editorial Top 5 rankings.
We don't promise search rankings, leads, enquiries or revenue. Verified is a trust and accuracy signal, not a marketing channel.
We would rather your listing was accurate than charge you to correct it. There is no card, no subscription and nothing to cancel. Every application is still checked by hand, so being free does not make it automatic.
Two separate products. Neither changes our independent Top 5 rankings.
| Verified Profile | TopChoice Spotlight |
|---|---|
| Dedicated profile and review collection | Enhanced profile and review collection |
| Authorised representation and business details checked | Authorised representation and business details checked |
| Profile link within an eligible Top 5 entry | Prominent Spotlight placement above the Top 5 |
| Does not change editorial ranking | Does not change editorial ranking |
| Free | See our current Spotlight pricing |
A Spotlight business is automatically Verified: Spotlight onboarding already includes the same ownership and business-detail checks, so there's no separate application. Spotlight also adds a prominent, clearly-labelled sponsored placement above the editorial Top 5. See TopChoice Spotlight for details.
Submit a claim/application for your business using the form below.
TopChoice confirms the applicant represents the business.
TopChoice checks the core business details shown on the profile.
We request any corrections or supporting information required.
The profile becomes Verified only once the checks are complete.
The Verified pill and Top 5 profile link are activated.
Businesses that have completed our claim and verification checks.
Tell us about your business and we'll be in touch about next steps. Submitting this form does not guarantee verification. Every application is checked manually before a profile goes live. Prefer email? topchoice@eightysix.digital.
No. Verification confirms the profile is managed by an authorised representative and that we've checked key business details. It is not a workmanship guarantee, an endorsement, or a comment on quality, it's an identity and factual-accuracy check, nothing more.
No, never. Verified is free, and Spotlight is paid, and neither adds a business to a Top 5, moves it up, or changes its score in any way. The Top 5 is decided by our own research and nothing else is for sale.
We confirm the applicant is authorised to represent the business, that the website, phone number and email are genuine and the business is currently operating, and relevant public registration details where appropriate (such as an NZBN). We also check the factual information displayed on the profile.
Yes. A Verified profile can enable native TopChoice review collection, the same review system used by Spotlight businesses. Genuine reviews stay published even if verification later lapses.
The permanent profile page stays live and any genuine published reviews remain visible. The Verified pill is removed once verification is no longer active, which happens if a business's details can no longer be substantiated, and review collection can be turned on or off independently of that.
Verified is a free profile product confirming ownership and business details. TopChoice Spotlight is a higher-visibility paid promotional placement shown above the Top 5, which already includes the same ownership and business-detail checks as part of its onboarding. Neither influences the independent Top 5 order.
Initially, the standalone Verified product is intended for businesses that already appear in one of our genuine editorial Top 5 lists. If that's not you yet, get in touch and we'll let you know your options.
Yes. If a business's details can no longer be substantiated, we remove the public Verified status. The business keeps its permanent profile URL and any genuine reviews it has already earned.
Your Verified profile, its pill and any genuine published reviews all stay exactly as they are. Verified is a separate product from the editorial Top 5, so moving in or out of a Top 5 list doesn't add or remove your verification.
No. A Spotlight business is automatically Verified, since Spotlight onboarding already includes the same ownership and business-detail checks. The standalone application above is only for businesses that are not in Spotlight.
