Home › Solutions › How to Verify a Startup's MRR
How do I verify a startup's MRR?
A startup's MRR is verified when the figure is read straight from its payment provider instead of typed in. On ShowMRR the founder connects a read-only Stripe, Polar or Lemon Squeezy key, and the figure is labelled Verified only while the last successful sync is under 72 hours old. Without that connection, the figure is self-reported.
If you are checking someone else's number
- Open the startup's page on ShowMRR (from the leaderboard or by searching its name).
- Read the label next to the MRR. Verified means ShowMRR read it from the connected payment provider within the last 72 hours. Self-reported means a person typed it in or ShowMRRBot read it from a page the company publishes itself.
- Check the date. A self-reported figure shows the day it was last entered or read.
- For a sale or investment, ask the founder for read-only access or an export from the payment provider. ShowMRR does not audit businesses.
If you are the founder and want your MRR verified
- Create a free ShowMRR account and add your startup. The free plan covers one startup, including verification.
- Create a read-only key at your provider. For Stripe that is a live-mode restricted key (it starts with
rk_live_); see how to create one. - Open the startup, choose Connect Revenue and paste the key.
- ShowMRR reads your subscriptions, computes MRR and labels the figure Verified. Syncs run about hourly.
What a Verified label does not mean
- It is not an audit. The figure is only as good as the provider data and how ShowMRR reads it.
- It covers MRR only: one-off payments, refunds and taxes are not part of it, and usage-based (metered) prices are left out.
- It lapses. The label is recomputed on every read, so a revoked or broken key loses it within 72 hours.
The full rules are on the methodology page, which also shows live counts of listings by label.
FAQ
Can a founder just type "verified"?
No. The Verified label is computed from the payment-provider connection every time a page is read. A typed number is always labelled self-reported, with its date.
Does verification cost anything?
No. On the Free plan you can add one startup and verify it at no cost.
What happens if the key stops working?
The figure can no longer be refreshed. Verified needs a successful sync in the last 72 hours, so the badge is lost once that window passes.