What is verified revenue?

The short definition

When a founder says "we make $5,000 a month", you can either trust them or ask for proof. Verified revenue is the proof: a third party reads the number from the source, using access that cannot change anything, and shows it with a mark that says so.

It became common in indie maker communities as screenshot fakery grew. Leaderboards and profile pages now offer it so visitors can tell claimed from real.

What makes it trustworthy

• Read-only access. A Stripe restricted key with read permissions, or a Shopify app with read_orders. The tool can see, not touch.
• A stated method. MRR from active subscriptions, or last 30 days net of refunds. You should know how the number is built.
• Automatic refresh. A number that updates itself cannot be a lucky screenshot.
• Clear labels. Manual numbers should look different from verified ones.

Where it is used

Founders show verified revenue on personal pages, in launch posts and on public leaderboards. Buyers on acquisition marketplaces look for it. Some databases, like TrustMRR, are built entirely around it.

It is also useful privately: one link that answers "is this real?" for a partner or investor.

On makerhandle

makerhandle verifies Stripe (MRR, or last 30 days of charges net of refunds) and Shopify (last 30 days of orders net of refunds, excluding canceled and test orders). Verified figures get a check mark and appear on the leaderboard. See verified revenue.