# What is verified revenue?

> Verified revenue is income read straight from Stripe, Paddle, Shopify and more with read access, not typed in or screenshotted. How it works and why it matters.

**Verified revenue**: Verified revenue is a revenue figure read directly from a payment provider through a read-only connection, rather than typed in or shown as a screenshot.

Verified revenue is a figure read directly from a payment provider, like Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad, RevenueCat or Shopify, through a direct connection, rather than typed in or shown as a screenshot.

## 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, a Paddle key with Read access, 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](https://makerhandle.com/compare/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](https://makerhandle.com/features/leaderboard). See [verified revenue](https://makerhandle.com/features/verified-revenue).

## Questions

### How is verified revenue different from self-reported revenue?

Verified revenue is read from the payment provider by a third party. Self-reported revenue is typed in by the founder.

### Is it safe to connect Stripe for verification?

With a restricted, read-only key, the tool can read figures but cannot move money or change anything.

### Can verified revenue be faked?

It is much harder than a screenshot, though a founder could still route unusual payments through the account. A stated method and history chart help.

### Which providers does makerhandle verify?

Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad, RevenueCat and Shopify.

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Source: https://makerhandle.com/glossary/verified-revenue
makerhandle: makerhandle is a link in bio for makers and founders: every project with its status and revenue verified from Stripe, Paddle and more.