In short: not yet.

Lately, there’s been a lot of chatter about Facebook’s “Verified Apps”.  But there haven’t been a lot of conclusions. We’ll make some.

1. Users Won’t Notice It: It’s already difficult to find “Great Apps.” While Verified Apps may be easier to find due to the $375 payola incentive system, that doesn’t mean they’ll trust the apps more. Good apps will spread virally, regardless of whether they align with Facebook’s ideas. For brands, that means “Verified Apps” can be a waste of a little money. For developers, it can restrict ways your app makes money.

2. Criteria May Change: Facebook has remained unable to create a consistent set of rules. It doesn’t make sense to spend money and time in order to have changes reverse your work a few weeks later.

3. It Restricts Your App:  Facebook has a TOS. Shouldn’t that be enough? Facebook prefers to restrict how your app functions, which can limit viral channels. Though Facebook promises extra access to viral channels for “Verified Apps”, it’s difficult to guess at the specifics.

For big brands, it’s a pittance and probably worth trying. But for small developers $375 is too much to  spend on an untested idea.