What is the typical cost of a VMC certificate and are there ways to reduce it?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 7 Jun 2025
Updated 17 Aug 2025
7 min read
When delving into the realm of email authentication and brand representation, the topic of Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) often arises. These certificates are crucial for implementing Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), which allows your trademarked logo to appear next to your email in supporting inboxes. While the promise of enhanced brand visibility and trust is appealing, the cost associated with VMCs can be a significant consideration for many organizations, especially startups.
I've observed that the pricing for VMCs frequently sparks questions about their necessity and potential alternatives. Understanding the typical costs and exploring any available avenues to reduce them is essential for making an informed decision about your email security and deliverability strategy. Let's explore the financial aspects of VMCs and what options might be available.
The typical cost of a VMC certificate
The typical cost of a VMC certificate is generally in the range of $1,000 to $1,600 USD per year. This is not a one-time fee, but rather an annual recurring cost, similar to other digital certificates. The primary certificate authorities (CAs) that issue VMCs are DigiCert and Entrust. While prices can vary slightly between resellers and over time, this price range has remained fairly consistent since VMCs became more widely adopted. It is important to note that these costs typically cover a single logo for a single domain.
Beyond the certificate itself, there can be additional costs involved in the overall implementation of BIMI with a VMC. For instance, your brand logo must be a registered trademark to qualify for a VMC. If your logo is not yet trademarked, you will incur trademark registration and maintenance fees, which vary significantly by region and jurisdiction. These fees can sometimes overshadow the cost of the VMC itself.
Here's a general overview of VMC pricing from leading providers:
Provider
Typical 1-Year Cost
Additional Considerations
DigiCert
$1,499 - $1,608 USD
Offers multi-year plans for slight discounts.
Entrust
$1,299 - $1,350 USD
Often cited as slightly more affordable.
Trademark requirements
A key prerequisite for obtaining a VMC is having a registered trademark for your logo in the jurisdiction where your business operates. Without a registered trademark, you cannot obtain a VMC. This can add significant time and expense to the overall process.
The reasons behind VMC pricing
The relatively high price of VMCs stems from the rigorous validation process required by Certificate Authorities. Unlike simpler SSL/TLS certificates, VMCs involve extensive verification of organizational identity and trademark ownership. This deep validation ensures that only legitimate brands can display their logos, adding a layer of trust and security to email communications. The process often involves manual checks and legal verification, contributing to the cost.
While some might view the pricing as high, the value proposition lies in the enhanced brand trust and visibility. A VMC, combined with a robust email authentication setup, helps protect against phishing and spoofing by visually confirming sender identity. This can lead to increased email engagement and stronger brand recognition, which are intangible but significant benefits for businesses.
The market for VMCs is currently dominated by a few key players, namely DigiCert and Entrust. This limited competition can contribute to the pricing structure, as there are fewer options for businesses to choose from. While competition may increase over time, for now, these are the primary accredited certificate providers for BIMI VMCs.
Investment considerations
High upfront costs: Annual fees of $1,000+ plus potential trademark registration expenses.
Brand visibility: Your trademarked logo appears prominently in the inbox, increasing brand recall and recognition.
Engagement rates: Studies suggest VMCs can lead to higher email open and engagement rates due to increased trust.
VMC's role in logo display across mailboxes
A critical aspect of VMCs is their role in enabling logo display across various mailbox providers. For major players like Gmail and Apple Mail, a VMC is currently a mandatory requirement to display your logo next to authenticated emails. Without a VMC, your logo will not appear in these inboxes, regardless of other BIMI configurations you might have in place. This makes the VMC an almost essential investment for brands targeting a broad audience.
Some other mailbox providers, such as Yahoo Mail and Fastmail, do support BIMI with a self-asserted logo. This means you can still display your logo in these clients even without a VMC, provided your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) is properly configured. However, this self-asserted method offers a lower level of verification compared to a VMC.
The distinction is crucial for understanding the overall impact on your brand's presence in the inbox. If your target audience heavily uses Gmail or Apple Mail, then a VMC becomes a near-essential investment to unlock the full visual benefits of BIMI. For more details on this, you can check our article: Is VMC mandatory for Gmail logo display?
Strategies to manage VMC costs
Given the costs, many look for ways to reduce VMC expenses. Unfortunately, there isn't a direct way to significantly reduce the annual fee for a VMC. The prices are largely set by the Certificate Authorities based on the validation work involved. However, you might find slight discounts by purchasing a multi-year plan upfront, as some CAs offer reduced annual rates for commitments of two or three years. This can save a small percentage over the long term but doesn't eliminate the significant yearly outlay.
For organizations not yet ready to commit to a VMC, or those with very tight budgets, a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) is sometimes considered. While less robust than a VMC, a CMC also helps establish brand identity, but it might not be supported by all mail clients for logo display. For a detailed comparison, consider reading about the differences between CMC and VMC.
Ultimately, the decision to invest in a VMC often comes down to a cost-benefit analysis for your specific brand and email marketing goals. For brands that rely heavily on visual identity and trust in their email communications, the investment can be justified by the potential increase in engagement and protection against impersonation. For startups or smaller businesses, the immediate financial outlay might outweigh the benefits, leading them to prioritize other deliverability factors first. For further reading, the BIMI Group's VMC Guidelines provide in-depth technical specifications.
Cost-effective testing for BIMI
Before committing to a full VMC purchase, you can test BIMI implementation with self-asserted logos where supported, or explore how to get your logo into Gmail without a VMC through older, less guaranteed methods. This allows you to assess the impact of a logo display before making a significant financial commitment to a VMC. Remember, these alternative methods might not offer the same level of trust or broad support as a VMC.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always ensure your brand logo is a registered trademark before pursuing a VMC. This is a foundational requirement and often a significant upfront cost that must be factored in.
Evaluate the primary email clients used by your audience. If Gmail and Apple Mail are dominant, a VMC is likely essential for optimal logo display.
Consider multi-year VMC purchases from Certificate Authorities for potential small discounts, rather than annual renewals.
Common pitfalls
Expecting a VMC to be a one-time purchase. VMCs are annual subscriptions, and costs will recur.
Assuming self-asserted BIMI will work for all mailbox providers; Gmail and Apple Mail require VMCs for logo display.
Underestimating the total cost of VMC implementation, including trademark registration, which can be substantial.
Expert tips
For startups, assess whether the brand visibility benefits of a VMC justify the annual investment at your current stage.
Research and compare pricing from different VMC providers and their resellers, as costs can vary slightly.
Regularly monitor your email authentication records, including DMARC, to ensure full compliance needed for VMC benefits.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says the annual cost of a VMC certificate is typical, and there is no way to reduce the fee directly, although paying for multiple years upfront might offer a slight discount.
2024-06-12 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that Entrust and DigiCert are the two main VMC providers, with Entrust appearing to be slightly more affordable.
2024-06-12 - Email Geeks
Is a VMC worth the investment?
The typical cost of a VMC certificate is indeed substantial, generally ranging from $1,000 to $1,600 USD annually, with additional expenses for trademark registration if your logo isn't already protected. There are no significant ways to reduce this core annual fee, beyond minor savings from multi-year commitments.
However, the value of a VMC extends beyond just displaying a logo. It provides a strong signal of brand authenticity, which can enhance email engagement and build recipient trust, particularly in major mailboxes like Gmail and Apple Mail. For organizations where brand recognition and email trust are paramount, the investment in a VMC, despite its cost, can be a worthwhile component of a comprehensive email security and deliverability strategy.
DigiCert and 
Entrust. While prices can vary slightly between resellers and over time, this price range has remained fairly consistent since VMCs became more widely adopted. It is important to note that these costs typically cover a single logo for a single domain.
Gmail and 
Apple Mail, a VMC is currently a mandatory requirement to display your logo next to authenticated emails. Without a VMC, your logo will not appear in these inboxes, regardless of other BIMI configurations you might have in place. This makes the VMC an almost essential investment for brands targeting a broad audience.
Yahoo Mail and Fastmail, do support BIMI with a self-asserted logo. This means you can still display your logo in these clients even without a VMC, provided your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) is properly configured. However, this self-asserted method offers a lower level of verification compared to a VMC.
