Pinterest Verified Merchant Requirements Changed

When my Pinterest Verified Merchant Program (VMP) status suddenly shifted into “Needs Attention,” I knew something had changed — but Pinterest didn’t say what. As it turns out Pinterest Verified Merchant requirements had quietly changed.

My shop runs on Shopify, a platform that normally handles Pinterest’s event tracking automatically. Still, to troubleshoot, I went through every step available:
Disconnected and reconnected the Pinterest app
Uninstalled and reinstalled
Reset the conversion API
Validated the tag
Tested events
Confirmed catalog health
Reviewed Event Quality Score

None of this resolved the warning.

So I contacted Pinterest support — and what emerged deserves to be documented publicly.

Pinterest introduced a new Verified Merchant requirement, and it was done quietly, without any communication to the community.

The First Clue: “Missing Checkout Events”

Pinterest’s first reply referenced “missing” events, and specifically noted that Checkout events had not been received in the past week.

This was unusual. Shopify fires checkout events automatically, even if a customer abandons the cart.

I asked Pinterest directly whether they recognized checkout initiated events, or only fully completed purchases.

What Pinterest Verified Merchant Requirements Now Demand

After pressing for a clear answer, Pinterest revealed the new criteria:

To maintain Verified Merchant status, your account must now send all of the following every 7 days:
One PageVisit event
One AddToCart event
A completed Checkout event

Checkout events must include currency

Product IDs must be properly passed

They then clarified what “Checkout event” means:
Pinterest now counts only fully completed purchases as valid Checkout events.

Which means:

Your store must receive at least one completed purchase every 7 days to stay Verified.

This is a major shift — and it was introduced without announcement, without documentation updates, and without notifying merchants.

Merchants are discovering this only after their accounts fall into warning or suspension windows.

How Pinterest Verified Merchant Requirements Hurt Small Businesses

Most small online shops do not get a purchase every single week.

This new requirement disproportionately impacts:
Handmade creators
Seasonal sellers
Niche shops
New merchants growing slowly
Small businesses without ad budgets

Meanwhile, large brands and high-volume retailers easily meet this threshold.

Pinterest essentially created a Verified Merchant system that quietly favors high-volume sellers, while penalizing small businesses under a rule no one was told existed.

This affects:
Catalog visibility
Organic product distribution
Shopping placements
Ads eligibility
Merchant trust badges

All because a shop didn’t produce a sale within a 7-day window.

The Real Problem: Transparency Around Pinterest Verified Merchant Requirements

Pinterest has every right to adjust its verification criteria.

But major requirements should be communicated clearly, including:
Email notifications
Documentation updates
Creator news announcements
Dashboard explanations
Change logs

Instead, this requirement was rolled out silently, leaving merchants confused and troubleshooting issues they were never responsible for.

Small businesses deserve clear rules and fair communication — especially on programs that directly affect visibility and revenue.
Transparency matters not just for growth, but for the long-term sustainability of shops like mine.

Final Thoughts

This post exists for one purpose:
to ensure other merchants don’t waste days trying to diagnose a problem Pinterest quietly introduced.

If your VMP status suddenly shifts into “Needs Attention,” check whether Pinterest has recorded a completed Checkout event within the last seven days.

It may not be a tag error.
It may simply be this new, unannounced requirement.

Transparency builds trust.
Silence undermines it.

Pinterest can do better — and small businesses deserve better.

Documentation Available Upon Request

I have the full email correspondence and screenshots confirming this rule change.

Because these contain personal or identifying information, I have chosen not to publish them publicly.

However, if any journalist, creator, or administrator needs verification, you may contact me directly and I will provide the relevant documents privately.

UPDATE – Survey submission blocked:

Pinterest sent me a satisfaction survey regarding this issue. After filling it out honestly, the Submit button became non-responsive with no error message. I have reached out to their support team for clarification.

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Pinterest Verified Merchant Requirements Now Demand Weekly Sales