Ask five providers what an agency ad account “costs” and you’ll get five different numbers — because the sticker price is almost never the real price. This infographic breaks down every cost component across Facebook, Google, TikTok and Bing, so you can spot the hidden fees before you fund an account.
The Real Cost of an Agency Ad Account
Data reflects typical market pricing patterns. Verify any specific provider’s current rates directly.
Every Fee, Explained
- Account / rental fee. A monthly rental or one-time opening fee for the account itself. Industry range: $50–$500/month.
- Service fee on spend. A percentage taken on top of each top-up or your ad spend. Market range: 2%–8%. At $20,000 monthly spend, a 5% fee is $1,000/month.
- VAT. The least visible and largest component — in jurisdictions charging ~20%, it can exceed every other fee combined.
- Top-up and payment fees. Flat fees or percentages on deposits, sometimes disguised as exchange-rate adjustments.
How to Use This
Run the same $10,000 example against any provider you’re evaluating, then compare their all-in number. For a live calculation at your exact spend level, use our agency ad account cost calculator, or read the full line-by-line cost breakdown.
FAQ
Is a free agency ad account really free?
Sometimes yes — but often “free” means the fees moved elsewhere, usually into service fees on spend or top-up markups. Demand the all-in number on a sample spend amount before you commit.
What is the biggest hidden fee?
VAT. The same ad spend can carry 0% or 20%+ depending entirely on the provider’s billing structure — a single question (“who bills me, and where are they tax-registered?”) can be worth more than every service-fee negotiation combined.
Which platforms charge the most?
The fee structure is set by the provider, not the platform — the same Facebook or TikTok account can be $0 or $2,500+ above spend depending on who you rent it from. Compare the all-in cost, not the headline platform.