How do I know if my agency is marking up my ad spend?

There are two honest ways to price ads management. One is a fixed fee for the work while the client pays the platform directly. The other is a fee calculated as a percentage of spend, stated openly in the agreement. Both are fine. The problem arises when the spend and the fee are blended into one number, such as 'ads package, all-inclusive', and the client never sees how much actually reached Meta or Google.

You can check in a few minutes if you have access. In Meta, open the ad account's Billing and payments page, which lists every charge and the amount. In Google Ads, open Billing and look at transactions. Compare the totals for a month with what you paid the agency for ads in the same month. If the agency pays from its own card, ask them to share a screen or export the billing summary, and match the account ID with the one in your reports.

Watch for other warning signs: reports that show results but never spend; screenshots instead of live access; an ad account named after the agency rather than your business; and reluctance to hand the account over when you leave. None of these proves a markup, but each one makes it impossible for you to know.

The setup we recommend, and run ourselves, is the plain one: the ad account belongs to your business, your card is on it, and the agency charges a separate management fee. Under our Pro package the ad spend is always separate and visible to you in the platform. It is less convenient for an agency and much better for the client.