Starting this month (July 2024, although this has been the case for much longer across the pond), purchasing ads for a Meta account via an iOS device, whether inside or outside of the US, will now incur a thirty per cent service charge. According to Meta, Apple charges for this due to their in-app payment rules. However, some outlets have accused Meta of being the ones pushing the fees over to its users rather than absorbing the charges itself.

How to Avoid Apple Service Fees on Ads

Regardless of whose fault this is, the important talking point here is how this affects advertisers who rely on boosting their posts and advertising through Facebook and Instagram. Meta reports that millions of small businesses around the world use the ad boost function in order to get their posts seen by more potential customers. A 30% surcharge on your purchases adds up very quickly, especially for the small to medium businesses that this is most likely to affect.

Meta’s Director of Monetisation Privacy & Fairness Policy, Pedro Pavon, has suggested that users should access ad-boosting services through the desktop Facebook and Instagram sites going forward. Pavon has been vocal about the tactics Apple has at play, stating that this is purposefully anti-competitive, anti-steering, and accuses them of using privacy as a “pretext to gain an unfair advantage in the ads business”.

Additional Changes to How Advertisers Boost Content in iOS Apps

Another result of this change from Apple is that there is now a different payment process a user must go through in order to boost their posts. Whereas previously advertisers were charged after the boost post had gone live, iOS now requires users to pay in advance, adding prepaid funds to their account that they can draw from in order to boost the post. Again, Meta stresses that the advertiser can add these prepaid funds through a browser rather than the Facebook or Instagram apps and avoid incurring these fees. This is a workaround in order to have the prepaid funds loaded onto your account without the charge, and will still allow you to boost posts in the app after the fact.

Whether Apple’s objective is to keep user’s privacy up to scratch or make it harder for competition to keep up, it’s unfair on businesses to be expected to pay such a large markup for their advertising. If your business uses iOS to manage its Meta ads, it’s high time you look into other options. We would recommend taking charge of your ads using Meta’s Ads Manager platform, the comprehensive way to view all advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Get Help with Meta Advertising

Our paid advertising team has a collective wealth of expertise in advertising with Meta. If you or your business need assistance in navigating the crazy world of paid social ads, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us by email at joinus@digitalmediateam.co.uk or giving our team a ring at 0800 808 9980.

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Header by Maksym Mazur on Unsplash.

Featured Image by Timothy Hales Bennett on Unsplash.