What is the difference between automatic and manual payments in Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads offers two payment methods: Automatic Payments and Manual Payments. The main difference is how and when you are charged for your ads.

1. What Are Automatic Payments?
✔ Facebook charges you automatically once you reach your billing threshold or at the end of your billing cycle.
✔ This is the default method for most advertisers.

🔹 How It Works:

Facebook runs your ads first and charges you later.
You are billed when your ad spend hits the billing threshold (e.g., $50, $100, etc.).
If you don't reach the threshold, Facebook charges you at the end of your billing cycle (usually every 30 days).
📌 Best For:
✅ Businesses that want continuous ad spending without manually adding funds.
✅ Advertisers who prefer post-paid billing.

2. What Are Manual Payments?
✔ You preload your account with funds before running ads.
✔ Facebook deducts ad costs from your prepaid balance until it runs out.

🔹 How It Works:

You add money to your account in advance.
Facebook deducts ad costs from the balance.
When the balance is $0, your ads stop running until you add more funds.
📌 Best For:
✅ Businesses that want better spending control.
✅ Advertisers who prefer prepaid billing instead of post-paid.

🔗 Use a Virtual Credit Card (VCC) for Better Budget Control:
👉 https://exocards.com/product/Facebook-Advertising-VCC

📌 A VCC ensures you never overspend and can limit your Facebook Ads budget securely.

3. Key Differences Between Automatic and Manual Payments
Feature   Automatic Payments   Manual Payments
Billing Method   Post-paid (charged after ad spend)   Prepaid (pay before running ads)
Payment Timing   When reaching the billing threshold or end of cycle   When you manually add funds
Ad Continuity   Ads run continuously   Ads stop when the balance runs out
Spending Control   Less control over charges   Full control over spending
Best For   Ongoing ad campaigns   Strict budget management
4. How to Switch Between Payment Methods
🔹 Switching to Manual Payments (if available in your country)
✔ Some countries allow manual payments, but Facebook does not let you switch from automatic to manual once set.
✔ If you want manual payments, you need to create a new ad account and select manual payments during setup.

🔹 Visit https://business.facebook.com/settings
🔹 Click Ad Accounts → Create New Ad Account
🔹 Choose Manual Payment Method (if available)

📌 If you don't see the option, Facebook does not support manual payments in your country.

5. Which Payment Method Should You Choose?
✔ Choose Automatic Payments if:
✅ You want ads to run continuously without manually adding funds.
✅ You are comfortable with Facebook charging you automatically.

✔ Choose Manual Payments if:
✅ You want full control over how much you spend.
✅ You prefer prepaid payments instead of being charged later.

🔗 For strict spending control, use a Virtual Credit Card (VCC) from https://exocards.com

Final Answer:
📌 Automatic Payments charge you after ad spend (post-paid), while Manual Payments require preloading funds (prepaid). If you want strict budget control, use manual payments or a VCC from https://exocards.com to prevent overspending.