WB Ad Manager Pro uses a pre-funded budget system for CPM and CPC campaigns. This transparent approach ensures advertisers always know exactly where their money is — like a hotel pre-authorizing your card at check-in.
Why Budget Reservation Exists
Without budget reservation, a campaign could spend more than an advertiser’s available balance. Budget reservation solves this by locking the full campaign budget in your wallet at activation time.
Which Campaigns Use Reservation
| Pricing Model | Budget | How Billing Works |
|---|---|---|
| CPM | Amount > 0 | Budget reserved at activation |
| CPC | Amount > 0 | Budget reserved at activation |
| Flat Rate | — | Charged directly from wallet via package price |
| CPM or CPC | 0 (unlimited) | Billed hourly as ads run |
How Budget Calculation Works
When you set up a CPM or CPC campaign, the system calculates the total budget needed.
CPM campaigns:
The budget equals the price per 1,000 impressions multiplied by your impressions limit.
Example: $5.00 CPM rate x (50,000 impressions / 1,000) = $250.00 reserved
CPC campaigns:
The budget equals the price per click multiplied by your clicks limit.
Example: $0.75 per click x 200 clicks limit = $150.00 reserved
What Happens Step by Step
When You Activate a Campaign
- The system checks your wallet balance
- If your balance covers the full budget, the amount is reserved
- Your wallet shows the reserved amount separately from your available balance
- The campaign goes active immediately
If your wallet balance is insufficient, activation is blocked and you’ll see an error. Add funds to your wallet and try activating again.
While the Campaign Runs
Your reserved funds stay held while the campaign is active. The actual charges are deducted from the reservation as impressions or clicks accumulate.
When You Pause a Campaign
Pausing does not release the reservation. Your funds remain held so the campaign can resume immediately without re-authorizing. No charges accumulate while the campaign is paused.
When the Campaign Completes or Cancels
When a campaign ends (either by reaching its end date, exhausting its budget, or being cancelled), the system refunds the unused portion of the reservation back to your wallet.
Example: You reserved $250. The campaign spent $180 before you cancelled it. Your wallet receives a $70 refund.
What You’ll See in Your Wallet
| Transaction Type | When It Appears |
|---|---|
| Campaign Reserve | When you activate a CPM/CPC campaign |
| Campaign Refund | When a campaign completes or is cancelled |
| Campaign Adjust | When your budget changes on an active campaign |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my available balance lower than expected?
Your campaign has reserved part of your balance. The reserved amount will be returned when the campaign ends. Check your wallet transaction history for a “Campaign Reserve” entry.
Can I increase my campaign budget after activation?
Yes. The system will reserve the additional amount from your wallet when you save the change. Make sure your wallet has enough available funds.
What if my wallet runs out during a campaign?
If the reservation fails when you try to activate, the campaign won’t start. Add funds to your wallet first.
I cancelled a campaign. When does my refund appear?
The refund appears in your wallet immediately after cancellation. Check the Wallet tab for a “Campaign Refund” transaction.
My campaign has a budget of 0. How am I billed?
Campaigns with a budget of 0 are treated as unlimited. The system bills these hourly as ads run, deducting from your wallet balance automatically. No upfront reservation is made.
Next Steps
- Managing Campaigns — create and monitor your campaigns
- Dashboard Overview — find your wallet balance and transactions