How to See Facebook Ad Credit

Trying to find your Facebook Ad Credit balance can feel like a scavenger hunt. Meta has a knack for hiding important settings in plain sight, and your promotional credit is no exception. This guide will show you exactly where to look for your Facebook Ad Credit, explain the common questions that pop up, and give you practical tips on how to use it effectively.

What Exactly Is a Facebook Ad Credit?

Before we dive into finding it, let's quickly clarify what a Facebook Ad Credit is (and isn't). Think of it as a coupon or gift card specifically for advertising on Meta's platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and their Audience Network. It's not a cash refund that you can withdraw to your bank account, it's a balance that automatically applies to your future ad spend until it runs out.

You might receive an ad credit for a few common reasons:

Promotional Offers: Meta often gives credits to new advertisers or businesses that use their products (like Meta Business Suite) to encourage them to run ads.
Platform Issues: If there's a significant outage or a major technical bug that affects ad delivery, Meta might issue credits as an apology for the disruption.
Special Programs: Sometimes, Meta partners with other companies or runs programs (like grants for small businesses) that include ad credits.

These credits are applied directly to your ad account, reducing the amount you owe for your next billing cycle.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Ad Credit Balance

Let's get right to it. The credit is tucked away in your billing section, but you can get there in just a few clicks. The interface can sometimes change slightly, but these steps should point you in the right direction.

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager

Start by logging into the Facebook Business account or profile that manages your ads. From there, navigate to the Ads Manager. You can usually find this in the left-hand menu of your Meta Business Suite or by going directly to facebook.com/adsmanager.

2. Open the Billing Section

Once you're in Ads Manager, look for the main navigation menu, often represented by a "hamburger" icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner. This is the "All tools" menu.

Click it to expand the full list of tools. From that menu, find and select Billing. It's usually listed under the "Manage" or "Finance" column.

3. Check Your Payment Activity and Credits

Welcome to the Billing homepage! This is control central for your ad account's finances. By default, you should land on the Payment Activity tab. This is where Meta displays your outstanding balances, recent payments, and most importantly, your ad credits.

Look near the top of the page. You'll typically see a summary of your account's financial status. Meta usually displays ad credits in a very clear way here. You should see a line item labeled "Ad credits" or "Prepaid funds" with the balance listed directly next to it. They often put it in a prominent summary box to make it easy to spot.

Next to the credit amount, you'll also see an expiration date. This is extremely important, as most credits don't last forever!

FAQs and Common Troubleshooting for Ad Credits

Finding the credit is half the battle. Here are answers to a few common questions and issues that often arise.

Why can't I see my ad credit?

If you were expecting a credit but don't see one, a few things could be happening:

It's Applied to Another Ad Account: If your Business Manager contains multiple ad accounts, the credit might have been applied to a different one. Double-check that you're in the correct ad account using the dropdown menu at the top of the Ads Manager page.
It Hasn't Processed Yet: If you just redeemed a promotional code, it might take an hour or two (sometimes even a bit longer) to appear in your account.
It Already Expired: Facebook ad credits come with an expiration date. If that date has passed, the credit will disappear from your account.
It Was Already Used: The most common scenario is that the credit was already applied to your past ad spend. Your ads will automatically use up the credit before charging your primary payment method. Check your transaction history for line items labeled "Credit applied."

How are ad credits applied to my bill?

You don't need to do anything to "activate" or apply your credit. It happens automatically. When Meta bills you for your ad spend, it will first deduct the amount from your ad credit balance. For example, if you have a $50 credit and your ads rack up a $75 bill, Meta will use the entire $50 credit, and then charge your connected payment method for the remaining $25.

Because this process is automatic, you can't choose to "save" your credit for a later campaign. It will always be the first pot of money used for your ad spend.

Can I transfer an ad credit?

Unfortunately, no. Ad credits are non-transferable. You can't move them from one ad account to another, even if you own both. You also can't give them to another business or get a cash equivalent.

Can I get a cash refund for my ad credit?

Nope. This is a common point of confusion. An ad credit is only usable for ad spend on Meta's platforms. It holds no cash value and cannot be converted into a refund or real money.

Making the Most of Your Ad Credit

Getting a "free" ad credit feels great, but using it strategically is what really matters. Since you can't save it for later, you might as well use it to your advantage. Here are a few ideas:

1. Test a New Audience or Placement

Have you been curious if your product would appeal to a new demographic? Or a different interest group? Ad credits provide a risk-free way to test a new audience without dipping into your actual budget. Create a small, targeted campaign aimed at that new group and use the credit to fund the experiment. You might discover an untapped market.

2. Experiment with Different Ad Creatives

Similarly, credits are perfect for A/B testing your creatives. Run two versions of an ad with different images, headlines, or videos. The credit will cover the cost, and you'll get valuable data on what resonates with your audience - insights that will make your future, paid campaigns much more effective.

3. Boost a Top-Performing Organic Post

Find a post on your Facebook or Instagram page that already has great organic engagement. It’s clearly resonated with your followers. Use the ad credit to boost that post and amplify its reach. You're putting fuel on a fire that’s already burning, which often delivers a better return than starting from scratch.

4. Launch a Retargeting Campaign

If you have enough website traffic or a customer list, you can use your ad credit to run a small retargeting campaign. These campaigns target people who have already interacted with your brand, making them highly effective. It’s a great way to re-engage warm leads and push them toward a conversion without spending precious budget.

Final Thoughts

Checking your Facebook Ad Credit is straightforward once you know that the Billing section is your destination. By heading to Ads Manager > Billing, you can quickly find your balance, see its expiration date, and understand how it's being used. Making smart use of that credit can help you gather important data and grow your audience without spending an extra dime.

Navigating different ad platforms to find simple numbers is a common frustration for marketers. It pulls you out of your workflow and makes getting a clear, unified view of your performance difficult. We built Graphed to solve this very problem by connecting all your data sources - like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Shopify - into one place. Instead of spending hours digging through different dashboards, you simply ask for what you need in plain English and get your answers, reports, and dashboards built for you in seconds.