A Facebook ad credit, which Meta now calls a Meta ad credit, is a form of payment that covers eligible advertising costs on Facebook and Instagram. Once you claim it in Payment settings with its 16-digit code, it pays for ads on your account until it's used up or expires. Anything beyond the credit is charged to your default payment method, so you still need a card or other method on file.
The rule that costs people the most: Meta says expired ad credits can't be reactivated, even if you didn't use them in full. Credits also don't cover anything you spent before the credit was added. So check the expiry date the day you claim it and plan your campaigns around it.
Where ad credits come from
- An ad refund from Meta.
- In-product promotions, or emails from facebookmail.com, including priority.facebookmail.com.
- Partnerships Meta has with other sites or companies.
Meta's credit page points straight to its guide on checking whether an email really came from Meta, and that's worth taking seriously: a free credit is an easy thing to fake. If an offer arrives from any other address, or asks you to log in through a link, don't use it. Go to Payment settings in Ads Manager yourself instead.
How to claim a Meta ad credit
Before you start, Meta says you need a payment method on the ad account, plus full control of the business portfolio with access to manage finance.
- Go to Payment settings in Ads Manager.
- Below Payment methods, select Add payment method.
- Select Ad credit, then Next.
- Enter your 16-digit alphanumeric ad credit code and select Claim.
- You'll see a confirmation. Select Done.
Once claimed, the credit applies automatically to eligible costs on the whole ad account, unless it's assigned to specific campaigns.
Account credits vs campaign credits
| Ad account level credit | Campaign level credit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pays for | All eligible ads on that ad account | Only the campaigns it's assigned to |
| Order used | After campaign credits | First, before account credits or your payment method |
| When it runs out | Your default payment method takes over | Account credits, then your default payment method |
| Availability | Standard | May not be available to all advertisers |
You can convert a campaign-level credit to an account-level one, or change which campaigns it's linked to. Advertisers on monthly invoicing can activate credits at either level in Payment settings and choose the campaigns during activation.
How to assign a credit to specific campaigns
- Go to Payment settings and find the Ad credits section.
- Select Options next to Account credits, choose the credit and select Options again.
- Select Assign to campaigns, pick one or more campaigns and select Save.
To check them later, open Campaign credits in the same section. For some credits you can add or remove campaigns, or move the credit back to the account level with Apply to ad account.
Stop a credit turning into extra spend
A credit doesn't cap your spending. Meta says your daily spend won't go over your daily budget, but once the credit is gone your payment method picks up the rest. If you only want to spend the credit, Meta's advice is to set a campaign spending limit or an account spending limit equal to the credit balance. To see what's left, go to Payment settings and open Ads credit.
If you're deciding how much to run once the credit's gone, my guide on how much to budget for Facebook ads each month walks through it.
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Ad credits and monthly invoicing
If you pay for ads by monthly invoicing, credits work a little differently. You can activate an ad credit at either the account or campaign level in Payment settings, and assign it to one or more campaigns while you activate it. Once it's assigned, only those campaigns can spend from it. Each campaign draws on its own campaign credit first, then moves to account-level credits or your default payment method if it's still running when the credit is used up or expires.
Why a credit might not cover a charge
- The cost was incurred before you added the credit to the account.
- The credit had already been used in full or had expired.
- The charge was bigger than the credit, so the rest went to your payment method.
- The credit is assigned to other campaigns, so this one can't spend it.
My verdict
Treat an ad credit as a deadline, not a gift. Claim it only through Payment settings, check it came from a facebookmail.com address, note the expiry, and set a spending limit the same day so the credit is the only thing you spend. Then run a campaign you'd have run anyway, so you learn something real. My Facebook ads guide for business owners is a good place to plan it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I redeem a Facebook ad credit?
Go to Payment settings, select Add payment method, choose Ad credit, enter the 16-digit alphanumeric code and select Claim.
Do Meta ad credits expire?
Yes. You can see the expiry date in Payment settings under Ads credit, and Meta says expired credits can't be reactivated even if they weren't used in full.
Do I need a card to use a Facebook ad credit?
Meta asks you to add a payment method before claiming, because any costs beyond the credit, or after it expires, are charged to it.
Can an ad credit pay for ads I already ran?
No. Meta says ad credits don't apply to advertising costs incurred before the credit was added to your account.
How do I know an ad credit email is real?
Meta says credits can come through emails from facebookmail.com, including priority.facebookmail.com. Treat offers from other addresses with suspicion and claim credits only through Payment settings.
