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Guide 02 · 4 chapters

Bill client ad spend without hurting your books

If you buy ads for clients, that spend can quietly wreck your numbers. Here's how to keep it clean.

The quick version · keep this

  • Ad spend passed on is a cost, not income. Keep it separate.
  • Set a mark-up per client and always apply it.
  • Rebill fast to protect your cash.
  • Track what you've fronted.

01

Keep it separate from your income

Ad spend you pass on to a client isn't your revenue. Treat it as a cost you're passing through, not money you earned. Otherwise your revenue looks bigger than it is and your profit looks worse.

02

Add a clear mark-up

Decide your mark-up per client, say 10% or 15%, and apply it every time. This is real margin, so don't leave it off.

03

Rebill quickly

The longer you wait to bill spend back, the more of your own cash is tied up. Bill it as it happens, not at month-end.

04

Watch what you've fronted

Always know how much client spend you've paid for but not yet billed back. That's your money on the line.

Punctual does this bit

Punctual keeps ad spend separate, adds your mark-up, and shows what you've fronted.

Terms in this guide

on time, every time

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