Billing and payments in TikTok Ads Manager

This guide is built from TikTok Business Help Center articles, mainly Available TikTok billing options, About billing option changes and How to track your billing threshold and bill date, plus the pages linked in each section, checked on 11 November 2026. Menu names change from time to time, so follow the article if a click path below no longer matches. For the same topic on other platforms, see our guides to the Meta ads payment threshold and Google Ads payment methods.

The three billing options

You pick a billing option when you create the TikTok Ads Manager account. TikTok says the option will determine how and when your account is charged. All three can accept bank transfers, cards or other methods, depending on your country and currency.

If you already have a TikTok representative, TikTok says to discuss the choice with them. Self-serve advertisers choose in the account setup screen.

Which billing changes are allowed

This is the part people get caught by. TikTok allows only three changes, and only for eligible accounts: manual to automatic, manual to monthly invoicing, and automatic to monthly invoicing. It does not allow automatic back to manual, or monthly invoicing back to either of the other two.

Without an account manager, TikTok says the option to change may become available after your account shows stable spending and a positive payment history. It can appear as a banner, or under Tools > Billing > Payment > My Billing Options in Ads Manager (in Business Center: Finance > Payment Management > Settings > Billing Options).

If you are on automatic payment or invoicing and want tighter control, TikTok points to a budget cap under Tools > Billing > Edit Budget. To go back to manual payment, you may need to create a new ad account and choose manual payment at setup.

Automatic payment: threshold and bill date

To use automatic payment you need a valid payment method, and you can't use a prepaid card. When you add a card, TikTok runs a check: it will deduct at least $10, or the equivalent in local currency, from your card and refund this charge within 15 days, according to How to set up automatic payment. If the ad account is owned by a Business Center, you add the payment method there, not in Ads Manager.

TikTok supports weekly and monthly billing; your bill date is based on when you registered and your spending history. You can see the threshold, bill date and total spend on the Payment page in Ads Manager (the Spend so far widget) or in Business Center under Finance > Payment Management, in the Threshold column.

TikTok's own example uses a $180 threshold and a 12 September bill date:

• Spend of $185 on 10 September triggers a $180 charge, and $5 rolls into the next cycle.
• Spend of $100 on 10 September and $70 on 11 September triggers nothing, because neither the threshold nor the bill date is reached. On 12 September the full $170 is charged.

New accounts start with a low threshold that TikTok says will rise over time to match your spending, and failed payments can affect it. Per How to manage your billing threshold, only users with the Financial Manager role can lower it, using the edit icon in Business Center's Threshold column. To raise it, spend more (the system updates it) or appeal through support or your account manager. The threshold can be changed no more than three times a month.

Manual payment and balance top-ups

With manual payment you add funds before ads run. In Ads Manager go to Tools > Billing and click Add balance on the Payment page. If the ad account is managed by a Business Center, top-ups can only be made from the Payment management page in Business Center (How to set up manual payment).

TikTok also offers automatic balance recharge, which tops up your cash balance when it drops to a level you set. It is available only if you use manual payment, the ad account has no Business Center, and the account has been upgraded to Payment Portfolio. You set it under Set auto balance recharge in the Available cash balance section of the Payment page, and turn it off there with Disable auto recharge (How to set up automatic balance recharge).

Monthly invoicing (credit line)

Monthly invoicing lets you spend against a limit TikTok extends to you, which TikTok calls a credit line. Spend lowers what is available, and paying the invoice restores it by the amount paid. TikTok stresses the credit line is not a loan or financing option (About monthly invoicing).

You have to apply and be approved. To be eligible, TikTok asks for:

• an active ad account in good standing for at least six months, with a positive payment history;
• continuous activity that meets regional spending criteria;
• valid business certifications.

The limit is set case by case. Disputes about a billed or invoiced amount must reach TikTok within 7 days of receiving the bill or invoice, and you remain liable for all spend whichever bill-to party you name.

Payment methods

What you can use depends on the billing country or region, the billing option and the currency. To see your choices, open Tools > Billing and click + Add Payment Method on the Payment page (How to find supported payment methods). You can keep several methods and mark one as primary. On automatic payment, a primary method must always be on file.

For ad accounts in a Business Center, changes are made under Finance > Payment management by an Admin, or a Standard member with the Financial Manager role (How to add or update a payment method).

TikTok's North America list for USD accounts billed in the United States:

Canada lists bankcards and PayPal for all three options in USD or CAD, plus direct debit for monthly invoicing. Managed accounts should ask their sales representative instead.

Failed payments and paused ads

If the automatic charge on your primary method fails, TikTok tries your other payment methods. If that leaves an outstanding balance, TikTok says the system will pause your campaigns and suspend your account (Check for failed payments).

To pay it, go to Tools > Billing > Payment and click Pay Now on the banner, or find the failed record under Transactions and pay from there. Then check the Transactions tab for the status (How to pay outstanding balance).

TikTok's payment failure checklist says most failures come from wrong details, a poor connection or bank authorization. Its checks:

• the card is valid, not expired, and its limit covers the amount;
• cookies and cache are cleared, or the payment is made in an incognito window or another browser;
• VPNs, pop-up blockers and extensions are off, as they can stop the 3D Secure page loading;
• the Ads Manager cache is cleared by adding &reset_cache=1 to the end of the URL.

For an "unsuccessful" payment, TikTok adds that the card must support 3D Secure, and that if your bank blocks further transactions you should wait at least 24 hours before trying again (How to troubleshoot unsuccessful payment).

Invoices, billing details and sales tax

For accounts outside a Business Center, invoices are under Tools > Billing > Invoices. TikTok notes invoices for Japan arrive at the start of each month and for Latin America around the 9th (How to download invoices).

Invoices take their details from account setup: Business Name becomes Client Name, plus Street Address, Tax ID and Account Name where shown. TikTok says it does not support changing business or contact details on an invoice after it is issued, and that time zone, region, business name and currency can't be edited once the account exists (List of invoice field maps). An admin can update billing details for future invoices under Tools > My Account > Basic Information > Default Payer (How to change your billing information).

In the United States, TikTok's sales tax page says online advertising in Washington state has been subject to sales tax since 1 October 2025, and that sales tax is levied for advertisers in New Mexico, West Virginia and Hawaii, at a rate based on the advertiser's address. TikTok does not give tax advice, so check with your accountant.

Refunds of an unspent balance

On manual or automatic payment you can ask for your unspent balance back, excluding taxes paid, if the account is in good standing (About ad account refunds). Without a Business Center, an admin goes to Tools > Account setup > Basic information > More actions > Close Account and Refund.

Be sure before you click: TikTok closes the ad account and you can't reopen it. The refund goes to the original payment method, and TikTok says to expect it within 60 days (How to request a refund). Business Center accounts, suspended accounts and Promote campaigns each have their own route.

Our view: how we set billing up

This part is our own practice, not TikTok's guidance. Because automatic payment can't be switched back to manual, we start new client accounts on manual payment unless the client prefers card billing from day one, and we set billing up in the client's own Business Center so the client owns the payment method and the invoices. We check the business name, address and tax ID before the first charge, since invoices can't be edited later. On autopay accounts we add a second payment method so a declined card does not pause campaigns.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch TikTok Ads from automatic payment back to manual payment?

No. TikTok allows only manual to automatic, manual to monthly invoicing, and automatic to monthly invoicing. To use manual payment again, you may need a new ad account with manual payment chosen at setup.

Why was my card charged when I added it to TikTok Ads Manager?

For automatic payment, TikTok verifies a new card by deducting at least $10 or the local equivalent and refunding it within 15 days.

When does TikTok charge me on automatic payment?

When your spend reaches the account's billing threshold or its bill date, whichever comes first. Any amount over the threshold rolls into the next cycle.

Why did my TikTok ads stop after a failed payment?

TikTok says an outstanding balance pauses your campaigns and suspends the account. Pay it with Pay Now on the Payment page or from the failed record in Transactions.

Can I use a prepaid card for TikTok ads?

Not for automatic payment, according to TikTok's setup article. Check the methods offered under Add Payment Method for your billing country, option and currency.

For billing on other platforms, see our guides to the Meta ads payment threshold and Google Ads payment methods. For more on TikTok, see TikTok ads basics and TikTok ads bidding and budgets.