The Short Answer
No, you will not be charged if you delete a boosted post on Facebook before the scheduled end date and time. Boosted posts allow you to pay to increase the reach and visibility of a post. When you boost a post, you pay upfront for the boosted post campaign and set a start and end date. As long as you delete the boosted post before the scheduled end date and time, Facebook will issue you a pro-rated refund for the remaining boosted post balance.
What Happens When You Boost a Post on Facebook
Boosting a post on Facebook allows you to pay to increase the reach and visibility of one of your posts. With a boosted post, your content is more likely to be seen by more people who don’t already follow your Page.
Here is an overview of how boosting a post works:
- You select the post you want to boost.
- You set the budget, duration, and target audience for the boosted post campaign.
- Facebook charges you upfront for the entire boosted post campaign.
- The boosted post will receive increased visibility and reach during the scheduled campaign duration.
- You can track the performance of the boosted post campaign with metrics like reach and engagement.
So when you boost a post, you are paying upfront for the entire scheduled duration of the boosted post campaign. The amount you pay depends on factors like your bid, duration, and target audience.
For example, if you spend $100 to boost a post for 5 days, Facebook will immediately charge you the full $100 when the campaign starts.
What Happens When You Delete a Boosted Post
If you decide you want to delete a boosted post before its scheduled end date, you can do so without penalty.
When you delete a boosted post mid-campaign, here is what happens:
- The boosted post immediately stops being shown to the target audience.
- You stop accruing social proof metrics like reach and engagement.
- Facebook calculates a pro-rated refund based on the remaining ad balance.
- The prorated refund is credited back to your payment method.
So you are not penalized or charged any additional fees for deleting a boosted post early. Facebook simply calculates what is owed back to you for the unused portion of the campaign.
For example, if you had originally boosted the post for 5 days at $100 per day, but deleted the ad on day 2, Facebook would refund you $300 (for the 3 unused days).
How to Delete a Boosted Post
If you want to stop a boosted post campaign early and get a refund, follow these steps:
- Go to your Facebook Page and click “Publishing Tools” in the left menu.
- Click “Boosted Posts” in the left menu.
- Locate the boosted post you want to stop and click the “…” icon.
- Select “Delete Boosted Post”.
- Click “Delete” again to confirm.
The boosted post will immediately stop running. It can take up to 5 business days for the prorated refund to process back to your original payment method.
Considerations Before Deleting a Boosted Post
While you can delete a boosted post without penalty, here are some things to keep in mind before ending a campaign early:
You Lose Momentum
If a boosted post is performing well, deleting it early causes you to lose momentum and social proof. The views, clicks, and engagement will stop accruing once you remove the budget behind the post.
It Can Take Time to Build an Audience
If you are boosting a post to build a new audience, it often takes some time for the algorithm to find people interested in your content. Deleting too early may not give the ad enough time to find your target audience.
Cost Per Result May Increase
Facebook’s algorithm optimizes boosted post campaigns to get less expensive results over time. If you constantly start and stop boosted posts, you miss out on Facebook’s optimization, which may increase your average cost per result.
Benefits of Letting It Run
Getting the full value of your boosted post investment often requires letting it run the full duration. This allows Facebook to fully optimize the campaign and build social momentum. Unless the post is severely underperforming, consider letting it finish.
Other Facebook Advertising Options
If you decide boosted posts aren’t the right fit, Facebook offers other advertising options that may work better for your goals:
Standard Facebook Ads
Facebook ads allow for more customization and flexibility compared to boosted posts. You can set more detailed targeting, choose different campaign objectives, and split test multiple ads. They also allow more control over your budget and schedule.
Instagram Ads
Run ads directly on Instagram to reach Instagram’s 1 billion+ active users. Especially effective for visual products, brands, and reaching younger demographics.
Messenger Ads
Use Messenger to send sponsored messages to consumers. This allows you to connect with people directly and drive real conversations.
Audience Network
Expand to Facebook’s network of publisher partners. This allows you to display ads on sites and apps beyond Facebook’s own platforms.
Summary
Here are the key points to remember:
- You will not be penalized or charged if you delete a boosted post on Facebook before its scheduled end date.
- Facebook will automatically calculate a pro-rated refund for any unused budget.
- The refund can take up to 5 business days to process back to your payment method.
- Be aware that deleting boosted posts early causes you to lose momentum and optimization benefits.
- Consider letting a performing boosted post finish its full duration to maximize results.
So feel free to delete underperforming boosted posts to reallocate your budget. Just don’t expect an immediate refund. As long as you delete before the scheduled end date, you will only pay for the portion of the campaign that ran.