Meta Blames Apple For Facebook And Instagram Boost Post Fees But There's A Workaround
The reason for the extra fees is because of the changes Apple is making App Store Review Guidelines, which will necessitate an extra 30% charge on top of the payment made to Meta for running the ad. Meta says that it must comply with these new rules, otherwise it would need to remove the option to boost ads within its iOS apps. Doing so “would hurt small businesses by making the feature less discoverable and potentially deprive them of a valuable way to promote their business.”
However, there is a way to continue using boosted posts without needing to pay the extra fee, which will be welcomed news by small businesses looking to get the most out of their advertising budget. According to Meta, “advertisers can now go to Instagram.com and Facebook.com on mobile and desktop to boost their content and avoid a 30% Apple service charge.” In fact we'd encourage this, if for just sticking it back to Apple.
For those who choose to put up with the extra fees to keep a streamlined experience in iOS, how they pay for the boosted posts will also be changing. Users will need to pay in advanced, with prepaid funds in place within their account that will be used to pay for a campaign.
The new fees and payment requirements will start in the US and roll out to other countries as the year progresses. Hopefully it doesn’t have a negative impact on small businesses looking to use Meta as way to grow.
Editor's Note: It's apparent that Apple's draconian practices continue in full force, and it's surprising users still put up with this anti-consumer behavior.