Why is my invoice not aligned with my reporting?
If your invoice total doesn't match your in-platform reporting, there are a few common explanations. None of them indicate an error.
Billing and Reporting Are Two Separate Systems
Commerce Max uses two separate systems to track spend: one for billing and one for reporting. Both draw from the same click collection pipeline, but they are then processed along different paths.
There can be some discrepancy between reporting and billing numbers because consistent reporting breakdowns require a higher level of detail on each click. This includes dimensional attributes such as the page type the ad was served on, the advertised product, the page category, and so on. Due to technical trade-offs, these attributes aren't captured in a small number of cases. The result is that those clicks may be excluded from some reporting breakdowns and grid view numbers, even though they are still counted and billed correctly.
Billing and reporting also close on different schedules. Billing produces one final number once a period closes and doesn't change after that, whereas reporting continues to settle, so a number you check early in a period may look different from your final invoice. This doesn't mean anything is wrong. Reporting simply hasn't fully caught up yet.
Free Budget Shows in Reporting, But Not on Your Invoice
Your invoice reflects only what you are actually charged. If a Value Add or Credit was applied to your account during a billing period, those amounts count as spend in reporting but won't appear on your invoice.
Value Add. Spends alongside your paid budget and is included in reporting, but is not billed to you.
Credit. Spends before your paid budget and is included in reporting, but is not billed to you.
If your invoice is lower than your reporting shows, a Value Add or Credit is the most likely explanation.
Your Invoice Is the Source of Truth
Your invoice is the official record of what you're charged. Reporting is designed to show campaign performance across all your key metrics. It may show numbers that differ from your invoice, but this is a normal result of how the two systems work. When in doubt, refer to your invoice.
What to Do if You Notice a Discrepancy
When dealing with large budgets, it is possible that this means your invoice and reporting spends are off by a few dollars, euros, pounds, or whichever currency you operate in. Check whether a Value Add or Credit applied to your account during the period in question. If that doesn't explain the difference, contact your Criteo account team.