Microsoft Ads
Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) Cost (2026)
Bing Ads, now called Microsoft Advertising, has no set price per click. You bid in an auction, set a daily budget, and Microsoft charges your card when your costs reach a billing threshold or your monthly billing date, whichever comes first. For US dollar accounts the threshold starts at $50. Microsoft does not publish an average cost per click in the help pages I opened.
This guide is for local owners in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Every figure was read on a Microsoft help page on 2026-10-24. If Microsoft does not publish something, the article says so.
$50→
Starting billing threshold, USD postpay
Microsoft Advertising Help
$60→
Typical card hold at a $50 threshold
Microsoft Advertising Help
$0.05→
Minimum daily budget on Google import, USD
Microsoft Advertising Help
7 days→
Usual time before a card hold is released
Microsoft Advertising Help
Estimates for illustration; actual numbers vary.
How Is Bing Ads Billed?
Microsoft's help explains the postpay threshold model. You pay after you spend, and your primary payment method is charged when your costs reach the billing threshold or on your monthly billing date, whichever comes first. The monthly billing date is the day you signed up. One exception: if you made a successful payment in the past 10 days, the monthly charge is skipped.
The threshold starts low. Microsoft says that for US dollar accounts it starts at $50 and rises automatically as you make successful payments. In its worked example, a new account is billed $47.50 on the first billing date, then reaches $50 in early December, and after two more threshold payments the threshold rises to $100. Microsoft adds that the threshold falls if you have trouble paying.
The threshold counts advertising costs only. Taxes are extra where they apply.
What Is the Minimum Daily Budget?
For campaigns you create in Microsoft Advertising, the pages I opened do not give a fixed minimum daily budget. The only published minimums are in the Google Ads import table. It lists the following for Search and Shopping campaigns:
| Currency | Search min bid | Shopping min bid | Min daily budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| US dollar | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| British pound | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Canadian dollar | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Australian dollar | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
These are technical floors, not advice. A five-cent daily budget will not run a useful campaign. Microsoft says that when you import from Google Ads, any bids or budgets that are too low are raised to its minimums. You can opt out of the increases, but campaigns below the minimums are not imported.
How Do Budgets and Bids Work?
Microsoft's help says your daily budget is only a target, so actual spend can be higher or lower. It calculates a monthly budget and then limits spend across the month, so the budget is not used up in the first day. That means a day can overshoot, as with Google Ads.
For Search campaigns you can bid with a default ad group bid or a custom bid per keyword. In general, Microsoft says higher bids help get your ad into more desirable positions. What you pay per click comes from the auction, and the help pages do not list an average. Our Bing Ads guide for local business covers setup and testing in more detail.
Does Importing From Google Ads Change Your Budget?
Yes, and owners get caught by it. If you set up an automated import from Google Ads, Microsoft says it keeps importing at the frequency you choose, reactivating campaigns and changing settings back to what they are in Google Ads, including the budget. An old import can undo a budget cut you made in Microsoft Advertising.
Check the Change history tab if a budget keeps moving. Also edit or pause scheduled imports once you have tuned the Microsoft account. If your Google and Microsoft account currencies differ, you can convert or opt out and adjust by hand.
What Is Not Published?
- An average cost per click or per lead. Microsoft's help pages I read give none.
- A minimum budget for campaigns created directly in the account.
- How a cheaper click translates into customers for your business. Third-party articles claim Bing is cheaper than Google. Sources disagree, and I did not use them.
The honest way to learn your cost is a test with a fixed budget. Our article on whether Microsoft Advertising is worth it for local business discusses when to try it, and the Microsoft Audience Network post covers the display side.
The Math: What Does a $300 Test Cost You?
Every input is an assumption. Microsoft does not publish click costs, so the example uses a budget and a customer value.
| Input | Value (assumption) |
|---|---|
| Test budget | $300 for the month |
| Daily budget (about) | $10 |
| Gross profit per new customer | $150 |
| Customers needed to break even | 2 |
| Billing events at a $50 threshold | up to 6 charges of about $50 |
At $300, two new customers at $150 profit cover the test. With a $50 starting threshold, expect several smaller card charges rather than one monthly bill, and a temporary hold of about $60 while an active account is on postpay. If you would rather see one payment, a prepay account lets you add funds up front. Microsoft notes you can switch to prepaid to release an authorization hold.
What Rule Should You Use to Decide?
Test Bing if you already run Google Ads and can import a working campaign, your customers include people over 35 who use a desktop, and you can run for at least two months. Skip it if your Google campaign is not yet profitable. Fix that first.
Watch for charges. Set a spending limit under Billing settings if you want to cap what is charged to your card, and keep a backup card on file so a failed payment does not stop your ads. Compare the result with your overall plan in our local marketing budget guide.
FAQ
How much do Bing Ads cost?
There is no fixed price. You bid in an auction and set a budget. Microsoft's help pages do not list an average cost per click.
What is the billing threshold?
It is the amount of spend that triggers a card charge. For US dollar postpay accounts it starts at $50 and rises after successful payments.
Can I import my Google Ads campaigns?
Yes. Microsoft raises bids and budgets that fall below its minimums, or skips campaigns that stay below them if you opt out of the increases.
Why did my Bing budget change on its own?
A scheduled import from Google Ads can reset the budget to match Google. Review the Change history tab and pause or edit the import.
Can I cap what Microsoft charges my card?
Yes. In Billing settings you can limit each charge. Charges can exceed the limit by a small amount, so set it slightly below your card limit.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-24.
- Microsoft Advertising Help: What is billing threshold and how does it work?
- Microsoft Advertising Help: Paying by credit and debit card (authorization holds)
- Microsoft Advertising Help: What gets imported from Google Ads (minimum bids and budgets)
- Microsoft Advertising Help: Set your campaign budget and bid amounts
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Nataliia
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
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