Credit-based social media pricing: how it works

Key takeaways

Credit-based social media pricing sells a monthly or prepaid bank of credits that you spend on deliverables, such as a post, a design or a video edit. It is flexible, but compare it by converting credits to cost per deliverable and checking expiry rules, because unused credits that expire are money lost.

• Credits are spent on set deliverables.
• Convert credits to cost per deliverable.
• Check expiry and rollover rules.
• Compare with a retainer and hourly rates.

How do credits work?

You buy credits, monthly or upfront, and the agency publishes a menu: for example, a static post costs one credit, a carousel two, a video edit four. You spend credits as needs change. It sits between pay-as-you-go and a fixed retainer.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• Social media agency pricing models explained

How do you compare credits with other pricing?

Divide the price by the credits to get the cost per credit, then multiply by each item's credit cost. Compare that with cost per post and the £75–£100 blended hourly rate. Check whether strategy, replies and reporting cost credits or are excluded.

• Cost per credit = price divided by credits.
• Item cost = credits times cost per credit.
• Check what costs no credits.
• Check expiry and rollover.

• Pay as you go social media management: the trade-offs

What are the traps?

Credits that expire monthly, menus that change, and core work such as planning and replies sold as extras. Prepaid credits also carry risk if the agency closes. Keep records of credits bought and used, as you would for any prepaid service.

When do credits suit a business?

When needs vary month to month, such as seasonal businesses or in-house teams wanting top-up design. For steady, ongoing social media, a retainer with a clear scope is usually simpler and better value.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a business buys credits but approves content slowly, and credits expire. Choosing a rollover option or a smaller bank usually fixes the waste.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Credits checklist

• Work out cost per credit.
• Price your typical month in credits.
• Check expiry and rollover rules.
• Confirm what is excluded.
• Track credits used each month.

• Paid discovery phases: what agencies charge to start
• Social media costs for seasonal businesses

Next step

Price last month's actual content in the agency's credits. Then compare with a retainer quote.