Ad networks minimum payment .. a scam?

[jeremy75]

Ad networks have minimum payout limits… 

Revmob (if you use Payoneer) is just $50, or $200 for a bank payment.

Chartboost is $300 minimum.

This is fine for high performing apps, but often apps just don’t perform very well so you are stuck with money earned that you will never see since you cannot make the minimum.

When you leave that ad network in frustration, they pocket your earnings… 

This seems very unfair to me… does anyone have an opinion on this… or know of good ad networks that hand over everything you earn… without problem?

Thanks, 

[naveen_pcs]

Well the reason they have minimum payouts is because of fees (paypal transaction fees and wire transfer fees). My bank charges $20 per wire transfer, so it would make no sense to receive low payments each month where you wouldn’t even be able to cover the cost.

I think the payouts are very fair. Even an app that doesn’t sell relatively well should be able to hit the minimums in a reasonable amount of time (a few months). Of course, if your app is even remotely successful then it becomes super easy to hit these numbers. In my lowest performing app, I get only around 70 free downloads per day and I can still hit the minimums each month for ad payouts.

If you’re not meeting the minimums, maybe think about how often you’re showing ads, and where (app launch, after each game?).

[jeremy75]

Yes, you are right to some extent.

My current problem is that we are getting record clicks on ads but no installs so our ad network Revmob is probably just showing the same ad again and again. 

We have a few dollars outstanding but i do not want to loose it when we leave. Right now with no installs despite the record clicks, it looks like we just have to donate that to the ad network.

In looking at new ad networks, it seems payout threshold levels of $300 seem to be ok to them.

Fees are not the issue as often ad networks pass these on to you the advertiser, certainly for bank transfers.

Which ad network do you use? What is their threshold and do they charge you fees for payouts? It sounds like i should switch to them.

[naveen_pcs]

I’ve been using Revmob since it first came available, and lately they suck. I’ve used Admob, Mobclix, inMobi, iAds, Vungle and Revmob before, and right now the best combination for me is inMobi + Vungle.

Use inMobi for banner ads and Vungle for a video ad (once after each game played). I’ve been using inMobi for over a year and its very consistent (Revmob is all over the place). I’m using Vungle based on recommendations from a couple friends who have had great experience with them, and thats been my case too.

I’m currently going back to some of my older titles and replacing Revmob with Vungle. It seems like a much better choice in the long run (and the Vungle site is much better too IMO).

All of these stats are for iOS. I have integrated inMobi in my Android apps and its not nearly as good as iOS. That seems to be true for all ad networks though, so its not in inMobi specific complaint. You make MUCH more with iOS ads compared to Android.

[jeremy75]

Thanks for the suggestions, i will definitely check them out.

I agree that Revmob are all over the place, initially we were getting very good results, but in the last couple of months its has dropped off a cliff.

We only put ads in 1 android app and that has performed very badly, the others are iOS and hits and clicks indicate placement is ok, but then what is offered to users is just not what they want or maybe not filled in some regions.

Thanks for the suggestions, I think that mobile ad networks is something that all developers should keep up to date with.

In searching for new ad networks too many sites push one ad network or another, only for you to find out the links are all affiliate links so often not a truly fair opinion.

Thanks again and I best of luck with your current providers.

[jeremy75]

resolved.

[renato.bugge]

Sounds like you all have a lot of experience with this. From my reading on the net I have seen the same story over and over again; you get very little out of ads. So I chose to not use ads in my free app but instead use IAP to get some revenue.

Would you recommend on using ads to get some in-game consumables? E.g. is it worth it or do the users seem to ignore it.

[naveen_pcs]

Well the reason they have minimum payouts is because of fees (paypal transaction fees and wire transfer fees). My bank charges $20 per wire transfer, so it would make no sense to receive low payments each month where you wouldn’t even be able to cover the cost.

I think the payouts are very fair. Even an app that doesn’t sell relatively well should be able to hit the minimums in a reasonable amount of time (a few months). Of course, if your app is even remotely successful then it becomes super easy to hit these numbers. In my lowest performing app, I get only around 70 free downloads per day and I can still hit the minimums each month for ad payouts.

If you’re not meeting the minimums, maybe think about how often you’re showing ads, and where (app launch, after each game?).

[jeremy75]

Yes, you are right to some extent.

My current problem is that we are getting record clicks on ads but no installs so our ad network Revmob is probably just showing the same ad again and again. 

We have a few dollars outstanding but i do not want to loose it when we leave. Right now with no installs despite the record clicks, it looks like we just have to donate that to the ad network.

In looking at new ad networks, it seems payout threshold levels of $300 seem to be ok to them.

Fees are not the issue as often ad networks pass these on to you the advertiser, certainly for bank transfers.

Which ad network do you use? What is their threshold and do they charge you fees for payouts? It sounds like i should switch to them.

[naveen_pcs]

I’ve been using Revmob since it first came available, and lately they suck. I’ve used Admob, Mobclix, inMobi, iAds, Vungle and Revmob before, and right now the best combination for me is inMobi + Vungle.

Use inMobi for banner ads and Vungle for a video ad (once after each game played). I’ve been using inMobi for over a year and its very consistent (Revmob is all over the place). I’m using Vungle based on recommendations from a couple friends who have had great experience with them, and thats been my case too.

I’m currently going back to some of my older titles and replacing Revmob with Vungle. It seems like a much better choice in the long run (and the Vungle site is much better too IMO).

All of these stats are for iOS. I have integrated inMobi in my Android apps and its not nearly as good as iOS. That seems to be true for all ad networks though, so its not in inMobi specific complaint. You make MUCH more with iOS ads compared to Android.

[jeremy75]

Thanks for the suggestions, i will definitely check them out.

I agree that Revmob are all over the place, initially we were getting very good results, but in the last couple of months its has dropped off a cliff.

We only put ads in 1 android app and that has performed very badly, the others are iOS and hits and clicks indicate placement is ok, but then what is offered to users is just not what they want or maybe not filled in some regions.

Thanks for the suggestions, I think that mobile ad networks is something that all developers should keep up to date with.

In searching for new ad networks too many sites push one ad network or another, only for you to find out the links are all affiliate links so often not a truly fair opinion.

Thanks again and I best of luck with your current providers.

[jeremy75]

resolved.

[renato.bugge]

Sounds like you all have a lot of experience with this. From my reading on the net I have seen the same story over and over again; you get very little out of ads. So I chose to not use ads in my free app but instead use IAP to get some revenue.

Would you recommend on using ads to get some in-game consumables? E.g. is it worth it or do the users seem to ignore it.