Why views past your target are free
Ads stop working the second you stop paying. A creator's post doesn't. That gap is where free views come from.
Your view target is your budget divided by your price per 1,000 views. You pay only for counted views up to that target, then spending stops automatically. The posts stay on the creators' pages and can keep collecting views, and none of those cost you anything. If the posts fall short, you pay only for the views that happened and the rest of the budget is refundable on request.
On this page
How your target is set
View target = budget ÷ price per 1,000 views × 1,000
| Budget | Price per 1,000 views | Your target |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.50 | 20,000 views |
| $100 | $1.00 | 100,000 views |
| $500 | $2.00 | 250,000 views |
| $1,000 | $1.00 | 1,000,000 views |
You choose both numbers. A higher price fills faster because creators pick campaigns from a public board. A bigger budget raises the target. The minimum budget is $10 and the lowest price is $0.20 per 1,000 views.
What happens at the target
As YouTube, Instagram and TikTok count views on the posts in your campaign, money moves from your budget to the creators at your price. When the counted views reach your target, spending stops. It is automatic: a campaign can never spend more than you funded.
The posts don't disappear when that happens. They stay on the creators' pages, in their feeds and in search, and short-form feeds keep recommending a post for as long as people keep watching it. Every view they earn from that point on is a view you did not pay for.
Four ways a campaign can end
Same campaign each time: $100 budget at $1.00 per 1,000 views, so a 100,000-view target.
| What happens | Views counted | You pay | Free views | Real cost per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls short | 40,000 | $40, and $60 stays refundable | 0 | $1.00 |
| Hits the target | 100,000 | $100 | 0 | $1.00 |
| Keeps going | 500,000 | $100 | 400,000 | $0.20 |
| Goes viral | 2,000,000 | $100 | 1,900,000 | $0.05 |
The first row is the downside, and it is a partial refund, not a loss. The last two rows are the upside, and they cost exactly the same as the second.
Why ads can't do this
A Meta or TikTok ad charges you for every impression, for as long as it runs. There is no "after the target": the moment you stop paying, the ad stops showing. More reach always means more money.
A flat-fee influencer post does give you free views after you pay, since the fee is fixed. But you also pay the full fee if the post flops. Pay per view with a target is the only one of the three that gives you the upside without the downside: you pay for what happened, and nothing for what happened beyond your target.
Old views never count
Only views a post earns after it joins your campaign count toward your target. A video that already had a million views earns nothing from your budget until it earns new ones. That stops anyone from billing you for reach that happened before you arrived.
The fine print
- No post is guaranteed to reach your target. Many won't. That is exactly why you pay only for views that happen.
- Creators own their posts. A post stays up unless its creator removes it. If they do, its future views stop with it. Views already counted are not affected.
- Views are reach, not sales. Use your own UTM links and analytics to see who clicks and buys.
How to get the most free views
- Spread the budget across creators. More posts means more chances that one of them keeps going.
- Write a brief for a good post, not an ad. Posts people finish and share are the ones feeds keep recommending.
- Pick a price creators will pick up. A campaign nobody joins earns no views, free or paid. If it doesn't fill, raise the price rather than the budget.
Questions people ask
Do I really pay nothing for views after my target?
Yes. Your target is your budget divided by your price per 1,000 views. Spending stops automatically when counted views reach it, and views the posts earn after that are not charged.
What if the posts never reach my target?
You pay only for the views that were counted, at your price, and the rest of the budget is refundable on request. If no creator joins within 30 days, you can withdraw the full budget.
Can a creator delete the post after my target is reached?
Creators own their posts, so they can. If a post is removed, its future views stop. Views already counted are not affected, and you are never charged for views after your target either way.
Do old views on a post count toward my target?
No. Only views a post earns after it joins your campaign count, so a video that was already popular can't bill you for its past.