Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Finance

Introduction

The Finance category ran well below the global market on Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase (CPP) for most of the year, but with a distinct late-summer surge before a sharp January reset. Across all countries, Finance CPP averaged about $21.45 for the period, compared with a $49.61 global all‑industry benchmark—roughly 57% lower. Momentum built through Q3, eased in Q4, and then plunged in January 2026, a reset that echoed the market’s own step‑down but was far steeper in Finance. Volatility in Finance was also higher, with bigger month-to-month swings and standout peaks in August and September.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Finance across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Finance CPP started 2025 at $14.51 in January and climbed to the low $20s by March–April ($20.30–$20.72). Early summer softened to $15.83 in June before a decisive lift: July reached $21.16 and August spiked to the annual high of $31.58, with September close behind at $30.83. Q4 cooled but remained elevated versus the start of the year—$29.38 in October, $29.11 in November, and $23.77 in December. January 2026 then saw a dramatic reset to $2.25, the period low.

For 2025 alone, Finance CPP averaged $23.04, ranging from $14.51 (January) to $31.58 (August). Over the full 13‑month window, the average was $21.45. Month-to-month volatility in Finance averaged a 4.7‑point absolute move, notably higher than the global benchmark’s 3.3‑point average. The largest upswing came in August (+$10.42 vs. July), while the sharpest drop was the January 2026 step‑down (−$21.52 vs. December).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The rhythm was clear: a first-half build, a brief early‑summer dip, then a late‑summer spike that carried into early Q4 before easing into year‑end. Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1; here, Q4 remained comparatively firm for Finance before the sizable January normalization. The market baseline was steadier: largely flat‑to‑soft in H1 around $52–$55, a modest lift in August–September (~$53.21), a gradual Q4 ease (~$47–$48), and then a pronounced January drop to $25.15.

Country vs. Global

Finance CPP stayed below market throughout. In early 2025, it trailed the global benchmark by 61–73% (January–June). The gap narrowed meaningfully in late summer and fall: August and September were about 41–42% below, October ~44% below, and November the tightest at ~39% below. December widened slightly to ~50% below. The January 2026 reset pushed Finance to ~91% below the market, highlighting its higher sensitivity to the Q1 reset.

Trend lines diverged: from January to December 2025, Finance CPP rose 64% ($14.51 to $23.77), while the global benchmark fell about 10% ($53.15 to $47.62). Finance also showed more pronounced month-to-month movement, with average volatility roughly 41% higher than the global series.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase benchmarks for the Finance industry across all countries show a year marked by a Q3 spike, a firm but easing Q4, and a deep January reset—consistently below the global all‑industry baseline yet more volatile month to month. Understanding CPP trends within Finance’s Facebook Ads benchmarks helps quantify country‑agnostic ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global patterns.