Google Ads management fees in New Zealand: percentage or fixed fee?
Short answer. Agencies charge to manage Google Ads in one of two ways. The first is a percentage of your ad spend, usually quoted at 10–20%. The second is a fixed monthly fee, commonly a few hundred dollars to about $1,500 a month for a smaller account. Neither is wrong. But they pay the agency for different things, and only one stays the same when you spend more.
Checked October 2026. Figures in NZD, excluding GST.
What does Google Ads management cost in New Zealand?
Published pricing guides, in New Zealand and overseas, agree on the broad ranges:
Percentage of spend: 10–20% of what you spend with Google each month, with 15–20% often described as the industry standard.
Fixed monthly fee: roughly $300 to $1,500 a month, with smaller accounts typically at $500–750.
That is the management fee only. The clicks themselves are paid to Google on top.
Some agencies quote a single "all-in" monthly budget that covers both the clicks and their fee. That is where it gets hard to see what you are paying for. More on that below.
How does a percentage fee work?
You spend $4,000 a month with Google. At 15%, the agency's fee is $600. Raise the spend to $6,000 and the fee becomes $900. The fee rises with the spend whether or not the extra spend brings in more enquiries.
A percentage fee pays your agency more every time they persuade you to spend more.
That is not an accusation. Plenty of agencies charge this way and manage accounts well. It is simply how the incentive is built, and it is worth knowing which way it points before someone recommends a bigger budget.
How does a fixed fee work?
A fixed fee is the same whether you spend $2,000 or $6,000 a month. The agency earns nothing extra when your budget goes up, so the only thing left to pay them for is making the spend work.
To be fair to the percentage model: a fixed fee is not always cheaper. On a small budget, a fixed fee can work out at a higher rate than 15%. A $500 fee on $2,000 of spend is 25%. The case for a fixed fee is the incentive, not the price.
What is an all-in ad budget, and why check it?
Some agencies send one monthly invoice that covers the clicks and their fee together. If the invoice says "Google Ads — $5,000", you cannot tell from it how much reached Google.
You can check in three steps:
Get access to the Google Ads account. Ask for Admin access in your own name. Google Ads has five access levels — Admin, Standard, Read only, Billing and Email only — and Admin is the one that lets you see everything, including users and billing.
Look at what Google charged. The billing section of the account shows what Google actually charged each month.
Compare it with what you were invoiced. The difference is what you paid for management.
If you cannot get access to the account at all, that tells you something too.
Who should own the Google Ads account?
You should. The account should be in your business's name, billed to your card or invoiced to you by Google. Your agency works in it with Standard access, or links it to their manager account. If you part ways, the account, its history and its conversion data stay with you, and the next person does not start from nothing.
How we charge for Google Ads
We charge a fixed fee, never a percentage of your spend. You pay Google and Meta directly, so every dollar of ad spend is visible to you on Google's and Meta's own invoices. The accounts are set up in your name from the start.
If you would like a second opinion on what you are paying now, bring your last three marketing invoices to a call. Email us at hello@moltengroup.co.nz or visit moltengroup.co.nz.
Questions owners ask
Is 15% of ad spend a fair fee for Google Ads management?
It sits inside the published range of 10–20%. Whether it is fair depends on the size of the spend and the work behind it. On $10,000 a month, 15% is $1,500 a month. Ask what that buys: how often the account is reviewed, what is changed, and what you are shown each month.
Is a fixed fee always cheaper than a percentage?
No. On a small budget, a fixed fee can work out at a higher percentage than an agency rate. The advantage of a fixed fee is that it does not reward higher spend.
Should I pay Google directly or through my agency?
Paying Google directly means you see every charge on Google's own invoice, and the management fee is a separate line you can judge on its own.
What access should my agency have to my Google Ads account?
Standard access lets an agency run campaigns without managing users or billing. Keep Admin access with someone inside your business.