Billing Models - Premium Job Boards

Different job portals offer various billing models for premium job ads. Here’s a summary of the most important ones:

What billing models exist?

Below are explanations of the most common billing models:

CPC (Cost per Click):

In this model, the advertiser pays for each click on their job ad. The budget is spent every time a user clicks on the listing, regardless of whether they complete an application.

Examples: Facebook, Instagram, etc.

P4P (Pay for Performance):

With this billing model, the cost is based on actual performance. This means the provider only charges the budget when a specific action or goal is achieved, such as a job application or user engagement (e.g., clicks).

Examples: LinkedIn, etc.

CPSA/CPA (Cost per Started Application):

With this model, payment is triggered when a user starts the application process. Unlike CPC, this does not count clicks but rather the initiation of an application.

Examples: Indeed, etc.

Premium Listing:

Some platforms do not follow a performance- or impression-based model but instead charge a fixed fee to post a job ad. This means the employer pays for visibility, regardless of the number of applications received.

Examples: Regio-Jobanzeiger, IT-Karriere, etc.