Why Were Ad Fees Deducted After I Paused My Campaign?
BySangjin Ji, Administrative Attorney3 years of embassy visa practiceLinkedIn
You stopped your advertising campaign more than ten days ago. Yet when you open your latest seller settlement statement, you discover that KRW 210,000 has been deducted for advertising.
You check the advertising dashboard again. The campaign status clearly says "Paused."
Why are you still being charged for an advertisement that is no longer running?
For businesses selling through online marketplaces in South Korea, this situation can raise questions about whether the platform has continued running an advertisement without authorization.
Advertising fees incurred before a campaign was paused may legitimately be deducted later. However, if new charges arose after the campaign was effectively suspended, without a contractual basis for those charges, the seller may request a billing correction and refund.
The distinction depends on three different points in time: when the campaign was paused, when the advertising costs were actually incurred, and when the platform deducted those costs from the seller's proceeds.
The advertising agreement matters as well. Pausing an individual campaign and terminating the advertising service agreement may be governed by different procedures.
To determine whether a deduction is justified, sellers need to compare their advertising contract, campaign activity records, and settlement statements.
Your Campaign Was Paused, but KRW 210,000 Was Deducted
Consider an online seller named Jiyeon who sells household products through a marketplace.
After running an advertising campaign without achieving the expected increase in orders, she decides to stop it.
On October 5, at approximately 3:20 PM, she clicks the campaign's pause button.
Three minutes later, at 3:23 PM, the advertising dashboard confirms that the campaign status has changed to "Paused."
Jiyeon assumes that no additional advertising costs will arise.
However, when she reviews her seller settlement statement on October 18, she finds that KRW 210,000 has been deducted.
She downloads the advertising report and sees the following figures:
- October 1–5 advertising costs: KRW 165,000
- October 6–7 advertising costs: KRW 45,000
- Total advertising costs: KRW 210,000
- Amount deducted from seller proceeds on October 18: KRW 210,000
The total in the advertising report matches the deduction shown on the settlement statement.
But one detail requires attention.
Jiyeon confirmed that the campaign had been paused at 3:23 PM on October 5. Why does the advertising report show another KRW 45,000 for October 6 and 7?
The first amount requiring investigation is KRW 45,000.
If these costs were incurred before the campaign suspension became effective, the platform may be entitled to collect them later.
If the same campaign continued generating new advertising charges after suspension, however, the platform's contractual basis for those charges must be examined.
The earlier KRW 165,000 should not automatically be treated as entirely valid either.
Because the campaign was paused partway through October 5, the seller also needs to determine whether any charges were incurred after 3:23 PM that day.
The relevant questions are now specific:
Which campaign generated the charges? When did the advertising activity occur? When did the suspension become effective? And does the report show the date of advertising activity or the date on which the charge was recorded?
Campaign Suspension and Advertising Fee Deduction Are Different Events
The first step is to understand how advertising fees are collected.
Coupang Ads provides a useful example.
According to Coupang Ads' official FAQ, advertising costs are generally settled through a postpaid billing system.
Instead of requiring sellers to pay every advertising charge immediately, Coupang deducts advertising expenses from settlement payments otherwise owed to the seller.
Unless otherwise agreed, advertising expenses are generally settled monthly.
Where advertising fees exceed the available seller settlement amount, the outstanding balance may also be deducted from a subsequent settlement.
For example, suppose a seller runs advertisements from September 1 through September 28 and incurs KRW 150,000 in advertising expenses.
The seller successfully pauses the campaign on September 28.
In October, the marketplace deducts KRW 150,000 from the seller's proceeds.
If the KRW 150,000 was validly incurred during September under the applicable pricing terms, the October deduction is a normal postpaid settlement.
It does not establish that the advertising campaign continued running during October.
Coupang Ads allows sellers to review advertising expenses through its advertising reports and advertising fee settlement reports.
The official guidance explains that daily and monthly settlement information can be reviewed, with the current month's advertising settlement records generally becoming available during the first week of the following month.
Sellers should distinguish three dates:
- Campaign suspension time: When the campaign's paused status was confirmed
- Charge-incurrence time: When advertising activity generated a fee under the applicable pricing method
- Deduction date: When the platform collected the fee from seller proceeds
A fourth distinction may also matter: the date on which an expense was entered into the reporting system may differ from the time the expense actually arose.
Pausing an advertisement does not eliminate expenses already incurred.
But a postpaid settlement provision does not, by itself, authorize new advertising charges after a campaign has been effectively suspended.
Returning to Jiyeon's example, the question is not simply why KRW 210,000 was deducted on October 18.
The question is when each component of that amount was incurred and which contractual pricing terms applied.
Source: Coupang Ads, Frequently Asked Questions — Advertising Fee Settlement
How to Determine Whether Advertising Continued After Suspension
Jiyeon's advertising report shows KRW 45,000 for October 6 and 7, even though she confirmed the campaign's suspension on October 5.
The first item to verify is the campaign ID.
A campaign ID is an identifier assigned by an advertising platform to distinguish one advertising campaign from another.
Suppose Jiyeon had been running two campaigns, Campaign A and Campaign B.
She paused Campaign A on October 5, but Campaign B remained active.
If the KRW 45,000 resulted from Campaign B, the suspension of Campaign A would not establish that the charges for Campaign B were incorrect.
The seller must first match the campaign ID in the suspension record with the campaign ID associated with the advertising charges.
Check the Actual Charge Timestamp
A charge appearing under October 6 does not necessarily prove that the underlying advertising activity occurred on October 6.
Depending on the platform's reporting system, a cost incurred earlier may be reflected in the records later.
If the platform explains that KRW 45,000 was incurred before October 5 at 3:23 PM but recorded later, Jiyeon should request records identifying the actual advertising activity and charge timestamps.
If those records confirm that the costs arose before the suspension became effective, they may be legitimate outstanding advertising fees.
However, if the same campaign generated new charges after the suspension took effect, Jiyeon should examine whether any contractual provision permitted the continued advertising activity.
Where no valid contractual basis exists, she may request correction of the affected charges.
Review the Day on Which the Campaign Was Paused
The costs recorded on October 5 also require attention.
Jiyeon confirmed the campaign's paused status at 3:23 PM.
Suppose the advertising report shows KRW 30,000 for that day.
A daily total does not necessarily reveal whether all KRW 30,000 was incurred before 3:23 PM.
If the available report does not provide sufficient detail, Jiyeon may request time-specific activity records or other information that can establish when the charges arose.
The records available will depend on the advertising product and the platform's reporting system.
The practical objective is to identify the charges associated with the suspended campaign and determine whether they arose before or after the suspension became effective.
Once that distinction is established, the seller can identify which amounts require a billing correction.
Pausing an Advertisement and Terminating an Advertising Contract
Clicking a campaign's pause button does not necessarily have the same legal effect as terminating the advertising service agreement.
Coupang's published advertising policies illustrate this distinction.
Article 6(1) of Coupang's Product Advertising Policy allows advertising users to request actions concerning keyword advertisements through the relevant website or system, including the addition, deletion, placement, and suspension of advertisements.
Article 11(1) separately addresses termination of the advertising service agreement.
It provides that users may terminate the service agreement at any time in accordance with the terms disclosed when applying for the advertising product.
These provisions distinguish actions affecting an individual advertisement from termination of the service relationship.
A campaign suspension stops the operation of the particular advertisement.
Contract termination ends the advertising service agreement according to the applicable contractual procedure.
Coupang also has Marketing Advertising Product Terms and Conditions that address contract termination separately.
Article 15 provides for termination following prior notice to the other party, with termination taking effect when notice has been given and the necessary arrangements concerning advertising execution have been completed.
It also addresses settlement for advertising periods that have not yet been performed and the application of separately agreed penalties.
The terms include procedures for requesting termination through the customer service center or by written notice.
However, these provisions cannot automatically be applied in the same way to every Coupang advertising product.
Article 22 of the Marketing Advertising Product Terms and Conditions gives priority to individual advertising product agreements where they conflict with the general terms.
Accordingly, the seller must identify the advertising product actually purchased and the termination conditions applicable to that product.
Returning to Jiyeon's situation, suppose she paused her campaign but did not separately terminate the advertising service agreement.
The continued existence of the agreement would not, by itself, justify new click-based charges for a campaign whose suspension had already become effective.
If new charges arose, the platform would still need a contractual basis for the advertising activity.
On the other hand, if the deduction concerned a separately purchased fixed-term advertising product or a termination-related amount, the applicable pricing and settlement provisions would need to be examined.
Does a Daily Advertising Budget Limit Total Spending?
Unexpected advertising charges can also result from the way the campaign was initially configured.
Suppose a seller sets a daily advertising budget of KRW 20,000.
The seller may assume that the campaign will cost approximately KRW 20,000 in total.
But a daily budget is not the same as a total campaign budget.
If the campaign runs for 20 days and uses KRW 20,000 each day, the total advertising expense will be KRW 400,000.
Actual spending will depend on the advertising activity and pricing method. The platform does not necessarily use the entire daily budget every day.
What Happens When the Daily Budget Is Exhausted?
According to Coupang Ads' official guidance, a campaign may automatically stop displaying advertisements when its daily budget has been exhausted.
However, that does not necessarily terminate the campaign.
If advertising stopped because the daily budget was exhausted, a new daily budget may become available around midnight, allowing advertising to resume.
For example, a seller may exhaust a KRW 20,000 daily budget on October 1.
The campaign stops displaying advertisements for the remainder of that day.
When the next day's budget becomes available on October 2, advertising may resume without the seller creating a new campaign.
This can continue until the campaign reaches its scheduled end date or the seller takes the relevant action to stop it.
Can Spending Exceed the Daily Budget on a Particular Day?
Coupang Ads also explains that unused daily budget amounts may be applied on days with higher customer traffic.
Under the described arrangement, additional spending may reach up to 20% of the daily budget, subject to the applicable conditions.
For example, a campaign with a daily budget of KRW 20,000 may spend up to KRW 24,000 on a particular day if sufficient unused budget is available under that arrangement.
Sellers should also review any automated rules configured in the advertising dashboard.
If the seller has enabled a rule that increases the campaign budget when specified conditions are met, the applicable budget may change during the campaign.
For that reason, the daily budget, total operating period, use of previously unspent budget, and automated budget rules should be reviewed together.
Advertising Fees Do Not Necessarily Depend on Sales
The pricing method also matters.
Under a cost-per-click (CPC) arrangement, fees arise when users click an advertisement in accordance with the applicable terms.
Other advertising products, including certain brand advertising products, may use cost-per-mille (CPM) pricing based on advertising impressions.
For a CPC campaign, a customer may click an advertisement without purchasing the product.
The advertising fee can still arise because the charge is based on the click rather than a completed sale.
Coupang Ads explains that advertising expenses are separate from actual sales, order cancellations, and product returns.
A lack of purchases does not automatically cancel advertising costs that were validly incurred.
Source: Coupang Ads, Frequently Asked Questions — Budget Settings, Campaign Duration and Pricing
What If Advertising Fees Were Charged Despite a Promotional Credit?
Some sellers begin advertising after receiving an offer of promotional advertising credits.
They may expect the promotional credit to cover the advertising expenses.
Later, however, the settlement statement shows an advertising deduction.
The first question is how the promotional benefit was supposed to be applied.
Coupang Ads has offered promotional support for eligible first-time advertisers under specified conditions.
Such support is applied to advertising expenses through the settlement process rather than being paid as unrestricted cash to the seller.
Consider the following example.
A seller incurs KRW 150,000 in advertising fees and qualifies for the full application of KRW 100,000 in promotional advertising support.
Assuming there are no other settlement adjustments, the calculation is:
- Advertising costs incurred: KRW 150,000
- Promotional credit applied: KRW 100,000
- Advertising costs payable by the seller: KRW 50,000
The advertising report may show KRW 150,000 as the total cost of advertising activity.
However, once the KRW 100,000 credit is applied, the seller's remaining advertising expense is KRW 50,000.
Coupang Ads explains that promotional support can be reviewed through advertising reports or the settlement information available in WING/Supplier Hub.
The support appears separately under the promotional support amount.
If the Promised Credit Is Missing
Suppose the seller was informed that KRW 100,000 would be available, but the settlement statement shows no promotional credit.
The seller should review the conditions presented when the promotion was offered.
Relevant information includes:
- Which advertising products qualify
- The amount of support offered
- The conditions the seller must satisfy
- The period during which the support applies
- How the support is reflected in billing
If the seller satisfied the agreed eligibility conditions and an applicable credit was omitted, the seller may request a correction of the settlement.
If the conditions were not satisfied, the promotion terms must be reviewed to establish why the credit did not apply.
Does the Campaign Stop When the Promotional Credit Runs Out?
Not necessarily.
The exhaustion of a promotional advertising credit does not automatically mean the advertising campaign has ended.
If the campaign remains active after the credit has been fully applied, further advertising costs may arise.
A seller intending to advertise only within the value of the promotional support should monitor the amount used and confirm the campaign's suspension or end-date settings.
Source: Coupang Ads, Frequently Asked Questions — Promotional Advertising Credits and Settlement
Advertising Overcharges Have Also Become a Formal Dispute Issue
Unexpected advertising charges are not limited to individual billing inquiries.
On August 2, 2026, the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency identified excessive advertising fee charges as one category of online marketplace disputes in its published advisory concerning disputes involving open-market platforms.
According to the published figures, 442 online platform disputes were filed with the relevant fair trade dispute mediation council during the first half of 2026.
There had been 200 cases during the corresponding period in 2025, representing an increase of approximately 121%.
Of the 442 disputes, 325 concerned the shopping sector, accounting for 73.5% of the total.
These numbers cover online platform disputes as a whole. They do not represent the number of advertising fee disputes alone.
The broader figures also include issues such as seller account restrictions and responsibilities concerning returns.
The Agency identified specific types of advertising fee disputes, including:
- Advertising support promised under promotional conditions but not provided as agreed
- Advertising continuing beyond an agreed period, resulting in substantial additional charges
The first type requires examination of the promotional offer and the amount of support actually applied.
The second requires comparison of the agreed advertising period and the actual dates of advertising activity.
For example, if the parties agreed that advertising would end on October 5 but the campaign continued operating on October 6 and 7, the contractual basis for that continuation would need to be identified.
If there was neither a separate extension agreement nor an applicable automatic renewal provision, the seller may have grounds to dispute the charges incurred after the agreed period.
The Agency has advised marketplace sellers to monitor advertising periods and campaign operations regularly.
Does a Contract Clause Make Every Advertising Charge Enforceable?
Suppose a seller asks the platform to explain an advertising deduction and receives a response stating:
"The charge was made in accordance with the advertising terms and conditions."
That explanation identifies the platform's position, but it does not establish that every amount charged is legally justified.
Standard terms and conditions are subject to Korean law.
The Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions (「약관의 규제에 관한 법률」) addresses issues including disclosure of important terms, individually negotiated agreements, interpretation of unclear provisions, and unfair contractual terms.
Were Important Advertising Conditions Properly Explained?
Article 3 requires businesses to present their standard terms clearly and explain important provisions so that customers can understand them, subject to statutory exceptions.
Where the business enters into a contract in violation of the relevant disclosure and explanation obligations under Article 3(2) and (3), Article 3(4) prevents it from asserting the affected provisions as part of the contract.
Suppose a seller signs up for a promotional advertising campaign, expecting the campaign to end when the promotional credit expires.
The relevant terms, however, provide that paid advertising continues after the credit is exhausted.
If the platform relies on that provision to charge additional fees, the seller should examine how the condition was presented during registration.
Was the paid continuation condition displayed in the application process? Was it explained separately? Which version of the terms did the seller accept?
Whether a particular provision was subject to the statutory explanation obligation depends on the nature of the term and the circumstances in which the contract was concluded.
What If the Parties Agreed on a Different Advertising Period?
Article 4 gives priority to individually negotiated agreements over conflicting standard terms.
Suppose the general advertising terms contain an automatic renewal provision.
However, the seller and the advertising provider separately agreed that the campaign would end on October 5.
If that individual agreement was validly concluded, it takes precedence over the conflicting standard provision.
The seller should review the advertising order, contract, emails, and other records documenting the agreed end date.
A seller's unilateral request to stop advertising on a particular date is not necessarily the same as an agreement accepted by the other party.
The records must establish what the parties actually agreed.
Can an Automatic Renewal Clause Be Unfair?
Article 6 renders standard terms void where they violate the principle of good faith and lose their fairness.
Article 9(6) addresses unfair provisions in contracts creating continuing obligations, including provisions that establish an unreasonably short or long contractual duration or allow implied renewal in a manner that may unfairly disadvantage the customer.
An automatic renewal provision is not automatically invalid simply because it exists.
Its fairness depends on the relevant contract duration, renewal conditions, termination procedure, and disadvantages imposed on the customer.
For example, an advertising arrangement that renews for an extended period while unreasonably restricting the seller's ability to terminate may require examination under these provisions.
Where an automatic renewal clause is valid and applicable and advertising services were provided under the agreement, unexpected costs do not disappear merely because the seller had not anticipated the renewal.
What If the Contract Wording Is Unclear?
Article 5 requires standard terms to be interpreted fairly and in good faith.
Where their meaning is unclear, they must be interpreted in favor of the customer.
Consider a clause stating:
"Outstanding advertising fees may be charged separately after the advertising period ends."
Does "outstanding advertising fees" refer only to costs validly incurred before the end of the campaign?
Or does the platform claim that the wording also allows new costs arising after the campaign ended?
The answer depends on the contract and the applicable advertising product conditions.
If the provision remains ambiguous after examining the relevant contractual context, Article 5 may become relevant.
A platform's reference to its standard terms should therefore be followed by a more precise question:
Which provision applies to the specific charge, and how does that provision authorize the amount being collected?
A Real Dispute Over Advertising Contract Termination Fees
Charges arising after an advertising arrangement ends are not always click-based or impression-based advertising fees.
They may also concern an advertising agency's service fees or a contractual termination penalty.
A dispute published by the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency on June 15, 2026, illustrates this distinction.
The case involved a customer who had paid an advertising agency in advance and later sought a refund following early termination.
It was not a case involving a marketplace's deduction of postpaid advertising fees from seller proceeds.
KRW 1.8 Million Was Paid, but Only KRW 450,000 Was Initially Offered as a Refund
In approximately October 2025, the applicant entered into a 15-month agreement with an advertising agency for online promotion of a business.
The applicant paid KRW 1,800,000 in advertising agency fees.
Approximately one month later, in November 2025, the applicant decided that the services were no longer needed and requested termination and a refund.
The agency maintained that advertising planning, account setup, and other work had already been performed.
It proposed the following settlement:
- Advertising agency fees originally paid: KRW 1,800,000
- Amount the agency proposed to deduct: KRW 1,350,000
- Refund initially offered: KRW 450,000
The agency intended to retain 75% of the total fee.
The applicant argued that the proposed deduction was excessive in light of the actual advertising activity.
Why Did the Mediation Agency Question the Deduction?
The investigator examined a contractual provision that allowed approximately 75% of the advertising agency fee to be deducted upon termination, regardless of the actual extent of advertising, the period of performance, the services provided, or the loss incurred.
The investigator explained that the provision might violate Article 8 of the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions.
Article 8 invalidates standard terms imposing an unfairly excessive obligation to pay damages, including excessive delay damages.
The Agency proposed that the amount retained should take account of factors including the actual advertising period, placement of advertisements through advertising media, services performed, and expenses incurred.
The parties ultimately agreed that the advertising agency would refund KRW 1,200,000.
The refund was KRW 750,000 greater than the agency's original offer of KRW 450,000.
The agreement resulted in the agency retaining KRW 600,000 of the original KRW 1,800,000 payment.
However, the settlement does not establish that the entire KRW 600,000 was proven to be actual advertising expenditure.
Nor was the case a court judgment conclusively declaring the contractual provision invalid.
The Agency identified a potential violation of Article 8 and proposed a settlement approach, which the parties accepted.
For sellers reviewing an early termination charge, the case demonstrates why a fixed percentage deduction should be examined against the work actually performed, expenses incurred, and relevant contract terms.
The amount paid to the advertising agency should also be distinguished from the amount spent on advertising media and any separately agreed termination penalty.
Can Advertising Fees Already Deducted from Seller Proceeds Be Recovered?
A deduction that has already been made does not necessarily eliminate the seller's right to seek correction or repayment.
The legal basis for the deduction must be examined.
Article 8(3) of Coupang's Product Advertising Policy provides for the sequential set-off of advertising service fees against other amounts payable to the seller.
A set-off is a legal mechanism by which qualifying debts owed between two parties are extinguished to an equivalent amount.
Article 492(1) of the Korean Civil Act (「민법」) permits set-off where the parties owe each other debts of the same kind that have become due, unless set-off is excluded by the nature of the obligation.
Article 492(2) separately addresses the effect of a contrary intention expressed by the parties.
The contractual method of deducting an amount and statutory set-off are not necessarily identical.
In its August 1, 2024 decision, Case No. 2024Da227699, the Supreme Court of Korea addressed the distinction between contractual deduction and statutory set-off.
The Court explained that parties may agree on the requirements and reference date for deduction or set-off within the limits of mandatory law.
The case was not an advertising fee dispute. It is relevant here to the more general question of how contractual provisions govern financial deductions.
A contractual right to deduct advertising fees does not, by itself, establish that every advertising charge is valid.
The platform must have an entitlement to the relevant amount under the applicable contract and pricing terms.
Where a valid advertising fee arose and the agreed settlement requirements are satisfied, the amount may be deducted from seller proceeds.
If a fee was charged without a legitimate basis, however, correction and repayment may be available.
Article 741 of the Civil Act addresses unjust enrichment.
It provides for restitution where a person obtains a benefit from another person's property or services without legal grounds, thereby causing loss to that person.
Return to Jiyeon's example.
Suppose the KRW 165,000 was confirmed to be valid advertising expenditure incurred before the campaign suspension became effective.
Suppose further that the remaining KRW 45,000 was confirmed to have arisen from new advertising activity after suspension, without a contractual basis permitting the charges.
In those circumstances, Jiyeon may seek repayment of the improperly charged KRW 45,000.
She would not need to characterize the entire KRW 210,000 deduction as invalid.
The amount at issue is the amount for which the platform lacked a valid entitlement.
Source: Korean Law Information Center, Civil Act, Articles 492 and 741
Source: Supreme Court of Korea, August 1, 2024, Case No. 2024Da227699
How Can Advertising Contracts Be Drafted More Clearly?
Advertising fee disputes can arise because the contract describes the payment arrangement but does not clearly explain what happens when a campaign is suspended.
This becomes particularly important where a seller appoints a separate advertising agency.
The agreement should make it possible to identify who is responsible for acting on a suspension request, when the suspension takes effect, and which charges remain payable afterward.
Consider the following illustrative provision.
Before: A General Billing Clause
"Advertising fees shall be settled according to the company's pricing standards. Any outstanding advertising fees arising after termination may be charged separately."
The clause appears to address payment, but it leaves several questions unanswered.
What are the company's pricing standards?
Are fees calculated by clicks, impressions, or a fixed service charge?
Are the advertising agency's management fees included?
When does a request to stop advertising become effective?
Does "outstanding advertising fees" mean costs already incurred but not yet collected, or does it also refer to charges generated after advertising ended?
If those distinctions are not addressed, the seller and the agency may disagree about the amount payable after suspension.
After: A More Specific Advertising and Settlement Clause
Where the parties can negotiate their contract individually, they may consider a provision along the following lines:
"The advertising execution period shall follow the start and end dates agreed by the parties. Where the advertising service agreement and an individual campaign have different termination or suspension dates, those dates shall be recorded separately.
The advertiser may request suspension through the communication channel agreed by the parties. The advertising agency shall suspend the relevant campaign within the agreed processing period and notify the advertiser of the campaign identifier and confirmed suspension time.
Advertising fees shall be calculated according to the agreed pricing method and actual advertising activity. Outstanding fees validly incurred before the suspension became effective may be charged afterward, provided that the agency supplies records identifying the advertising period and the basis for calculating those fees.
The advertiser shall not be charged for new advertising activity conducted after the suspension became effective where that activity resulted from the advertising agency's fault.
Advertising media expenditure, agency service fees, promotional credits, advance payments, and termination-related settlement amounts shall be itemized separately. Automatic renewal, settlement of any unperformed remaining period, and termination penalties shall be governed by the conditions separately agreed by the parties."
This is an illustrative contractual drafting approach, not a statutory or officially prescribed standard clause.
Actual language must reflect the advertising product, the advertising platform's operating policies, the contract duration, the services performed, and the agreed allocation of responsibility.
Compared with the original clause, the revised provision identifies the person responsible for handling suspension requests and the records required to establish when suspension was completed.
It also distinguishes advertising costs incurred before suspension from new costs incurred afterward.
Separately identifying advertising media expenditure, agency fees, promotional credits, and termination charges makes it easier to determine the basis for each amount.
What If the Platform Uses Standard Terms That Cannot Be Negotiated?
A seller generally cannot unilaterally rewrite the standard advertising policies imposed by a large marketplace such as Coupang.
Where the seller manages advertising directly through the platform, the appropriate starting point is to examine the relevant advertising product policy and the conditions presented at registration.
The seller should preserve the original application settings and applicable contractual information.
Where the seller instead enters into an individually negotiated agreement with a separate advertising agency, the parties can address suspension procedures, processing responsibilities, recordkeeping, and settlement terms more specifically.
A useful advertising agreement should explain not only when advertising ends but also how the termination or suspension is carried out and documented.
What Should You Request from the Platform?
If the seller believes advertising expenses were incorrectly deducted, the inquiry should identify the specific charges in dispute.
Coupang Ads provides campaign performance reports and advertising fee settlement reports.
These reports serve different purposes.
Campaign performance reports help identify advertising activity associated with particular campaigns.
Advertising fee settlement reports show expenses calculated for settlement purposes.
The seller settlement statement shows what was actually deducted from the amounts payable to the seller.
Jiyeon should prepare the advertising records for October 1 through October 7, the October 5 suspension confirmation, and the October 18 settlement statement.
She could then send a request such as the following:
"On October 5, at approximately 3:20 PM, I requested suspension of Campaign ID [campaign identifier]. At 3:23 PM, the advertising dashboard confirmed that the campaign had been paused.
However, KRW 210,000 was deducted from my seller settlement on October 18, and the advertising report shows KRW 45,000 in charges for October 6–7.
Please identify the campaign associated with those charges, the actual advertising activity and charge timestamps, and the applicable pricing basis.
If the expenses were incurred before the campaign was suspended but recorded later, please distinguish the charge-incurrence time from the reporting date.
If new expenses were incurred after suspension, please explain why advertising continued and identify the contractual basis for the charges.
Please also confirm whether any costs were incurred after 3:23 PM on October 5."
This request focuses on the specific amount, campaign, and period.
If the platform replies that the deduction represents valid postpaid charges, the seller should examine the supporting activity records.
If the platform identifies new advertising after the effective suspension time, the contractual basis for that activity needs to be examined.
If the costs arose from a different campaign, the settings and terms applicable to that campaign must be reviewed.
If promotional support was omitted, the promotional conditions and actual settlement adjustments should be compared.
Where a correction is made, the seller should retain both the original and revised settlement records, together with evidence of any repayment or adjustment in a subsequent settlement.
What If the Platform Does Not Resolve the Dispute?
A seller may receive an explanation that does not adequately address the disputed charges.
For example, the platform might state that all advertising expenses are settled on a postpaid basis without identifying when the disputed KRW 45,000 was actually incurred.
The seller can request clarification directed specifically at the charge-incurrence time and the campaign involved.
If the disagreement remains unresolved, the seller may consider whether the matter is eligible for dispute mediation through the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency.
The Agency has identified excessive advertising charges among disputes involving online marketplaces and has provided a system through which qualifying parties may apply for mediation.
Not every advertising contract disagreement automatically falls within the Agency's jurisdiction.
Eligibility depends on the parties' legal relationship, the conduct in dispute, and the law applicable to the transaction.
Relevant supporting documents may include:
- The advertising agreement and application terms
- Campaign identifiers and suspension records
- Daily advertising reports and seller settlement statements
- Inquiries submitted to the platform and the responses received
For Jiyeon, the initial disputed amount is KRW 45,000 recorded for October 6 and 7.
Additional charges incurred after the suspension became effective on October 5 may also become relevant if the records establish them.
During mediation, the relevant body examines the parties' statements and supporting materials.
A settlement may be reached if the parties accept a proposed resolution. Filing an application does not automatically require the platform to refund the fees or guarantee a particular outcome.
Legal representation in contractual disputes, damages claims, mediation proceedings, or litigation must be distinguished from document preparation services within an Administrative Attorney's legally permitted scope of work.
Where legal representation or litigation is required, the matter should be reviewed by a qualified lawyer.
Source: Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency, Online Dispute Mediation System
What Should Sellers Check Before Starting Another Campaign?
Preventing a similar dispute begins before the next campaign is launched.
Suppose Jiyeon plans to advertise household products from November 10 through November 16.
She sets a daily budget of KRW 20,000.
In addition to the budget, she should confirm that the campaign start and end dates have been saved as intended.
If no end date is configured, the campaign may continue operating until it is stopped under the applicable product settings.
She should also review automated budget rules and any conditions allowing previously unused daily budget amounts to be applied later.
Where promotional credits are involved, she needs to verify the applicable support period, the credit actually used, and what happens when the promotional support is exhausted.
When suspending the campaign, she should preserve the campaign ID, the paused status displayed on the dashboard, and the date and time of confirmation.
If a separate advertising agency manages the campaign, the seller should also retain the suspension request and the agency's confirmation that the campaign was stopped.
After advertising ends, the seller should compare the daily advertising report with the subsequent seller settlement statement.
Expenses validly incurred before termination may still appear as postpaid deductions.
Expenses recorded after the campaign ended require closer examination of their actual incurrence time and contractual basis.
The appropriate records also depend on who operates the advertisement.
For campaigns managed directly through a marketplace, sellers should review the platform's advertising policies and the campaign settings.
For campaigns handled by an external agency, the separately negotiated agreement may specify suspension responsibilities, processing times, and the records that must be provided.
When the Campaign End Date and Settlement Records Do Not Match
Return to Jiyeon's original problem.
She confirmed the campaign's suspension at 3:23 PM on October 5.
On October 18, she discovered a KRW 210,000 advertising deduction from her seller proceeds.
The report showed KRW 165,000 for October 1–5 and KRW 45,000 for October 6–7.
At first, the full deduction appeared questionable because she had already paused the campaign.
After examining the records, however, she could identify the information needed to resolve the issue.
How much advertising expenditure was incurred before suspension?
Were any new charges generated after 3:23 PM on October 5?
Did the KRW 45,000 recorded for October 6 and 7 arise from the same campaign?
And what contractual provisions governed those charges?
Amounts validly incurred before suspension remain payable under the applicable terms, even if they are deducted later.
New charges incurred after an effective suspension, without a contractual basis, may be disputed and corrected.
The advertising agency termination dispute discussed earlier also illustrates why financial deductions must be assessed against the actual performance of the agreement and the applicable contractual terms.
The key to reviewing an advertising deduction is not the total amount appearing on the settlement statement. It is whether each charge corresponds to advertising activity and a valid contractual obligation.
The agreement records the conditions under which advertising was supposed to operate.
The campaign log records what happened in practice.
The settlement statement shows what the platform charged and deducted.
Reviewing those documents together allows sellers to distinguish legitimate advertising expenses from charges that may require correction.
If advertising records and settlement statements do not match, Ethos Administrative Attorney Office offers a free preliminary review of the campaign suspension record, daily advertising report, and seller settlement statement to identify the dates and amounts requiring comparison, additional contractual documents needed, and whether relevant documents can be prepared within the legally permitted scope of Administrative Attorney services; any permitted preparation of transaction-related agreements or documents concerning rights, obligations, or factual certification is subject to a separate paid agreement, and representation in legal disputes, mediation proceedings, or litigation is not included.
Three key takeaways
Advertising fees validly incurred before a campaign was suspended may still be collected later under a postpaid settlement arrangement.
If charges appear after suspension, compare the effective suspension time, campaign ID, actual advertising activity, charge timestamps, and applicable contract terms.
Charges without a valid contractual basis may be subject to correction and repayment, while unresolved disputes may require an applicable mediation or legal procedure.