Cancel Facebook/Meta Ads 2026: Stop the Bleeding on Ad Spend You Forgot About

Step 1: Find All Running Campaigns

1. Go to business.facebook.com/adsmanager
2. Click the Campaigns tab
3. Filter by Status: Active
4. Check ALL three levels: Campaigns, Ad Sets, and individual Ads
5. An ad set can be active even if the campaign appears paused — check each level

Step 2: Turn Off Everything

Stop Individual Campaigns

1. In Ads Manager, select all campaigns
2. Click the toggle switch next to each campaign to turn it OFF
3. Or select all → Pause from the action menu
4. Do the same for Ad Sets and Ads tabs

Stop Boosted Posts (Often Forgotten)

1. Go to your Facebook Page
2. Click Ad Center (left sidebar)
3. Look for any active boosted posts
4. Click View Results → Delete Boost on each

Step 3: Remove Your Payment Method

Even paused campaigns can be accidentally reactivated. Remove your card:

1. Go to business.facebook.com/billing
2. Click Payment Settings
3. Remove all payment methods
4. Meta may not let you remove the last method if you have outstanding balance — pay it first

Step 4: Check Instagram Ad Spend Too

Instagram ads run through the same Meta Ads Manager, but you can also promote posts directly from Instagram:

1. Open Instagram → go to your Professional Dashboard
2. Tap Ad Tools or Promotions
3. Check for any active promotions
4. End all active promotions

Close Your Ad Account Entirely

If you're done with Meta advertising:

1. Pay off any outstanding balance
2. Turn off all campaigns
3. Go to Ad Account Settings
4. Click Deactivate Ad Account
5. Note: This doesn't delete it — Meta keeps it for reactivation
6. Remove payment methods after deactivation

Common Surprise Charges

• "Meta Platforms" on bank statement: This is Facebook/Instagram ad charges
• Multiple small charges ($5-25): Meta bills incrementally, not at end of campaign
• Charges after pausing: There's a delay — ads already served still get billed for up to 48 hours
• Charges from old business pages: If you had a business page years ago and boosted posts, check that account

Get a Refund

Meta generally doesn't refund ad spend (you "received" the impressions). However:

• Unauthorized charges: If your account was hacked, contact Meta support for a refund
• Technical errors: If ads ran after you turned them off, submit a billing dispute
• Credit card dispute: As a last resort, file a chargeback with your bank — but Meta may disable your account