# Pay-per-lead vs retainer vs finder’s fee

Pay-per-lead means you pay for every lead whether it converts or not. A retainer is a fixed monthly fee for a lead-generation service. A finder’s fee means you pay only when a lead becomes a paying customer. The finder’s fee carries the least risk for the buyer, because your cost only lands when the revenue does.

Category: Costs and pricing  
Reading time: about 5 minutes

## The three models

Almost every lead deal is one of these three.

## Who each one suits

Pay-per-lead suits businesses that convert reliably and want a clear unit cost. Retainers suit businesses that want volume and their own funnel built over time. Finder’s fee suits anyone who wants to test a channel with almost no downside.

## Where the hidden costs are

With pay-per-lead, the hidden cost is duds you paid for but could never reach. With retainers, it is the months where the pipeline is thin but the invoice still lands. Read the terms for who carries that risk.

## Why we use free reserve plus a finder’s fee

AceLeads lets you browse and reserve leads for free, then charges a simple finder’s fee only when a lead becomes real business. You are never out of pocket for a lead that goes nowhere, so the risk sits with us, not you.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is pay-per-lead or finder’s fee cheaper?

Finder’s fee is cheaper on wasted leads, because you pay nothing for the ones that do not convert. Pay-per-lead can work out cheaper per customer if your close rate is very high and consistent.

### What is a typical finder’s fee?

It is agreed up front and reflects the value of the work won. Because you only pay it on a real result, it comes out of money you have already earned.

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Source: https://aceleads.co.uk/guides/lead-generation-pricing-models
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13
Contact: info@aceleads.co.uk
AceLeads is a UK-registered business.