WAVEBAND

pricing · dsp · 2026-07-18

DSP take rates explained: what you actually pay

How media take rates work on a DSP, why opaque fees hide inside CPMs, and how Waveband's published rate from 12% toward at-cost changes the math.

A take rate is the percentage of media spend a platform keeps. Many buyers never see it — it is buried in managed-service spreads, seat fees, or “tech” adders. Published take rates make the fee legible.

Waveband's schedule

Waveband publishes a media take rate that starts at 12% and ratchets toward at-cost as monthly volume grows, plus flat SaaS by plan. The pricing slider and savings calculator use the same function as billing.

How to compare

Ask vendors for all-in fee as a percent of gross media. Include data, seat, and managed adders. Then compare against a published schedule at your spend level — not a demo CPM.

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