True ROAS vs reported ROAS

Reported ROAS is what your ad platform shows you. True ROAS is what actually happened in your bank account. The gap is usually 15-40%.

Why they differ

Reported ROAS uses the ad platform's attribution window (typically 7-day-click, 1-day-view) and counts every conversion the pixel saw. True ROAS reconciles against Stripe, removes refunded revenue, removes non-attributed conversions, and applies your chosen attribution window.

The components

• Revenue from Stripe, net of refunds and chargebacks.
• Ad spend from the ad platform, net of platform credits and refunds.
• Attribution multi-touch weighted by your model (first-click, last-click, linear, position-based, Markov).
• Time window configurable: 7, 14, 28, 60, or 90 days.

What changes operationally

When you switch from reported to true ROAS, most accounts find 1-3 "winning" campaigns that were actually unprofitable, and 1-2 "losing" campaigns that were actually profitable. Reallocating based on truth typically lifts net margin 10-20%. See how this plays out for growth teams and marketing agencies.