Checking event values and currencies in paid social reports

A purchase count can be correct while reported revenue is wrong. Check each purchase event’s value and currency against the matching commerce order before judging return on ad spend or using the event for value-based optimisation.

Start with a confirmed order and note its amount and transaction currency in the commerce record. Compare these with the corresponding purchase event before relying on daily totals.

Define the value field

Decide whether the event value includes tax, shipping, discounts and refunds, then record that rule in the event specification. Use the amount associated with the confirmed order, not the product-page price or an estimated basket value.

Apply the rule to each order and compare the result with the event’s value. Investigate a blank or zero value if it does not match the amount expected under your rule.

Read value and currency together: the value must follow your written rule, and the currency must match the transaction currency recorded for that order. For example, an order recorded in AUD should not be matched to an event recorded in USD.

If the store accepts multiple currencies, compare each event with its order in the original transaction currency. Keep amounts separate by currency in internal reporting, and use a documented conversion rule for a consolidated report.

For Meta, compare the Purchase event’s value and currency with the confirmed order. Checking the campaign objective in Meta Ads Manager does not verify that the event fields match the commerce record.

In TikTok Events Manager, inspect the purchase-event setup in Event Builder or Custom Code and check its Value and Currency parameters. Event Builder is the default setup path, and Custom Code lets you customise event and parameter configuration.

TikTok says value optimisation requires the Value and Currency parameters. Video Shopping Ads and Catalog Management solutions require Content ID and Content Type, while ROAS reporting may require specific event and parameter configuration.

If you use Ontraport, open the contact record’s Purchases tab and add the currency column to Purchase history. The price column shows the total in the account’s default currency; open a transaction to see the amount in its original currency.

Reconcile representative cases

Inspect a discounted order, a multi-item order and an order in each supported currency. For each one, compare the purchase event’s value and currency with the confirmed order using the same tax, shipping, discount and refund rule.

If a value or currency is wrong, correct the event mapping or parameter configuration so it follows the written rule and uses the order’s transaction currency. Then compare a subsequent purchase event with its confirmed order before relying on the corrected data.

A value mismatch can remain even when events are deduplicated. Testing browser and server-side events together, and deduplicating purchases from two data sources, are separate checks.

Compare daily totals with the commerce system after allowing for attribution windows and processing delay. Do not expect perfect equality: ad reports include attributed events, while the store records all orders.

Keep totals separate by currency unless you have applied a documented conversion rule. A mixed-currency total is not directly comparable with a commerce total in one currency.

Large unexplained changes in average order value, zero-value purchases or a sudden shift in currency mix are reasons to pause optimisation and repair the mapping.

Purchase Event Value vs. Commerce Order: Key Checks

How to Reconcile Purchase Events with Commerce Orders

Red Flags in Paid Social Revenue Reporting