Newsletter sponsorship rates are usually quoted in one of three ways: a CPM, meaning a price per thousand unique opens; a CPC, a price per click; or a flat fee per placement. What you can charge depends on your own audience numbers rather than an industry average, so work out what each model would pay from your recent sends, then set a flat price per slot you can defend with those figures. This page gives the formulas, a rate card layout and a sponsor brief, and quotes ad network mechanics only where a network publishes them itself.
The three pricing models
| Model | What the sponsor pays for | Formula and worked example | Who carries the risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPM | Every thousand unique opens of the issue carrying the ad | Unique opens ÷ 1,000 × CPM; beehiiv's example is a $10 CPM on 10,000 unique opens paying $100 | Split: you carry the risk of low opens, the sponsor the risk of few clicks | beehiiv publisher FAQ |
| CPC | Each qualifying click on the sponsor's link | Clicks × CPC; beehiiv's example is a $2 CPC with 100 verified clicks paying $200 | Mostly you, since a weak click-through rate means a small payout | beehiiv Ad Network for publishers |
| Flat fee | The placement itself, in an agreed issue and slot | A fixed price per placement, agreed before the send | Mostly the sponsor, because the fee is owed however the ad performs | Your own rate card |
Networks define their units precisely, and you should too. beehiiv's Ad Network guide says CPM earnings come only from unique opens in email sends, and that CPC campaigns pay on payable clicks, a quality-weighted count that can differ from the verified clicks shown in post reports. Kit's sponsorship guide describes payouts for each unique verified ad click. Whatever you sell directly, write down which count you will report and how you filter it.
Why opens are a shaky base for CPM deals
Apple's iPhone guide to Mail Privacy Protection says the feature prevents senders from seeing whether you opened their message, because remote content loads privately in the background. Mailchimp's open and click rate article warns that this kind of bot activity can falsely inflate opens. A CPM priced on raw opens can therefore overstate how many people saw the ad, and a sponsor who later compares opens with clicks may notice.
If you price on opens, agree in writing that you are counting unique opens, whether machine opens are filtered, how long after the send you count, and which report is the record. beehiiv's Ad Network guide, for instance, says it tracks clicks for 72 hours after sending. Selling flat fees and reporting both opens and clicks sidesteps the argument altogether; our guide to newsletter open rates explains which engagement numbers are most reliable.
Sponsorship calculator
Use averages from your recent sends, ideally from the same send day and the same slot you are selling. Every input comes from your own reports; none of it is a market rate.
| Line | Input or formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U | Average unique opens per issue, from your platform report | Use filtered opens if your platform removes machine activity |
| C | Average unique clicks a link receives in the slot you are selling | Take it from past featured or sponsored links in that same position |
| M | The CPM you want to test | An offer you have received, or a price you are prepared to defend |
| K | The CPC you want to test | Chosen the same way as M |
| CPM value | U ÷ 1,000 × M | What a CPM deal would pay for one issue |
| CPC value | C × K | What a CPC deal would pay for one issue |
| Flat-fee floor | The lower of the CPM value and the CPC value | A starting point you can justify, not a ceiling |
| Slot adjustment | Raise for the top slot, a logo or category exclusivity; lower for a short classified line | Write each reason on the rate card so the price is explainable |
| Bundle price | Flat fee × issues booked, less any multi-issue discount you decide to offer | Only discount where a bundle genuinely saves you selling time |
Recalculate every quarter or after any big change to your list, because opens and clicks move with growth, list cleaning and changes at the mailbox providers. Keep the inputs you used, so you can show a sponsor where a price came from.
Primary, secondary and classified slots
A newsletter can sell several distinct placements. A primary slot sits near the top, often with a logo or image and its own block of copy. A secondary slot sits further down. A classified is a line or two among several short listings. A dedicated send gives one sponsor the whole email. Each should have its own price and its own rules.
Platforms set limits you can borrow. beehiiv's Ad Network FAQ allows up to three ads per post, with no more than one carrying a logo, and its publisher page warns that too many ads in a single send can hurt deliverability and engagement. Kit's Newsletter Sponsorships article says one email can show either programmatic ads or a CPC sponsorship, not both. Decide your own maximum per issue before sponsors start asking for more.
Rate card layout
| Rate card field | What to include |
|---|---|
| Audience summary | Subscriber count, sends per week and main topics, with the date the figures were taken |
| Engagement figures | Average unique opens and clicks for each slot, stating whether machine opens are filtered |
| Primary slot | Position, word limit, image or logo rules and the flat price |
| Secondary or classified slot | Where it appears, its length limit and its price |
| Dedicated send | Who receives it, how often you allow one and what it costs |
| Booking terms | Lead time, approval steps, included copy edits, cancellation and payment terms |
| Reporting | Which numbers you send after the issue, and how many days after the send |
| Disclosure | The exact label every sponsored block will carry, which is not negotiable |
Our rate card template covers line items and add-ons in more detail, and the media kit template shows how to present audience figures with their sources.
Finding sponsors and marketplaces
- Read newsletters in your niche and note who sponsors them; those brands already understand the format, so pitch them with your rate card attached, using our brand pitch email templates.
- Approach products you already use and mention, where you can speak about them honestly.
- On beehiiv, the Ad Network is open to paid plans and is non-exclusive, so it can fill slots alongside sponsors you find yourself. Our guide to the beehiiv Ad Network covers offers and payouts.
- beehiiv's Direct Sponsorships page describes a sponsor storefront showing your reach and pricing, with Stripe invoicing at a $10 flat fee per transaction.
- Kit's Newsletter Sponsorships send offers to paid-plan users, take a 23.5% fee and pay out 45 days after the end of the month an ad ran, according to the Kit sponsorships FAQ.
- Verify any sponsor you do not know before agreeing anything; our checklist on fake brand deal scams lists the warning signs.
Sponsor brief template
Send this to every sponsor before you write a word of copy, and keep the completed version with the invoice:
- Sponsor name, the product being promoted and the landing page address.
- The campaign goal and the one action readers should take.
- Three to five key points, written in the sponsor's own words.
- Claims the sponsor can back up, and any claims you must not make.
- The tracking link, including any UTM parameters the sponsor needs.
- Issue date, slot and the deadline for final creative.
- Who approves the copy, and how many rounds of changes are included.
- The disclosure label that will appear on the placement.
- What the post-send report will contain and when it is due.
- Price, invoice date and payment terms.
For recurring sponsors, put the terms into a written agreement; our influencer contract template walks through exclusivity, usage and payment clauses.
The post-send report
A short, consistent report makes it easier for a one-off sponsor to book again. Send it on the day your rate card promises and include:
- The issue date, the slot used and a screenshot or web link showing the placement as readers saw it.
- Delivered emails and unique opens, with a note saying whether machine opens were filtered.
- Unique clicks on the sponsor's link, taken from your platform's click report rather than estimated.
- Any reader replies that mention the sponsor, with names and addresses removed.
- A plain comparison with your usual figures for that slot, so the sponsor can judge the result in context.
Label sponsored content clearly
The FTC's guide to native advertising lists labels consumers are likely to understand, including “Ad”, “Advertisement”, “Paid Advertisement” and “Sponsored Advertising Content”, and says company logos or brand names without a clear text disclosure are not enough. When you run a beehiiv Ad Network creative with a logo, beehiiv's placement guide says it automatically adds “In partnership with” copy to the top of the email; adding a plain “Advertisement” or “Sponsored” label in your own intro leaves less room for doubt.
In the UK, the CAP Code's rules on recognising marketing communications require ads to be obviously identifiable and advertorials to be flagged, for example as an “advertisement feature”. In Australia, Ad Standards applies section 2.7 of the AANA Code of Ethics, which requires advertising to be clearly distinguishable. The ACCC's guidance on social media promotions adds that statements must be true, accurate and able to be proven, so check a sponsor's claims before you repeat them. Our guides to ASA labelling and Australian disclosure rules cover the detail.
Limitations of this method
The calculator turns your own numbers into defensible prices; it cannot tell you what a particular sponsor will pay, and any rate you see quoted online is only comparable once you know the audience, slot and date it came from. Network mechanics quoted here were read from beehiiv and Kit pages on 1 October 2026 and can change, and neither network guarantees offers or earnings.
Disclosure and consumer law vary by country and by who your readers are, and this page gives general information rather than legal advice. Have a lawyer check any sponsorship agreement with exclusivity, usage rights or performance guarantees before you sign it, and talk to an accountant about how sponsorship income is taxed where you live.