Reference / Glossary / Infrastructure and standards
Discrepancy
The difference between impression or click counts recorded by two systems measuring the same delivery, usually the publisher's ad server and the advertiser's. Discrepancies of a few percent are normal and arise from timing, ad blocking, counting methods, and filtering. IAB guidelines treat discrepancies under 10 percent as within tolerance; billing is usually reconciled to the party specified in the Insertion Order.
Related terms
Used in The Signal
Cite this entry:
Agency Echelon. "Discrepancy." Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/glossary/discrepancy/