Ping post vs direct post: two ways to deliver leads
Real-time leads reach buyers in one of two main ways. In ping post, buyers bid on a partial preview and the winner receives the lead. In direct post, a buyer agrees a fixed price for leads that match its criteria and receives them without bidding. This guide explains both, and when each one fits. Summit Leads offers both.
Ask which model fits your campaignsHow ping post works
Ping post splits the sale of a lead into two messages. The ping lets buyers price a lead without knowing who the consumer is. The post sends the full lead only to the buyer that wins it. Step by step:
- A consumer submits a form and gives consent, and the supplier sends the lead in.
- The lead is checked against the filters and remaining daily caps of every buyer in that vertical.
- Each matching buyer receives a ping with partial, non-identifying data: vertical and sub-type, state and ZIP code, and answers to the qualifying questions.
- Each buyer replies with a bid or a decline within the agreed response window.
- The winning bid receives the full lead by post, with contact details and the consent record.
- The buyer confirms acceptance, so both sides hold the same record of the sale.
Because each buyer returns its own bid, the price of every lead is set by competition at that moment. A buyer that values a ZIP code or a sub-type more can bid higher for it and pass on leads it values less. For the full mechanics, see ping post explained.
How direct post works
Direct post removes the auction. The buyer and the seller agree a price and a set of criteria in advance, and every lead that matches is posted straight to the buyer until its daily cap is reached. Step by step:
- The buyer agrees a fixed price for leads that match a set of criteria.
- A consumer submits a form and gives consent, and the lead comes in.
- The lead is checked against the buyer's filters and remaining daily cap.
- If it matches, the full lead and consent record are posted straight to the buyer. There is no ping and no bid.
- The buyer confirms acceptance.
The buyer does not see a preview of each lead before paying. Its protection is the precision of its filters: vertical and sub-type, states or ZIP codes, and other criteria agreed at setup. If the filters describe the leads it wants, every post is a lead it chose to buy.
Bidding vs fixed price
The core difference is who decides the price of each lead and when. With bidding, the buyer decides lead by lead, and the outcome depends on what other buyers bid. A buyer can win a lead it bids well on and lose one it bids low on. With a fixed price, the decision is made once. The buyer knows what each lead costs and, within its filters and cap, receives the leads that match.
For a seller, bidding tends to capture more value from leads that several buyers want, while a fixed price gives a predictable return on leads that fit a known buyer. For a buyer, bidding gives control; fixed pricing gives predictability and simpler systems.
When a buyer would choose direct post
Direct post suits a buyer with a narrow criteria set: a specific sub-type, a defined list of ZIP codes, or a client campaign with tight requirements. If the buyer wants to win most of the leads that match those criteria at a price it has already agreed, direct post does that without the risk of being outbid lead by lead.
When ping post fits better
Ping post suits a buyer that prices leads differently by geography, sub-type or answers to qualifying questions, and wants to pay more for some leads and skip others. It fits broader campaigns where the buyer wants to see partial data before committing, and buyers that already run pricing models across several sources. Many buyers use both: direct post for a narrow campaign they must fill, and ping post for everything else. The how the ping/post integration works page covers the technical setup for either model.
Ping post vs direct post compared
| Ping post | Direct post | |
|---|---|---|
| How price is set | Per lead, by the bid each buyer returns to the ping. | Fixed in advance for every lead that matches the agreed criteria. |
| Data seen before buying | Partial, non-identifying data in the ping, enough to price the lead. | None per lead. The buyer relies on the criteria agreed at setup. |
| Speed | Real time, with one extra round trip for the ping and the bid. | Real time, with no bidding step before the post. |
| Control over which leads you win | High. Bid more on leads you value, less or nothing on the rest. | Set by filters. Every matching lead within your cap is posted at the agreed price. |
| Setup effort | Higher. Your system needs a ping endpoint and bidding logic. | Lower. One post endpoint and a clear set of filters. |
| Best for | Buyers with pricing models who want to value each lead separately. | Buyers with narrow criteria who want most matching leads at a set price. |
What this means for lead sellers
A seller does not usually choose one model for all of its leads. A broker such as Summit Leads can hold both kinds of buyers in the same vertical, compare what a direct post buyer has agreed to pay with what ping post buyers bid, and route each lead accordingly. What matters to the seller is that the consent record travels with every lead, and that the lead fields are accurate enough for buyers to price or filter on them. Lead distribution explained covers how routing decisions are made.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ping post and direct post?
In ping post, buyers first see partial, non-identifying data and bid, and the winning bid receives the full lead. In direct post, a buyer agrees a fixed price for leads matching its criteria and receives those leads without a ping or a bid.
Does Summit Leads offer both models?
Yes. Buyers can take leads by real-time ping/post or by direct post, and batch delivery is available if a buyer's systems require it. The model, filters and caps are set per partner.
What does a buyer see before paying on direct post?
No lead-level preview. The buyer defines its criteria at setup, and every lead posted to it already matches those criteria. The full post includes contact details and the consent record.
Is direct post faster than ping post?
Both are real time. Direct post skips the ping and bid round trip, so there is one less step between submission and delivery.
Can a buyer use both models at once?
Yes. A buyer can run direct post on a narrow campaign it wants to fill at a set price and ping/post on broader campaigns where it prefers to price each lead.
Which model should a lead seller prefer?
Ping post lets several buyers compete for each lead, which suits varied inventory. Direct post gives a known price for leads that fit a buyer's criteria. Many sellers use both, and a broker can route each lead to whichever pays the most for it.
Talk to us about delivery
Tell us your verticals, criteria, daily caps and whether you want ping post, direct post or both.
Start small, with no long-term commitment
- No long-term contract. Pause or stop at any time.
- No setup fee and no monthly fee. You pay only for leads delivered that match your filters.
- Start with a small test volume and scale when the numbers work.
- Leads are exclusive by default: each lead is sold to one buyer.
- Return terms are agreed on the onboarding call, before you go live.
Or write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
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