A straight-talking guide from Focus Media Outdoor — over 20 years in the industry
Bus stop advertising is one of the most affordable and effective forms of outdoor advertising available in the UK — and one of the most searched for when it comes to pricing. The honest answer is that a static bus stop advert, including the printed poster, starts at around £275 for a two-week campaign. In this guide we break down the cost of every bus stop advertising format — static, digital, bench advertising and London pricing — with real, all-in figures rather than vague estimates. If you’d like a specific quote for sites in your area, visit our bus stop advertising page or get in touch directly.
Bus Stop Advertising Cost — At a Glance
At Focus Media Outdoor, our bus stop advertising prices include the printed poster as standard — no hidden production costs. Always check what’s included before you commit to a booking.
Static Bus Stop Advertising Cost
For a standard static bus stop advert — a printed poster in a six-sheet bus shelter frame — you’re looking at between £275 and £395 for a two-week campaign, all in. That price includes the media cost (the space) and the production cost (the printed poster). There are no hidden extras.
The variation in price comes down to a few factors — the supplier, the location and the volume of sites you’re booking. A single site in a busy town centre will typically sit towards the middle of that range, while bulk bookings across multiple sites will bring the per-site cost down.
All bus stop advertising runs in two-week cycles, so plan your campaign dates around that. And remember — bus stop adverts often stay up a little longer than you’ve paid for, because suppliers won’t remove your poster until they have a replacement ready. It’s one of the few OOH formats where you can get a little more than you paid for.
£275 for two weeks works out at under £20 per day for a six-foot by four-foot advert in a busy public location. When you look at it that way, bus stop advertising is extraordinary value for the reach it delivers.
What’s Included in the Price?
This is one of the most important questions to ask when getting a bus stop advertising quote — because not everyone includes the same things. Here’s how it typically breaks down:
• Media cost — the cost of the advertising space for the two-week period
• Print production — the cost of printing your poster at the correct size and specification
• Posting — the cost of having the poster installed in the frame
At Focus Media Outdoor, all three are included in our quoted price as standard. Some agencies and suppliers quote the media cost only and charge separately for production and posting — always ask specifically whether print and posting are included before you agree a price.
Digital Bus Stop Advertising Cost
Digital bus stop advertising — where your advert appears on an LED screen rather than a printed poster — works on a different pricing model to static sites. There are two main ways to buy digital bus stop advertising:
Share of Time
Your advert rotates on the screen alongside other advertisers — typically playing once every 60 to 90 seconds. You’re buying a share of the screen’s time over the campaign period. This is the most common model for digital bus stop advertising and is sold in similar two-week cycles to static advertising. Prices vary by network, location and the number of other advertisers sharing the screen.
Individual Plays — Clear Channel Adshel Live
Clear Channel’s Adshel Live network offers a plays-based buying model where you purchase a set number of individual advert plays rather than a fixed time period. A 10-second play typically costs around 5p, so for a budget of £1,000 you could get approximately 5,000 plays of your advert across the network. This model gives you very clear visibility of exactly what you’re getting for your money and allows you to set a precise budget.
Digital bus stop advertising on a plays model is great for businesses with a specific budget — you know exactly how many times your advert will be shown before you commit. £500 gets you roughly 2,500 plays; £1,000 gets you around 5,000.
Bus Stop Bench Advertising Cost
Some bus stops feature bench advertising — your advert displayed on the back or seat of the bench at the bus stop rather than in the shelter frame. Bench advertising is available in some areas and can be a cost-effective complement to a shelter campaign. Pricing varies by location and supplier — get in touch and we’ll check availability and rates in your target area.
How Much Does Bus Stop Advertising Cost in London?
London bus stop advertising is priced similarly to the rest of the UK for standard static sites — you’re not paying a significant London premium for a standard six-sheet in a bus shelter. However, certain high-profile locations in Central London — busy high streets, major junctions and premium retail areas — will sit towards the top end of the price range.
For digital bus stop advertising in London, the Clear Channel Adshel Live network has a particularly strong presence and the plays-based model works well for London campaigns where you want flexibility on budget and coverage.
Don’t assume London bus stop advertising is out of reach — standard static sites in London are priced similarly to the rest of the UK and represent excellent value given the volume of people who will see your advert.
What Affects Bus Stop Advertising Costs?
While the price range above gives you a solid starting point, a few factors can affect the final cost of your campaign:
Location
High footfall locations — busy high streets, town centres, near supermarkets or transport hubs — typically sit towards the top end of the price range. Quieter residential or suburban sites will often be cheaper. However, the impact figures (the number of people likely to see your advert) are usually significantly higher at premium locations, making them better value overall even at a higher price.
Supplier
The three main suppliers of bus stop advertising in the UK are Clear Channel, Global and JCDecaux. Each has its own inventory and rate card. Prices can vary between suppliers for similar locations — working with an agency like Focus Media Outdoor means we can compare across all three and find you the best value for your specific requirements.
Volume
The more sites you book, the better the per-site rate. If you’re planning a campaign across multiple sites, always negotiate on volume — there’s usually room to move on price for larger bookings.
Static vs Digital
Static sites have a fixed two-week rate that’s straightforward to compare. Digital sites are priced differently depending on whether you’re buying share of time or individual plays — make sure you’re comparing like for like when getting quotes for digital versus static.
Bus Stop Advertising Cost vs Other OOH Formats
Bus stop advertising is one of the most affordable entry points into outdoor advertising. Here’s how it compares to other popular formats:
• Bus advertising — from £80–£100 per bus for two weeks. Broader geographic coverage but less location-specific than bus stops
• Billboard advertising (48 sheet) — from £400 for two weeks. Bigger format, roadside rather than street-level
• Train station advertising — typically higher than bus stop advertising for comparable formats
• Airport advertising — premium pricing, typically 2–3x standard OOH rates
For detailed pricing on other formats, take a look at our guide to how much billboard advertising costs or how much bus advertising costs.
How Many Bus Stop Sites Do I Need?
One of the most common questions we get alongside cost is how many sites are needed for an effective campaign. The answer depends on your objective and your target area — but here’s a rough guide. For more detail, take a look at our bus stop advertising near me guide.
• 1–3 sites — focused, localised campaign targeting a very specific area or venue
• 4–8 sites — solid coverage across a town centre or district
• 10+ sites — strong coverage across a whole town or city
Our advice is always to do fewer sites in the right locations rather than spreading your budget too thinly. A well-chosen site in exactly the right place will outperform three poorly chosen sites every time.
Is Bus Stop Advertising Worth the Cost?
At £275 to £395 for two weeks all in, bus stop advertising is one of the most cost-effective ways for a local business to get in front of its target audience. The format can’t be skipped, scrolled past or blocked — it’s there in the community, working around the clock for the full duration of your campaign. For a full overview of why outdoor advertising delivers such strong results, take a look at our post on the benefits of outdoor advertising. And for advice on measuring whether your campaign is working, our guide to how to measure ROI from OOH advertising covers all the practical techniques.
How to Get the Best Bus Stop Advertising Rates
The best way to get competitive bus stop advertising rates is to work with an experienced agency. At Focus Media Outdoor we work across all the major suppliers and can access rates that aren’t available direct. We’ll find the best sites for your business, negotiate on your behalf and handle everything from booking to print production — all for an all-in price with no hidden extras. For more on how to approach planning your campaign, take a look at our step-by-step campaign planning guide.
Get a Bus Stop Advertising Quote Today
Tell us where you want to advertise and we’ll come back to you with the best available sites, impact figures and an all-in price including print. No hidden costs, no rate card surprises — just straight-talking advice from a team with over 20 years in the industry. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote.
