Having worked with Google for many years, there is a lot of confusion about billing on Google Ads, and many people are complaining that their account was suspended for suspicious activity.
It is fairly simple at its core – if you use a previously suspended card or are linked to another account with outstanding charges; it will be denied. If you use a prepaid, one-time, or card generated from a website; it will be denied. If you use a card that Google suspects might be stolen or cannot be related to your account; it will be denied.
If you avoid the above, you should have no issues, and the card will be automatically approved.
The one thing that can be confusing is if you are not the billing admin of the account and you upload a card in your name, it might also be denied. This is especially true if you already use the card on another account.
If you end up in such a situation, there is no reason to file a complaint with Google or try to create another account. Instead, you simply need to follow the guidelines and upload another card that Google will accept.
Working with marketing on a more regular basis, for example, through an agency, is both a blessing and a curse. As long as everything runs smoothly or you have monthly invoicing, you should be fine, but if you are a new agency, have blocked accounts since before or forget about the guidelines, it can create a lot of hassle and even mean you get several accounts blocked in one go. If this happens, take a deep breath, find a non-blocked payment card and read through the guidelines step-by-step and try to approve it. The process should not take long, but several days is not completely out of the norm. Meanwhile, you need to figure out what to tell the client(s) and/or your manager, which is probably the worst part since you were the one that messed up.
For us at ADHUC Marketing Services, billing is not something we lose sleep over since we know how it works. However, we also understand that for some out there, especially those of you thinking it is very easy and thinking you only need to upload a card and go; you can end up in a less than desirable situation – so make sure you read through the above again or check out Google guidelines properly before you and your clients lose traction and money.