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Display & Video 360 users must comply with Google Ads policies as specifically indicated on each individual policy page. Visit the Display & Video 360 Help Centre for additional restrictions.
If you’re advertising financial services on Google Ads, you’re required to comply with our financial products and services policy and any local regulations for the locations that you target. Financial services providers and non-financial services providers are required to be verified by Google if you're running ads or targeting audiences who appear to be seeking certain financial services in some locations. Where required, verification is mandatory for all ad formats and assets.
For more information about advertiser types, exemptions and specific requirements for your targeted location, refer to financial services verification location specifics.
On this page
- Location-specific financial services verification
- Verification renewal
- Limited eligibility
- Categories of financial services advertisers
- Financial services verification location specifics
Location-specific financial services verification
Some locations have additional requirements to run financial services ads. To target these locations, you’ll need to be verified separately for each location. To learn more about these additional requirements and dates of enforcement, refer to relevant regulators and enforcement dates. Note that the financial services verification requirement also applies to categories of financial services that may not be regulated by these regulators.
The verification process includes providing information about the type of financial services that you provide, the licences that you hold for those services, your registration number and other information about you or your business. Applications for verification must be submitted by an authorised representative. An authorised representative is an admin of the Google Ads account or the payments profile paying for the ads. This includes advertising agencies, subsidiaries or other entities that manage the Google Ads account on your behalf.
If you’re already certified under this policy and want that certification applied to additional managed accounts under the same manager account (MCC), you can apply for manager account certification. Eligibility for manager account certification may vary based on the advertiser and certification type.
Verification renewal
You may need to renew your verification periodically. You may also be asked to reverify your identity if there are significant changes in your Google Ads account, such as updates or changes to your payments profile. You’ll receive an in-account notification when renewal or reverification is required.
Limited eligibility
If you’re promoting claims management services related to financial products and services, like scam redress services, you must either be a claims management-licensed financial services provider, a government entity, a non-profit organisation or a legal service provider, or acting on behalf of one.
Categories of financial services advertisers
There are five types of advertisers that may need to be verified. Click the advertiser type to learn more about the verification requirements for that category.
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Advertiser type |
Definition |
Examples (non-exhaustive) |
|---|---|---|
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Authorised advertisers |
Advertisers who are authorised by the relevant financial services regulatory bodies |
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|
Approved third parties |
Advertisers who provide or promote financial services with the approval of an authorised advertiser, also known as a first-party advertiser, but who are not directly authorised by a regulator to provide financial services |
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Non-financial services advertisers |
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|
Government entities |
Financial services regulators with a .gov or corresponding domain Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities do not need to obtain verification from G2RS. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification using the Google Ads financial services verification form Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should contact their Google account manager directly to be verified. |
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Financial services advertisers who are regulation-exempt |
Advertisers who promote financial services but are not required to be licensed by the relevant financial services regulatory bodies. |
Financial services verification location specifics
Select the location that you plan to target from the drop-down menu below to learn more about verification specifics.
About New Zealand financial services verification
Applications must be submitted by an authorised representative. An authorised representative manages your Google Ads account(s) and/or the payments profile(s) paying for the ads. This could be an advertising agency or subsidiary that holds the Google Ads ID on behalf of your licensed client or parent company.
Verification process
Google will notify advertisers who must complete the verification process via email and in-account notifications. Advertisers may also initiate verification themselves.
At the moment, failure to complete the financial services verification process will not lead to account pausing or suspension. However, it will restrict the serving of ads related to in-scope financial services or that target users who appear to be seeking in-scope financial services.
Categories of financial services advertisers
There are five types of advertisers that may need to be verified:
Definition:
- Advertisers who are authorised by the relevant financial services regulatory bodies.
Examples (non-exhaustive): Banking, credit cards, credit and loans, investment, brokerages and day trading, bonds, commodities and futures trading, insurance.
Definition:
- Advertisers who provide or promote financial services with the approval of an authorised advertiser, also known as a first-party advertiser, but who are not directly authorised by a regulator to provide financial services.
Examples (non-exhaustive): Brokers, resellers, affiliates
Definition:
- Advertisers who do not promote financial services but have a compelling reason to target users who are looking for financial services.
- Advertisers who do not promote financial services as their main business but promote a minor financial services add-on from an authorised advertiser.
Example (non-exhaustive):
- Educational programmes or institutions that provide information on financial aid
- Automotive advertisers that promote car leasing, financing and insurance
- Online travel agents promoting travel insurance
Definition:
- Financial services regulators with a .gov or corresponding domain.
Note: Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities do not need to obtain verification from G2RS. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification using this form.
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should contact their Google account manager directly to be verified.
Definition:
- Advertisers who promote financial services but who are not required to be licensed by the relevant New Zealand financial services regulatory bodies.
Step-by-step verification requirements
Check below for more information on specific verification processes. Verification is required for all ad formats and extensions.
Financial services authorisation
Step 1: Access our external compliance partner G2RS’s verification process using the G2RS financial services verification form.
Note: The business information that you provide during this verification process must exactly match the business details available on the relevant financial services registries or records.
After you successfully complete Step 1, you will receive a unique code, which you must provide to Google in Step 3.
Step 2: After applying for verification with G2RS, you should receive an email with a status update from Google’s advertiser verification programme. Follow the instructions in that email. If advertisers have already completed Google’s advertiser verification programme, they will not need to do so again.
Step 3: Provide the unique code that you received from G2RS to Google using this form.
If you are successfully verified after completing these steps, a certificate will be applied to your Google Ads account. We will notify you via email about the status of your request. After completing the steps above, advertisers who are successfully verified will be allowed to show financial services ads in New Zealand and ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
Verification requirements for approved third parties
If you are an approved third-party advertiser, you do not need to initiate your application with G2RS. Instead, you will need to provide an authorised advertiser with a list of your domains/websites and Google Ads accounts. The authorised advertiser will then submit Google’s application form to complete your verification.
Once your authorised advertiser submits the form, Google may contact you to complete the advertiser verification process if you haven't previously done so. You'll receive guidance via email and an in-account notification. (Note: The verification process was updated in March 2022.)
If you are an authorised advertiser and have completed your financial services verification, you can initiate verification for an approved third party using this Google form. You can only vouch for third parties whose financial promotions are approved by you.
Note: You must submit the form again each time that you add or remove an approved third party. If you cease to approve the promotions of any third party, you must do so immediately.
You will need to submit the following information about approved third-party financial services advertisers associated with your business:
- Google Ads account customer ID
- Name of the authorised representative applying for verification
- Your business details (name, address, email address)
- Domains/websites and Google Ads account IDs of third-party financial services advertisers whose ads are approved by you
- Warranty that you approve the financial promotions that the third party runs
Verification requirements for non-financial services advertisers
If you are a non-financial services advertiser with a compelling reason to target users who appear to be seeking financial services, you can apply for New Zealand financial services verification through our partner, G2RS, using this form. If you are a non-financial services advertiser who does not promote financial services as your primary business but does promote a minor financial services add-on from an authorised advertiser, such as travel agents who provide travel insurance, you will need to describe these products or services.
After you have successfully applied to G2RS, you will receive a unique code, which you must provide to Google. Provide the unique code that you received to Google using this form.
If your application is approved, you will be permitted to show ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
You will be asked to provide the following information to Google in the New Zealand financial services verification form:
- Your Google Ads account customer ID
- Name of the authorised representative applying for verification
- Your business details (name, address, email address)
- Your business domains/websites that you’re advertising on Google Ads
- Brief description of your business and your rationale for targeting keywords related to financial services
- Warranty that you will not use this exemption to run Google Ads promoting financial services
Upon review of your request, Google may require you to complete advertiser verification if you have not completed this verification programme before. Note that this process was updated in March 2022. You will receive an email and an in-account notification to guide you through the required verification process.
Verification requirements for government entities
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities do not need to obtain verification from G2RS. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification via this form.
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should contact their Google account manager directly to be verified.
Verification requirements for regulation-exempt financial services advertisers
If you are exempt from or not required to be authorised by the relevant financial service regulators, you can access G2RS’s verification process using this form. Upon successful submission of the application, you will receive a unique code from G2RS. If G2RS determines that you are an exempt financial services advertiser, you must provide the unique code from G2RS to Google using this form.
Upon review of your request, Google may require you to undergo advertiser verification if you have not completed this verification programme before. Note that this process was updated in March 2022. You will receive an email and an in-account notification to guide you through the required verification process.
After you have successfully completed this verification, you will receive a confirmation and email notification from Google. Your Google Ads account will be granted a certificate that allows you to show ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Who is G2RS?
A: G2RS is Google’s external compliance partner for financial services verification.
Q. How do I get certified as an approved third-party advertiser?
A: To be an approved third-party advertiser, you will need an authorised advertiser to initiate verification on your behalf by providing them with a list of domains/websites. Instead, an authorised advertiser (who has completed G2RS verification and Google’s financial services verification) should complete this form for you. G2RS verification is not required to become an approved third-party advertiser.
Q. I am an approved third-party advertiser who represents multiple financial services providers. How can I get certified?
A: We only require one authorised advertiser to vouch for a third party for that advertiser to become an approved third party. The authorised advertiser must have completed the certification process themselves before vouching for the approved third party in the Google verification step.
Q. I received an in-account notification to get certified for financial services, but I am not a financial services provider. Do I need to go through the verification? If I don’t, will my ads be impacted?
A: Advertisers will receive an in-account notification to certify because they may be promoting in-scope financial products and services and/or targeting users who appear to be looking for in-scope financial products and services. It is the advertisers’ decision whether to get certified. However, advertisers must do so if they intend to run in-scope financial services ads or target users looking for in-scope financial services.
Q. What is the advertiser verification?
A: Advertiser verification is Google’s standard verification programme. All advertisers, regardless of industry, will at some point go through the process. It helps us know who’s advertising with Google.
Q. What if my targeted location is not listed for financial services verification? Will my ads still be labelled?
A: Yes. Advertisers running financial products and services ads or targeting audiences who appear to be seeking financial services will have ads labelled for financial services verification, even if the locations targeted do not require verification at this point. This is working as intended with no serving impact