Financial services verification

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Display & Video 360 users must comply with this Google Ads policy. 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.

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On this page

• Location-specific financial services verification
• Verification renewal
• Limited eligibility
• Categories of financial services advertisers
• Financial services verification location specifics

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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 and/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 to have 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 advertiser and certification type.

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Verification renewal

You may need to renew your verification periodically. You may also be asked to re-verify your identity if there are significant changes in your Google Ads account like updates or changes to your payments profile. You’ll receive an in-account notification when renewal or re-verification is required.

Important: If Google Ads finds that you're promoting financial services after successfully completing verification and that you’ve provided false information during the verification process or you’ve violated our financial products and services policy, your verification will be revoked with immediate effect and your account may be suspended. We may revoke your verification or take action on your Google Ads account based on, for example, adverse regulatory warnings, settlements or rulings about your business practices, or direct complaints from businesses. Google may update these verification requirements at any time.

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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, non-profit organisation or legal service provider, or acting on behalf of one.

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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.

Advertiser type	Definition	Examples (non-exhaustive)
Authorised advertisers	Advertisers who are authorised by the relevant financial services regulatory bodies	Banking, credit cards, credit and loans Investment, brokerages and day trading Bonds, commodities and futures trading Insurance
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	Brokers Resellers Affiliates
Non-financial services advertisers	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	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
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 reach out directly to their Google account manager to be verified.
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.

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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 Netherlands 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.

Limited eligibility

Please note that in order to promote claims management services in connection with financial products or services, such as scam redress services, advertisers must be or operate on behalf of a claims management-licensed financial service provider, a government entity, a non-profit organisation or a legal service provider.

Verification process

Google will notify advertisers who need to complete the verification process through 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, but will restrict serving for 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:

1. Authorised advertisers

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

2. Approved third parties

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

3. Non-financial services advertisers

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

4. Government entities

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 G2. 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 reach out directly to their Google account manager to be verified.

5. Financial services advertisers who are regulation exempt

Definition:

• Advertisers who promote financial services but are not required to be licensed by the relevant Dutch or European financial services regulatory bodies.

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Step-by-step verification requirements

Check below for more information on specific verification processes. Verification is required for all ad formats and extensions.

Note: Authorised buyers and Display & Video 360 accounts that engage in financial services do not need to get verified at this time.

Applications must be submitted by an authorised representative.

Financial services authorisation

Step 1: Access our external compliance partner, G2's, verification process using this form.

Note that the business information that you provide during this verification process must exactly match with 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 G2, you should receive a status update with Google's advertiser verification programme through email. Follow instructions on 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 G2 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 on the status of your request. Advertisers who are successfully verified after completing the steps will be allowed to show financial services ads in the Netherlands and show ads to users in the Netherlands 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 G2. 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 the verification for you.

Once your authorised advertiser submits the form, Google may contact you to complete the advertiser verification process if you haven't done so previously. 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 already 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: Any time you want to add or remove an approved third party, you will need to submit the form again. You must do so immediately if you cease to approve the promotions of any third party.

You will be required to submit the following information related to 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 Netherlands financial services verification through our partner, G2, using this form. If you are a non-financial services advertiser who does not promote financial services as their primary business, but who 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 successfully apply to G2, 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 the Netherlands who appear to be seeking financial services.

You will be asked to provide the following information to Google in the Netherlands 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'll receive an email and an in-account notification that will 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 G2. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification through this form.

Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should reach out directly to their Google account manager 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 G2's verification process using this form. Upon successful submission of the application, you will receive a unique code from G2. If G2 determines that you are an exempt financial services advertiser, you must provide the unique code from G2 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'll receive an email and an in-account notification that will guide you through the required verification process.

After you successfully complete this verification, you will receive a confirmation and email notification from Google. A certificate will be granted to your Google Ads account that will allow you to show ads to users in the Netherlands who appear to be seeking financial services.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is G2?

G2 is Google's external compliance partner for financial services verification.

How do I get certified as an approved third-party advertiser?

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 G2 verification and Google's financial services verification) should complete this form for you. G2 verification is not required to become an approved third-party advertiser.

I am an approved third-party advertiser who represents multiple financial services providers. How can I get certified?

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 already have completed the certification process themselves, before vouching for the approved third party in the Google verification step.

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?

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.

What is advertiser verification?

Advertiser verification is Google's standard verification programme. All advertisers, regardless of industry, will at some point go through the process. It helps us to know who's advertising with Google.

If my targeted location is not listed for financial services verification, will my ads still be labelled?

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 locations targeted do not require verification at this point. This is working as intended with no serving impact.