Misrepresentation: Dishonest pricing practices

Google provides translated versions of our Help Centre, although they are not meant to change the content of our policies. The English version is the official language that we use to enforce our policies. To view this article in a different language, use the language drop-down at the bottom of the page.

We want users to trust the ads on our platform, so we strive to ensure ads are clear and honest, and provide the information that users need to make informed decisions. We don’t allow ads or destinations that deceive users by excluding relevant product information or providing misleading information about products, services or businesses.

Learn more about the misrepresentation policy.

Failure to clearly and conspicuously disclose the payment model or full expense that a user will bear before and after purchase is not allowed.

Examples (non-exhaustive):

Not disclosing the total price, including all taxes, fees and surcharges

Failing to explain the payment model, such as one-off purchases or subscriptions

Omitting recurring costs and the billing interval

Not disclosing all applicable delivery costs, including those for returns, if the designated return delivery location differs from the business address

Failing to disclose interest rates if applicable

Not disclosing late payment fees

Using premium rate phone numbers in call assets without disclosing the associated charges

Not clearly showing the price and billing interval for subscriptions or memberships

Employing pricing practices that create a false or misleading impression of the cost of a product or service, leading to inflated or unexpected charges is not allowed.

Examples (non-exhaustive):

Bait-and-switch tactics: Deceptively advertising a product or service at an enticing, often unrealistic, low price to lure customers, with no genuine intent to sell it, only to pressure them into buying a different, typically more expensive or inferior, alternative once they’re engaged

Price exploitation: Exploiting individuals in vulnerable situations or under duress, leveraging their immediate need or lack of reasonable alternatives to demand a payment significantly higher than the prevailing market rate. For example, a locksmith threatening to leave the customer unless a cost above what was quoted is paid on the spot

Promoting apps as free of charge when a user must pay to install the app

Promoting a free of cost trial without clearly stating the trial period or that the user will be automatically charged at the end of the trial

Note: To ensure transparency for urgent, on-site services with variable pricing like emergency repairs or specialised technical assistance, businesses must clearly and prominently disclose in their ads or on their landing pages all applicable fees, such as call-out charges, emergency hour surcharges and whether their estimates are binding. This helps users understand the true cost upfront, even when specific situational factors make pricing unpredictable.

Violations of this policy won't lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued, at least seven days, prior to any suspension of your account. Learn more about suspended accounts.

Options to fix

If this policy is affecting your ad, review your options to fix it below.

Check your ads for required payment model and billing information

Make sure that your landing page or app clearly and conspicuously discloses how your billing process works and the full expense that a user will pay.

All pricing information should be available to users before using your service. Including this information on your landing page ensures that users can easily access it.
Your fee structure should be easily understandable. For example, any formulas presented to explain how the cost of the service is determined should be as simple and straightforward as possible.
To ensure transparency for urgent, on-site services with variable pricing like emergency repairs or specialised technical assistance, businesses must clearly and prominently disclose in their ads or on their landing pages all applicable fees, such as call-out charges, emergency hour surcharges and whether their estimates are binding. This helps users understand the true cost upfront, even when specific situational factors make pricing unpredictable.
Your site shouldn’t make it difficult for customers to find information related to costs by using similar or identical text and background colours, very small fonts or other page elements that block this information visually.
If you use a premium rate phone number, you should clearly show the cost to the user, including the price per call or price per minute of the call.
For app installs, make sure that you remove any content from your ad creatives that make users think that your app is free of cost to download if it isn’t.

Edit your ads to comply with this policy

In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
Click the Campaigns drop-down in the section menu.
Click Ads.
Hover over the ad or asset and click Edit.
Edit the ad or asset so that it complies with the policy.
Click Save. Your ad will be automatically reviewed again. Check the ad’s status in the 'Ads and assets' page for updates.

Learn more about how to Fix an ad with policy violations.

Appeal policy decision

If you've fixed your destination or believe that we've made an error, appeal the policy decision directly from your Google Ads account to request for a review. After we confirm that the destination is compliant, we can approve your ads. If you aren't able to fix these violations or choose not to, remove your ad to help prevent your account from becoming suspended in the future for repeated policy violations.

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?