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If Google Ads detects suspicious or unauthorized payment activity, your account may be paused. To run ads again, you’ll need to answer a few questions about your payment history.
You’ll receive both an in-account notification and email notification informing you that your account is paused due to suspicious payment activity. To unpause your account, follow the steps below.
- In your Google Ads account, select Answer questions in the in-account notification.
- Next, a screen will appear to "Answer a few questions about your payment history". Complete the information requested related to your payment history.
- You may be asked to confirm your payment method. This isn't always a required step. If you're asked to do so, you'll get an email within 10 minutes of submitting your questions.
- If you don’t get an email within 10 minutes, your questions are being reviewed and you’ll get a different email with a decision about your account’s pause within 5 business days.
- If you receive the email to confirm your card, click the Start Task button. You'll be directed to your Google Ads account to complete this step. To verify your information, you may need to submit documents or request a code. Learn more about how to Verify your payment information.
- You may be asked to make a payment. This isn’t always a required step. If you’re asked to do so, you’ll need to choose a payment method and click Pay now.
- You can change a payment method by clicking Change. Note that bank transfer payments take longer so your account may be paused until the payment comes through.
- The amount of payment will be either an outstanding balance or a specific amount set by the system in the currency of your account.
- If the payment is successful, you'll receive an email notification confirming that your account is unpaused.
- You may be asked to confirm your payment instrument with a code. This isn’t always a required step. If you’re asked to do so, you’ll need to choose a payment method and select Verify.
- On the next step, click Get code. To confirm your card, Google will make a temporary $1.95 charge to your credit card with a confirmation code.
- You should get the code right away, but it can take up to 7 days in some cases.
- To find your 6-digit confirmation code, go to your online account for your credit card and find Google’s temporary charge in the transaction history.
- This charge will appear in your transaction history within 5 minutes, and you’ll get that money back within 14 days.
- Enter the confirmation code in the space provided in your Google Ads account and click Submit code.
- After you submit your code, you’ll get an email with a decision about your account’s pause within 2 business days.