Google documents steps for Ads pauses tied to suspicious payment activity

What changed

Google Ads provides help guidance for accounts paused because Google detects suspicious or unauthorized payment activity. The page describes a pause, not a general account-suspension policy change, and says affected advertisers receive both an in-account notification and an email.

To seek unpausing, Google directs advertisers to select Answer questions from the in-account notification and complete information about their payment history. The subsequent steps are conditional rather than universal. Google says an advertiser may be asked to confirm a payment method, provide documents or request a code, and may also be asked to make a payment.

Where card confirmation is requested, Google says it makes a temporary US$1.95 charge containing a six-digit confirmation code. The page says the code may arrive immediately but can take up to seven days, and that the charge appears in transaction history within five minutes and is returned within 14 days. After the code is submitted, Google says an email decision about the pause is expected within two business days.

Google describes a different timing path after payment-history questions. If an email asking the advertiser to confirm a card arrives, it says that email is sent within 10 minutes of submitting the questions. If no such email arrives within 10 minutes, Google says the questions are under review and a decision about the pause will be sent within five business days.

A payment is not always required, according to the guidance. If it is requested, the amount will be either an outstanding balance or an amount set by the system in the account’s currency. Google notes that bank transfers can take longer, so an account may remain paused until the payment is received. A successful payment is followed by an email confirming that the account is unpaused.

The source does not state when this help article was published, whether the process is new, or what triggered a particular account’s review. It also does not establish that every pause can be resolved through the same path. Advertisers should rely on the notices and steps shown within their own account rather than assuming a financial or verification action applies to them.

Why it matters for advertisers

A payment-related pause can interrupt serving, while the documented route and timelines depend on the notice and verification path shown to the affected account.