Study first
Review the ideas behind the questions
Check the billing choices that can block a Google Ads launch even when campaigns look ready. Focus on payment settings, payment roles, payment methods, declined payments, promotional offers, and documents.
Know when the account pays
Payment settings decide whether the account pays before ads run, after ads run, or through monthly invoicing.
- Automatic payments charge the payment method after ads run.
- Manual payments require payment before ads run, and the credit decreases as costs accrue.
- Monthly invoicing uses a line of credit, then sends a monthly invoice for accrued costs.
In Practice
Manual payment can stop delivery
If a manual-payment account runs out of credit, ads stop until more funds are added.
Automatic payment timing is not one fixed date
An automatic-payment account can be charged at the threshold or on the first day of the month.
Common mistakes
Treating manual payments like automatic payments.
Manual-payment accounts need funds before ads can run; automatic-payment accounts accrue costs first.
Q&A
Which payment setting uses a line of credit?
Monthly invoicing uses a line of credit and sends a monthly invoice for advertising costs.
What happens when manual-payment funds run out?
Ads stop running until the account adds more funds.
Check payment roles and profiles
Payment setup has its own ownership and access boundaries. A campaign manager may still need the right payment role before making changes.
- Only eligible Admin, Billing, or payment-profile users can change the account payment setting.
- A payments profile contains the person or organization legally responsible for account costs.
- For organization accounts, Admin or Billing access is needed to add or edit a payment method.
In Practice
Confirm access before launch day
A payment change should not wait until launch if the only available user lacks Admin or Billing access.
Do not confuse profile details with campaign settings
The payments profile stores payer, method, tax, and contact details; it is not a campaign targeting or ad setup control.
Common mistakes
Asking a read-only campaign reviewer to add the launch card.
Use someone with Admin or Billing access when an organization account needs a payment method added or edited.
Q&A
Who is responsible for account costs in billing records?
The person or organization in the payments profile is legally responsible for costs.
Prepare for payment problems and documents
A basic billing review should cover declined payments, backup methods, promotional credit expectations, and where documents can be downloaded.
- If a payment is declined, the advertiser needs to work with the bank or card company and pay the overdue balance.
- A backup payment method can help ads continue when the primary method is declined.
- Promotional offers work as ad credit, not cash back or refunds.
In Practice
Retrying payment may not be the whole fix
If a new method pays the overdue balance, the primary method may still need to be retried or fixed so ads do not stop again.
Documents depend on account setup
Invoices, statements, and receipts can vary by payment method, payment setting, and billing country.
Common mistakes
Treating promotional credit as money returned to the advertiser.
Treat promotional offers as ad credit for future advertising costs after offer requirements are met.
Q&A
Where can available payment documents be downloaded?
Use the Documents area for available invoices and statements, with document availability depending on payment setting, method, and country.