Was your credit card or bank account charged by Google ads when you haven’t run any ads?
Or maybe there has been an overcharge from your Google ads account?
If either of this is you, you might probably be wondering why this has happened and how to straighten the matter out and get your money back.
In this article, I will shed some light on what could have caused this problem and give you step-by-step instructions on how to dispute unauthorized Google Ads charges.
I’ll also give you some tips to stop them from happening in the future.
Why is Google Ads Charging Me?
Let’s have a look into what could cause an unauthorized Google ads charge on your credit/debit card or bank account:
⚡Also Read: How Much To Charge For Google Ads Management
Fraudulent Activity
If you are charged by Google ads despite not having a Google ads account, it is very likely that you have been a victim of a fraud.
Someone could have gained access to your device and/or Google account and run an ad campaign, or used your credit/debit card information to set up a Google ads account.
This is a SERIOUS security issue and you must take action ASAP.
For starters, call the bank right now and tell them to cancel the card. And explain the situation to them and see if they can do anything else.
Technical Issues On Google’s End
If you do have a Google ads account and seem to have been overcharged, it could be due to some technical problem from Google’s end.
As I write this very article, I see the following notice displayed on Google ads support site:
If this is the case, they will sort everything out in a couple weeks.
Verification
If you are just starting with Google Ads, they might take a certain amount of $ when you connect your card to Google ads.
This is done to make sure you are not a spammer. (more on this later)
Fortunately this is not an unauthorized Google ads charge, and Google will deposit the money back to your account in a few days.
In fact, they have this temporary charge listed at the bottom as a disclaimer on the Add card page. Maybe you missed it?
⚡Also Read: Bing Ads No Impressions
Why Did Google Ads Charge Me $50?
Google Ads charges you $50 to check if the card you entered is valid and if it really has enough money to cover your monthly threshold (which is $50 when you are starting out).
This is actually a temporary authorization charge and it will be refunded back to your bank in a week.
This is usually done to stop scammers from using valid virtual cards with $0 in them.
After these scammers run ads, they just abandon the accounts without paying the ad fees to Google – and Google can’t charge them because the card doesn’t have money.
That’s why Google (and tons of other services) do card authorization checks.
Google won’t charge $50 from everyone, there are times when it only asks for a $1 or $2 authorization. The $ amount depends on your country, Google account age and how you set up the ads account.
Their algorithm will then do a risk analysis and come with the authorization value.
How To Dispute Unauthorized Google Ads Charges
To dispute any unauthorized Google Ads charges, you need to verify the charges are from Google Ads by comparing it with the examples provided by Google here.
Once you are certain that the charges are from Google Ads, contact their support team immediately, ideally with a scan or a screenshot of your bank or credit/debit card statement.
They will investigate the issue, and if the charges are found to be unauthorized or fraudulent, provide you with a refund.
But it might take days for this to happen. Sometimes Google might not respond at all.
And even if they do, they can disprove the claim too- at least that’s what happened to some people who complained a lot on forums.
Also, don’t forget to contact your bank and inform them of the matter too.
If none of these parties do anything, keep on complaining every day until they do something. And even threaten to sue or lawyer up.
How Do I Stop Google Ads From Charging Me?
The best way to stop Google Ads from charging you, is to remove the card from the ads account. That way, there is no way to charge you, even due to technical issues.
You can also cancel your account if you don’t plan on using Google ads anymore.
However, before you can cancel your account, you’ll need to pay the due charges (if there are any) on it.
⚡Also Read: Fake leads from Facebook ads
Google Ads $1 Charge
When you add a card to Google payments (or for most other services and trials) they charge $1 from your card. This is called a card authorization charge which checks if the card is valid and you are not a spammer. This is usually refunded back to your card in 1 – 5 days.
Why Did Google Ads Charge $2?
A $2 charge is also an authorization charge to check if the card is valid. This $ value changes from Google ad account country to country – for some it’s $1 or $2 and for others like the US, it’s $50.
Quick Recap
If your credit card or bank account is charged by Google ads without you having a Google ads account, or if you are overcharged by Google ads, that can be due to fraudulent activity, verification or technical issues on Google’s end.
To dispute unauthorized charges, verify the charges are from Google Ads and contact their support team. If the charges are found to be unauthorized or fraudulent, they will provide a refund.
Also, contact your bank and inform them of the issue.
To stop Google Ads from charging you, pay any due charges to the day and cancel your account.
