Account-Wide Issues - Google AdWords Learning Center

In order to activate your account, you must first verify your email address. If you have not verified your email address and you attempt to sign in to your account, you will receive a message to check your email to verify your email address.

Visit your email account, and open the email verification notice from AdWords. Click the link in the email to verify your email address and access your account. Then, continue with the activation instructions.

After you verify your email address, the next step is to enter your billing information. If you haven't entered your billing information, you'll see a message when you log in to your AdWords account reminding you to do so.

Click on the link in the message, or click on the My Account tab and then Billing Preferences in your AdWords account to enter your billing information. If you're using a credit card or debit card, be sure to enter the billing address that matches the credit card.

Your ads will appear on Google after you've entered valid credit card or debit card information. In the case of direct debit, a debit authorization may have to be received and processed before your ads will start running. If you choose to pay via prepay, your ads may appear once funds have been received via credit card or bank transfer or after your bank transfer setup is complete.

For more information on the payment options available for your billing location and currency, visit the Billing lesson.

If we aren't able to process a payment for your account, your ads will temporarily stop running and you'll receive an email regarding the declined payment. You'll also see a message when you log in to your AdWords account.

If you're not sure why a payment is declined, use the following checklist to figure out possible reasons:

Have you entered valid payment details (such as credit card number or expiration date)?
Do you have sufficient funds in your account, or have you reached your daily, weekly, or monthly spend limit?
Have you entered the correct billing address?

If your payment is still declined, contact the financial institution handling the funds to get more details about a declined payment.