Advertisers are reporting that Google Ads promotional credits are being marked as invalidated after they already spent the money required to earn them. In at least one documented case, an advertiser spent $3,200 expecting a $3,200 credit and did not get it. If you are running an account on the back of a promo offer, you need to understand how fragile that credit actually is.
What Is Happening
On September 11, 2026, Search Engine Land reported that multiple advertisers had promotional credits invalidated after meeting the spend requirement. PPC consultant David Melamed documented at least two separate cases where credits were marked "Invalidated" following substantial ad spend.
The clearest example involved an advertiser who expected a $3,200 promotional credit after spending $3,200 on Google Ads. The spend happened. The credit did not. As Melamed put it, that advertiser "likely wouldn't have spent the first $3,200 without the promotional offer."
That is the part that matters. The promo was not a bonus on top of a budget somebody already planned to spend. The promo is what created the budget.
What Triggered The Invalidations
Google has not published an explanation, but Melamed identified the cause in one of the two cases. The new advertiser's credit was invalidated because the billing profile from a manager account had been used to set up the account.
Melamed said he was not sure what triggered the invalidation in the second case. So right now there is one known trigger and at least one unexplained one.
If you manage accounts through a Google Ads manager account, that first trigger is worth sitting with. Reusing an existing billing profile to spin up a new client account is a completely normal agency workflow. It is also, apparently, enough to disqualify a new account from a promotional credit.
What Google Said
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin responded to the report publicly: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, David. I've passed this along to the team."
That is the entire response so far. Google gave no explanation for the invalidations and gave no indication that a policy changed. There is no stated appeal process for an invalidated credit and no published list of what disqualifies you.
Keep in mind, this is not the same as an account suspension or a policy strike. This is a billing credit quietly disappearing from an account that already spent the money.
My Take On Promo Credits
One of the biggest mistakes I see is treating a promotional credit like it is already in the account. It is not. It is a conditional rebate, and the conditions live on Google's side of the ledger.
I would never build a launch budget around a credit you have not received yet. If a $500 promo is the difference between running ads and not running ads, you are not ready to run ads. Your first month of spend needs to make sense on its own, with the credit treated as a bonus if it shows up.
The good news? Promo credits are still worth claiming. You just have to claim them correctly. If you are looking at an offer right now, read through how Google Ads promo codes for new accounts actually work before you spend a dollar against one.
What To Do Before You Spend Against A Credit
- Read the eligibility conditions in full. Not the headline offer. The terms attached to the specific code, including the qualifying window and the spend threshold.
- Set up new accounts with their own billing profile. Based on the one documented trigger, do not attach a manager account billing profile to a new account you want a credit on.
- Screenshot the offer and the credit status. Capture the promotion page and the credit line in your billing section on the day you apply it.
- Budget as if the credit will not arrive. Plan the spend so the account is still worth running at full cost without it.
- Check the billing section on the day you hit the threshold. Do not wait until the invoice. Confirm the credit applied.
If your credit does get invalidated, contact Google Ads support and ask for the specific reason. Getting that reason in writing is the only way anything improves here. Keep in mind that Google Ads appeals are now capped at six months, so do not sit on it.
Question to Answer:
If the promotional credit you are counting on never arrives, does your first month of Google Ads spend still make business sense?
In Summary
Promotional credits are being invalidated after advertisers meet the spend requirement, and Google has not explained why. The one confirmed trigger is using a manager account billing profile to set up a new account.
Treat any promo credit as money you might not get. Read the conditions, give new accounts their own billing profile, and build a budget that works without the credit. If it lands, great. If it does not, nothing breaks.
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