Google voids ad credits after businesses spend qualifying money

By Zara Kincaid · 2026-09-15

Credits marked invalid after the money was already spent

PPC consultant David Melamed posted on LinkedIn on 9 September 2026 documenting two advertiser accounts where Google issued promotional credits, waited for the spend requirement to be met, then voided the credits without explanation. In the most serious case, a $3,200 promotional credit was marked 'Invalidated' more than a month after the qualifying spend had been made.^[1]

Melamed said the advertiser would likely not have committed the original spend without the credit as an incentive, and that there is no way to appeal a voided credit or recover spend once it is gone. Melamed said this was the second account he had seen hit with the same outcome.

What Google's own terms actually say

Once an advertiser meets a promotional offer's spend threshold, Google triggers an eligibility check that can run for up to 35 days before any credit appears in the account's Promotions section.^[2] The terms also specify that credits cannot be applied to costs accrued before the promotional code was entered, and cannot cover the spend requirement itself.^[2]

Google's advertising policies state that promotional offers are not available by request, and that any remaining credit balance cannot be refunded if an account is cancelled before the balance is fully spent.^[3] The policies make no mention of an appeal mechanism if a credit is voided after the spend requirement has already been satisfied.

Google acknowledged the issue and stopped there

Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin replied to Melamed's post: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, David. I've passed this along to the team."^[1] No remedy, refund path or policy clarification followed.

What Australian small businesses should do now

The practical exposure is straightforward: spend committed in anticipation of a credit cannot be recovered once the credit is voided. Google's own help documentation confirms credits cover only future ad spend, carry no refund right, and cannot be appealed.^[3]

Advertisers should screenshot offer terms at the time of redemption, never treat a promotional credit as confirmed budget until it appears as 'Active' in the Promotions tab, and monitor billing summaries weekly during the 35-day eligibility window.^[2] The safer position is to run the campaign at a spend level the business can sustain without the credit, and treat any credit that does clear as a bonus rather than a planned offset.

Zara Kincaid

Zara Kincaid writes about artificial intelligence and search. Her focus is what happens to businesses when the front page of the internet stops being a list of links and starts being an answer.