How to Remove a Credit Card from Google Ads
- Delete a saved payment method
- Switch billing to a new card
- Manage billing settings safely
Watch the step-by-step walkthrough below, then follow the guide to add a primary and backup payment method to your Google Ads account so your campaigns never stop running due to a billing issue.
Follow these steps alongside the video to add a payment method to your Google Ads account.
Book a 90-minute coaching session and we'll work through your Google Ads account together!
Common questions about adding a payment method in Google Ads.
Google Ads accepts credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), debit cards, bank transfers, and in some countries PayPal. The available payment options depend on your billing country. When you set up billing for the first time, Google will show you the payment methods supported in your region.
The primary payment method is charged first whenever Google Ads collects payment. The backup payment method is only charged if the primary fails — for example, if your card is declined or expired. Setting up a backup is strongly recommended for accounts running active campaigns, as a failed payment can cause your ads to pause until billing is resolved.
Yes. Google Ads allows you to save multiple payment methods on an account — one as the primary and one as the backup. You can switch which method is primary at any time from the Payment Methods page. However, only two cards can be active simultaneously (one primary, one backup).
If the primary payment method fails and no backup is set up, Google will retry the charge and send billing alerts to the account email. If the balance is not settled within a few days, your ads will be paused until payment is successfully collected. Once billing is resolved, ads resume automatically. This is why having a backup payment method is so important for always-on campaigns.
Google may place a small temporary authorisation hold (typically $1 or local equivalent) when you add a new card to verify it is valid. This hold is not a real charge and is released within a few days. Your card will only be charged for actual ad spend once your campaigns are running and reach your billing threshold.
No. The billing country is set when you first create your Google Ads account and cannot be changed afterwards. The billing country determines which payment methods, currencies, and tax settings are available to you. If you need a different billing country, you would need to create a new Google Ads account — your existing account's history and campaigns cannot be migrated automatically.
More step-by-step guides to manage your Google Ads billing and account setup.
Need a hands-on walkthrough tailored to your account? Book a 90-minute coaching session and we'll set it up together.