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Display & Video 360 users must comply with this Google Ads policy. Visit the Display & Video 360 help center for additional restrictions.
Location specific financial services verification
To promote financial products and services, advertisers must comply with Google's Financial products and services policy and all state and local regulations for any targeted location.
Beginning on the dates listed in Relevant Regulators and Enforcement Dates, advertisers in certain locations face additional requirements to run financial services ads. Google requires verification for advertisers, with a separate verification needed for each targeted location.
For most advertisers, this process will entail providing information about the type of financial services they provide, whether they are licensed to provide those services, and their registration number, among other things. Additional information about location, advertiser types, exemptions, and specific requirements can be found below.
- Australia
- Brazil
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Türkiye
- United Kingdom
To complete verification, applications must be submitted by an Authorized Representative. Authorized Representative refers to the party that manages your Google Ads account(s) and/or the Payments Profile(s) paying for the ads. This could be an advertising agency or subsidiary that holds the Google Ads ID on behalf of your licensed client or parent company.
As part of the verification process, advertisers must demonstrate that they are licensed by the relevant financial service regulator(s) in the relevant location or that they are exempt from such requirements (other than the UK).
The complete list of relevant financial services regulators in affected locations is here. Please note that the financial services verification requirement covers categories of financial services that may or may not be regulated by these regulators.
Limited Eligibility
Please note that in order to promote claims management services in connection with financial products or services, such as scam redress services, advertisers must be or operate on behalf of a claims management-licensed financial service provider, a government entity, non-profit organization, or legal service provider.
Verification renewal
You may need to renew your verification periodically. You’ll receive a notification when this verification is required.
You may also be asked to re-verify your identity if there are significant changes in your Google Ads account, for example, changes to your payment profile in Google Ads. You’ll receive an in-account notification when this is required.
Financial services verification country specifics
About New Zealand Financial Services Verification
Applications must be submitted by an authorized representative. An authorized representative manages your Google Ads account(s) and/or the Payments Profile(s) paying for the ads. This could be an advertising agency or subsidiary that holds the Google Ads ID on behalf of your licensed client or parent company.
Verification process
Google will notify advertisers who need to complete the verification process via email and in-account notifications. Advertisers may also initiate verification themselves.
At the moment, failure to complete the Financial Services Verification process will not lead to account pausing or suspension, but will restrict serving for ads related to in-scope financial services or that target users who appear to be seeking in-scope financial services.
Categories of financial services advertisers
There are five types of advertisers that may need to be verified:
Definition:
- Advertisers who are authorized by the relevant financial services regulatory bodies.
Examples (non-exhaustive): banking, credit cards, credit and loans, investment, brokerages & day trading, bonds, commodities & futures trading, insurance
Definition:
- Advertisers who provide or promote financial services with the approval of an Authorized Advertiser, also known as a First Party advertiser, but who are not directly authorized by a regulator to provide financial services.
Examples (non-exhaustive): Brokers, resellers, affiliates
Definition:
- Advertisers who do not promote financial services but have a compelling reason to target users who are looking for financial services.
- Advertisers who do not promote financial services as their main business, but promote a minor financial services add-on from an Authorized Advertiser.
Example (non-exhaustive):
- Educational programs or institutions that provide information on financial aid
- Automotive advertisers that promote car leasing, financing, and insurance
- Online travel agents promoting travel insurance
Definition:
- Financial services regulators with a .gov or corresponding domain.
Note: Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities do not need to obtain verification from G2. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification using this form.
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should reach out directly to their Google Account Manager to be verified.
Definition:
- Advertisers who promote financial services but are not required to be licensed by the relevant New Zealand financial services regulatory bodies.
Step-by-step Verification Requirements
Check below for more information on specific verification processes. Verification is required for all ad formats and extensions.
Financial services authorization
Step 1:Access our external compliance partner G2’s verification process using the G2 Financial Services Verification form.
Note that the business information you provide during this verification process must exactly match with the business details available on the relevant financial services registries or records.
After you successfully complete Step 1, you will receive a unique code which you must provide to Google in Step 3.
Step 2: After applying for verification with G2, you should receive a status update with Google’s advertiser verification program via email. Follow instructions on that email. If advertisers have already completed Google’s advertiser verification program, they will not need to do so again.
Step 3: Provide the unique code you received from G2 to Google using this form.
If you are successfully verified after completing these steps, a certificate will be applied to your Google Ads account. We will notify you via email on the status of your request. Advertisers who are successfully verified after completing the steps will be allowed to show financial services ads in New Zealand and show ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
Verification requirements for Approved Third Parties
If you are an Approved Third Party advertiser, you do not need to initiate your application with G2. Instead, you will need to provide an Authorized Advertiser a list of your domains/websites and Google Ads accounts. The Authorized Advertiser will then submit Google’s application form to complete the verification for you.
Once your Authorized Advertiser submits the form, Google may contact you to complete the advertiser verification process if you haven't done so previously. You'll receive guidance via email and an in-account notification. (Note: The verification process was updated in March 2022.)
If you are an Authorized Advertiser and have already completed your financial services verification, you can initiate verification for an Approved Third Party using this Google form. You can only vouch for third parties whose financial promotions are approved by you.
Note: Any time you want to add or remove an Approved Third Party, you will need to submit the form again. You must do so immediately if you cease to approve the promotions of any third party.
You will be required to submit the following information related to Approved Third Party financial services advertisers associated with your business.
- Google Ads account Customer ID
- Name of the authorized representative applying for verification
- Your business details (name, address, email address)
- Domains/websites and Google Ads account IDs of third party financial services advertisers whose ads are approved by you
- Warranty that you approve the financial promotions the third party runs
Verification requirements for Non-financial Services advertisers
If you are a Non-financial Services advertiser with a compelling reason to target users who appear to be seeking financial services, you can apply for New Zealand financial services verification through our partner, G2, using this form. If you are a non-financial services advertiser who does not promote financial services as their primary business, but who does promote a minor financial services add-on from an Authorized Advertiser, such as travel agents who provide travel insurance, you will need to describe these products or services.
After you successfully applied to G2, you will receive a unique code which you must provide to Google. Provide the unique code you received to Google using this form.
If your application is approved, you will be permitted to show ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
You will be asked to provide the following information to Google in the New Zealand financial services verification form:
- Your Google Ads account Customer ID
- Name of the authorized representative applying for verification
- Your business details (name, address, email address)
- Your business domains/websites you’re advertising on Google Ads
- Brief description of your business and your rationale for targeting keywords related to financial services
- Warranty that you will not use this exemption to run Google Ads promoting financial services
Upon review of your request, Google may require you to complete advertiser verification if you have not completed this verification program before. Note that this process was updated in March 2022. You will receive an email and an in-account notification that will guide you through the required verification process.
Verification requirements for Government Entities
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities do not need to obtain verification from G2. Government entities with a .gov or corresponding domain should apply directly to Google for verification via this form.
Financial services regulators and governmental or intergovernmental entities without a .gov or corresponding domain should reach out directly to their Google Account Manager to be verified.
Verification requirements for Regulation-exempt Financial Services advertisers
If you are exempt from or not required to be authorized by the relevant financial service regulators, you can access G2’s verification process using this form. Upon successful submission of the application, you will receive a unique code from G2. If G2 determines you are an Exempt Financial Services Advertiser, you must provide the unique code from G2 to Google using this form.
Upon review of your request, Google may require you to undergo advertiser verification if you have not completed this verification program before. Note that this process was updated in March 2022. You will receive an email and an in-account notification that will guide you through the required verification process.
After you successfully completed this verification, you will receive a confirmation and email notification from Google. A certificate will be granted to your Google Ads account that will allow you to show ads to users in New Zealand who appear to be seeking financial services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is G2?
A: G2 is Google’s external compliance partner for financial services verification.
Q. How do I get certified as an Approved Third Party advertiser?
A: To be an Approved Third Party advertiser, you will need an Authorized Advertiser to initiate verification on your behalf by providing them with a list of domains/websites. Instead, an Authorized Advertiser (who has completed G2 verification and Google’s financial services verification) should complete this form for you. G2 verification is not required to become an Approved Third Party advertiser.
Q. I am an Approved Third Party Advertiser who represents multiple financial services providers. How can I get certified?
A: We only require one Authorized Advertiser to vouch for a third party for that advertiser to become an Approved Third Party. The Authorized Advertiser must already have completed the certification process themselves, before vouching for the Approved Third Party in the Google verification step.
Q. I received an in-account notification to get certified for financial services, but I am not a financial services provider. Do I need to go through the verification? If I don’t, will my ads be impacted?
A: Advertisers will receive an in-account notification to certify because they may be promoting in-scope financial products and services, and/or targeting users who appear to be looking for in-scope financial products and services. It is the advertisers’ decision whether to get certified. However, advertisers must do so if they intend to run in-scope financial services ads or target users looking for in-scope financial services.
Q. What is the Advertiser Verification?
A: Advertiser Verification is Google’s standard verification program. All advertisers, regardless of industry, will at some point go through the process. It helps us know who’s advertising with Google.
Q. What if my targeted location is not listed for Financial Services Verification, will my ads still be labeled?
A: Yes. Advertisers running financial products and services ads or targeting audiences who appear to be seeking financial services will have ads labeled for Financial Services Verification even if locations targeted do not require verification at this point. This is working as intended with no serving impact