Applies to Cloud Identity Premium and other paid subscriptions in your Google Admin console.
Avoid suspension. Fix automatic payments as soon as possible after a failed payment or your service will be suspended.
Use this information to fix an issue with your Cloud Identity billing account if you get a payment-related alert in your Google Admin console.
If your issue is related to a different Google service, search that product’s Help Center to fix the issue.
Video: How to fix a payment issue
How to Fix a Payment Issue in Google Workspace
Step 1: Make sure your payment method is valid
The most common billing problem is not having a valid payment method for automatic payments. If your primary payment method becomes invalid or we can’t charge your primary or backup payment method, we place your account in a grace period.
If you don’t fix your primary payment method during the grace period, at the beginning of the month following the payment failure, the account is suspended. To see the exact date your grace period ends, sign in to the Admin console.
After you fix your primary payment method, any outstanding balance is charged automatically.
To check that you have a valid primary payment method:
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Billing
Payment accounts.
-
Next to your subscription, click View payment methods.
- View your payment methods. Verify one of them is set to Primary, and it's valid.
- If the primary payment method shows an error, click Fix, and correct the payment method details. Or, resolve the issue with your bank or credit card company.
- If you don't have a primary payment method, do one of the following:
- Below the payment method you want to make primary, click the Down arrow
and select Primary.
- Add a new primary payment method:
- Click Add Payment Method.
- Select the payment method and enter the details.
- Click Save.
- Below the payment method, click the Down arrow
- Below the payment method you want to make primary, click the Down arrow
- (Optional) To avoid service interruption in the future, add a backup credit card for automatic payments.
If this task didn't solve your problem, continue to step 2.
Step 2: Find a solution based on an alert
If step 1 didn't solve your problem, find your alert below.
| Alert | Solution |
|---|---|
| Subscription suspended (free trial ended) | |
| Your payments profile is currently suspended | Verify your account information |
| Subscription has been suspended by your reseller | Contact your Google reseller |
|
Subscription suspended (grace period has expired) |
Make a payment using: If you're using an India credit or debit card: |
| Card: Expired | Make a payment using: |
| Card: Expiring soon | Update your card details |
| Verification in progress | Verify a newly added bank account |
Common reasons payments can fail
If we try to charge your billing account for an automatic payment and our charge is declined, or if you make a manual payment that fails, it means something is wrong with the credit card or bank account you paid with.
Credit card limits- Your credit card limit was reached (insufficient funds)
Check your credit limit. You might have reached your daily or total credit card limit on the day we tried to charge your card. If this is the case, ask your credit card company to increase your limit. Or switch automatic payments to a card with a higher limit. - The charge exceeded the maximum amount allowed for a single charge
Check the maximum amount your card can be charged at a single time. If the declined charge is higher than this amount, ask your credit card company to increase the limit. Or switch automatic payments to another card. - Your card reached the maximum number of charges allowed in a period:
Check how many times your card can be charged in given time period. If you reached this amount, ask your bank to increase the limit, wait until your card can be charged again, or make a manual payment with a different payment method. - Your card doesn't accept charges from an online source
Make sure your card allows online transactions. If it doesn't, talk to your credit card company about allowing these charges. Or switch automatic payments to another card. - Your card doesn't allow automated billing
Ask your credit card company whether they allow automated billing, or if they can occasionally call you to verify a charge. If they can't, switch automatic payments to another card. - Your card doesn't allow international transactions
If you're making payments from outside the US, make sure your card accepts international charges. If it doesn't, switch automatic payments to another card.
If the problem isn't likely to happen again, you can make a manual payment to cover the charge.
If none of these solutions works, contact Cloud Identity support.
- Wrong expiration date: Review the expiration date on your credit card. If your card expired, update the expiration date in your Payments settings.
- Wrong credit card number: If you think you might have entered the wrong credit card number, or if the card number changed, add the card again as a new payment method. (You can't update the number of an existing credit card in your Payments settings.)
- Billing address or phone number: Make sure that the telephone number and billing address you gave for your credit card match those that your credit card company has. Either update your credit card details in your Payments settings. Or ask your credit card company to change the address and phone number associated with your card.
It can take up to 5 days for your bank account payment to be processed successfully. Common reasons a payment might be declined include:
- Insufficient funds: Make sure that your bank account has enough money to cover the charge.
- Bank details: Make sure that the bank account number and bank name you provided in your Payments settings are correct.
- Billing address: Check the billing address you entered for your bank account in your Payments settings. For payments to succeed, this address must exactly match the address your bank has on file.
If you have enough funds and your bank details and billing address are correct, contact your bank to learn why your payment was declined.
Verify your Google Account or bank account
If we can’t verify your Google Account information, Google suspends your payments profile and dims the Make a payment button. Verify your information by filling out this form.
Other ways to fill out the form:
- Click Learn More in the alert that says your payments profile is suspended.
- Reply to the email we sent with the subject “Important Information Regarding Your Google Account.” This email was sent to the email address of your payments primary contact for the domain associated with your Google Account.
Cloud Identity support can’t lift your suspension in this situation. You need to fill out the account verification form. In the Email field of the form, enter an email address that’s listed under Payments contacts on the BillingManage Settings page. Entering a different address can delay the response to your request.
Allow 48 hours after submitting the form to receive a response.
Before we can debit a new bank account, we need to verify it's really yours. This process and the time it takes depends on your location:
- If you’re in the U.S. or Europe outside the UK, you verify the account by making a test deposit.
This process can take up to 10 days, although it often happens much sooner. If you don’t get a test deposit after 5 days, check if your test deposit failed.
- If you’re in the UK, we can typically verify your account within an hour after you enter valid account information in your Payment settings.
While Google is verifying your bank account, you get a “Billing verification in progress” message on your Payments page in the Admin console. If you're setting up billing for the first time, your paid service won't begin until your account is verified.
Note: To ensure uninterrupted service, you can add a credit card to use for automatic payments until your bank account is verified. Go to Add a credit card as your primary payment method.
Fix a common alert problem
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
- At the top of the page, click Pay Now in the alert.
- On the Make a payment screen, click the Down arrow
- Click Make A Payment.
To lift a suspension, you must pay the full amount due. Making a partial payment doesn’t remove the suspension. - (Optional) Check the box to use this payment method for future recurring payments.
This option sets the new bank account or credit card as your primary payment method. - Review the payment details, then click Confirm
If you added a bank account as your primary payment method, it might take a few days for your payment to go through.
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
- At the top of the page, click Pay Now in the alert.
- On the Make a payment screen, click the Down arrow
Depending on your country/region, you might have 2 or more options to choose from, such as:- Add new credit or debit card
- Add a bank account
- Enter your account or card information.
- Click the Verify button if it displays.
- Click Make A Payment.
To lift a suspension, you must pay the full amount due. Making a partial payment doesn’t remove the suspension. - (Optional) Check the box to use this payment method for future recurring payments.
This option sets the new bank account or credit card as your primary payment method. - Review the payment details, then click Confirm
If you added a bank account as your primary payment method, it might take a few days for your payment to go through.
Follow these steps to update an expired primary payment method and then use it to make a payment.
To update an expired credit card that isn’t your primary payment method, instead follow the steps in Update your card details.
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
- At the top of the page, click Update in the alert.
- On the Make a payment screen, update the card expiration date and security code (CVC or CVV).
- Click Make A Payment.
To lift a suspension, you must pay the full amount due. Making a partial payment doesn’t remove the suspension. - Review the payment details, then click Confirm
Follow these steps if your credit card:
- Is expiring soon, but hasn’t yet
- Has expired, but isn’t your primary payment method
If your card has expired and it’s your primary payment method, instead follow the steps in Update an expired card.
If a credit card in your billing account is about to expire, update the card's expiration date in your Admin console. If its CVC or CVV number changes, update it too. Otherwise, we won't be able to charge your card, putting your service at risk of suspension.
Note: On the screen where you update your card’s expiration date, you can also update the cardholder name or the card’s billing address.
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
-
Next to your subscription, click View payment methods.
- Next to the credit card you want to update, click Fix.
- Update the card information and save your changes.
Card number changed?
If so, you can’t change the number on the screen where you edit the details. Instead, add it as a new card. Then remove the old card from your account. Go to Remove a payment method.
Customers in India can’t pay for their Google service with a debit card. Currently, we can’t accept Indian debit cards for automatic payments because of issues with the required 3D Secure verification service. These issues also affect a subset of Indian credit cards.
Affected customers can consider the following workarounds:
- Try using a different credit card.
- You might be eligible to switch to an invoiced billing account.
- Consider working with one of our local reseller partners, who accept more forms of payments. You can find a list of resellers at Google Partner Search.
- For help, contact a Google Sales representative.
Learn more at Indian debit or credit card not accepted.
I get an error message when making a payment
If you get an error when you try to make a payment in the Admin console, go to Billing error messages.
I'm still having problems after making a payment
If you made a payment, but you were charged twice or your account still isn't active, go to Troubleshoot problems after making a payment.