How to create a new billing setup with Sequential Liability

You might need to create a new Sequential Liability billing setup when adding a new account within your manager account (MCC). You can do this without assistance from Google as long as the Advertiser payments profile is already linked to your MCC.

Note: You won’t be able to create a non-Sequential Liability setup for any accounts under an MCC with a Sequential Liability profile linked to it. If you need to do so, create a new MCC and make this the Paying Manager (owner of the invoice setup).

Why do I need to select an Advertiser payments profile?

Your agency has a special contract setting called Sequential Liability, which requires 2 payments profiles on an account (and thus on the account’s invoices):

Primary payments profile is the agency’s
Secondary payments profile is the advertiser’s (who is sequentially liable for invoice payment if the agency does not pay)

Before you start

New Sequential Liability billing setups are created either standalone at the MCC level or as part of a new account setup, depending on what you need to do:

Create a new Sequential Liability billing setup within your MCC
Create a brand new Google Ads account and add a Sequential Liability billing setup
Transition an existing Google Ads account to your agency during a "Change Who Pays".

Once you’re on the “Billing setups” page (for an MCC account) or the “Billing configuration” page (for a Google Ads account) after following the steps from one of the options above, proceed with the instructions below.

Instructions

Create a new billing setup with Sequential Liability from an MCC account

In your Google Ads manager account, click the Billing icon .
Click Billing setups.
Once you get to the “Billing setups” page, click the plus button .
Select the billing country and currency for the setup.
Select the Agency payments profile from the menu. This is who the account will be billed to.
Choose the Advertiser payments profile from the menu. This is who is liable for payment if the agency doesn’t pay the invoice.
1. Only Advertiser payment profiles already linked to your manager account will appear.
2. If the Advertiser payment profile needed for the account is not yet linked to your manager account, or you’re not sure of the payments profile ID, select Create or link an advertiser payments profile from the "Advertiser payments profile" menu. This will take you to a form where you can contact support for further assistance.
In the "How you pay" section, enter a name for your invoices.
Select Create Billing Setup.

Create a new billing setup with Sequential Liability from a Google Ads account

For an existing account, proceed to Step 1. For a new account, proceed to Step 4 once you’re on the “Billing configuration” page after following the account creation process.

In your Google Ads account, click the Billing icon .
1. Note: Ensure you're logged in from the MCC account which has the profiles linked to it.
Click Billing transfers, then click the pencil icon and select Change who pays.
Choose a date for the transfer to go into effect, or select As soon as possible.
Once you get to the “Billing configuration” page, click Create a new billing setup.
Select the billing country and currency for the setup.
Select the Agency payments profile from the menu. This is who the account will be billed to.
Choose the Advertiser payments profile from the menu. This is who is liable for payment if the agency doesn’t pay the invoice.
1. Only Advertiser payment profiles already linked to your manager account will appear.
2. If the Advertiser payment profile needed for the account is not yet linked to your manager account, or you’re not sure of the payments profile ID, select Create or link an advertiser payments profile from the "Advertiser payments profile" menu. This will take you to a form where you can contact support for further assistance.
In the "How you pay" section, enter a name for your invoices.
Select Create Billing Setup.
Save and continue, and on the next page enter all of your budget details.

If you have any questions regarding your transfer or need additional support, contact Google Ads support.

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