UPDATE: Google Ads Releases Additional Details on $340 Million Google Ad Credit for SMBs

This post is an update to our previous post on Google’s announcement of their $340 million relief funds to SMBs. See the original post here.

On April 20, 2020, Google announced a few additional details on their small- and medium-sized business (SMB) Ad Credit program.

The additional information includes eligibility criteria and ad credit details.

Who is eligible for the ad credit?

Google states that the main eligibility requirement for SMB advertisers is that they must have spent money on Google Ads during the following time frames:

• 10 out of the 12 months in 2019 AND
• In January and/or February of this year.

If a business did not have an active Google Ads account with spend in 2020, that business will be ineligible.

For accounts managed by an agency (e.g., Scorpion), how will the distribution of credits work?

An ad credit will be applied directly to each eligible customer within that agency account (Scorpion).

How much are the credits?

Each eligible business will receive one ad credit. The amount of the ad credit will vary based on that business’ past Google Ads spend, as well as the country and currency where the business and Google Ads account is set up.

When can eligible SMBs expect to see the ad credit applied to their advertising?

Google plans to start rolling out the ad credits in phases beginning in late May. As soon as Scorpion sees an ad credit in a business’ account, that business will be notified.

How and where can a business use the ad credit?

The ad credit is for future Google Ads spend only. It cannot be applied to Google Ads spend or invoices for past months or the current month. Per Google, a business can apply these ad credits across the Google Ads platform, including Search, Display, and YouTube as well as all campaign types. While not confirmed or stated by Google, we anticipate that these credits will be calculated in proportion to the average monthly ad spend for each business individually.

How long are the ad credits valid?

The Google Ad Credit will expire after December 31, 2020. Any unused ad credits will be removed from the business’ account at that time.

As always, give us a call or connect with us via email, text, or videoconference if you have any questions. Our team is available to talk more about Google’s Ad Credit relief fund, in addition to anything else you may need during this time. Contact us today.