Billing Basics: Credit Cards

When prospective customers click your ads, charges begin to accrue in your Microsoft adCenter account. You pay only for the clicks that your ads receive and only the amount that you specified for each click during keyword bidding.

Setting up billing for your account

You will enter information from a valid credit card when you first create your account, and a one-time, nonrefundable sign-up fee of $5 will be charged to that credit card. A variable amount will be charged to that credit card each month based on the number of clicks that your ads receive.

How you are billed

Microsoft adCenter will charge your credit card at least once a month when there are pending charges on your account. The date that your credit card is charged is based on two values: your billing threshold and the monthly billing date for your account.

• The billing threshold on your account is the maximum amount of pending charges that can accumulate on your account before your credit card is charged. With new accounts, the billing threshold is set at $50. Over time, as you make timely payments, your billing threshold may incrementally increase to $3,000.

• The billing date for your account is determined by the day that you created the account. For example, if you created a new account on the 15th of the month, your monthly billing statement is sent out each month on the 15th. The billing date for your account cannot be changed.

Charges appear on the credit card that is associated with your account either once a month on your billing date or each time your billing threshold is reached. To spread out charges to your credit card, you will not be charged on your monthly billing date if the current balance is less than one dollar or if your account has reached its billing threshold within the past 10 days.

Available payment methods

adCenter accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express. adCenter currently does not offer prepay options, and does not accept bank transfers or direct debit as forms of payment.

If your credit card is declined

If the credit card you entered for your account is declined three or more times, your account status is changed to Credit Hold. To remove your account from Credit Hold status, try using a different credit card. If using a different credit card does not remove the Credit Hold status, please contact adCenter Support for more information.