Google and Meta are moving larger advertisers off cards. What does it mean for your cash flow?

From mid-2024, Google required selected high-spending advertisers to switch from card payments to bank-based payment methods by 31 July 2024.

Today, advertisers supported by Google’s Large Customer Sales or GCS High Touch teams cannot pay by credit or debit card.

For approved monthly invoicing accounts, advertising costs accumulate against a Google-approved credit line and are generally payable on around 30-day terms. Advertising may be slowed or stopped if payment terms or the approved credit limit are exceeded.

Monthly invoicing is generally available to established businesses with an active Google Ads account in good standing. Eligibility typically includes being registered as a business for at least one year and spending at least US$5,000 per month for any three of the previous 12 months.

Direct debit is available only in the US and selected EMEA markets, meaning affected Australian advertisers generally settle invoices by bank transfer.

From April 2026, Meta also began moving some larger advertisers away from direct credit and debit card payments.

The change does not apply to every advertiser, and Meta has not published a specific spending threshold.

For affected Australian businesses, advertising spend can accumulate against an assigned credit limit before Meta issues a monthly invoice, generally payable within 30 days.

The result is similar to Google: a significant digital advertising expense that may previously have been paid directly by card now needs to be settled through bank-based payment methods.

Businesses previously paying Google or Meta directly by card may have earned airline points, cashback or other rewards.

When that expenditure moves to bank transfer, those rewards are no longer generated from the direct payment.

For businesses spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on digital advertising, that can represent a meaningful lost benefit.

Monthly invoicing still provides payment terms, but businesses previously paying by card may also have benefited from the time between the advertising charge and the eventual card repayment date.

Moving to bank transfer can remove that additional payment window.

For businesses already funding wages, stock, freight and other expenses ahead of customer revenue, that change can affect working capital.

Meta and Google may have changed how they accept payment, but that does not necessarily mean your business has to stop using its card to fund the expense.

OctetExpress allows Australian businesses to use their own credit or debit card to pay domestic and international suppliers, including eligible suppliers that do not normally accept card payments.

Octet makes the payment to the verified supplier using the required payment method, while your business uses its linked card to fund the transaction.

Applied to an eligible Meta or Google monthly invoice, the platform receives the bank transfer it requires while your card can remain part of your business's payment cycle.

This can help businesses preserve the benefits they previously received from paying Meta or Google directly by card, including eligible card rewards offered by their card provider.

Because you are using your own existing card funding, there is no credit assessment and no setup fee.

Apply in minutes.