Free guide
Google Ads credit: how to claim it and when it expires
The typical offer is $500 in credit once you spend $500. The money is real, but the deadlines are strict. Here is every step and every clock, in order.
How to claim it
01
Verify your Google Business Profile
Search your business name, select "Own this business?", and finish verification by video, phone, or postcard. Offers inside the profile dashboard only appear once you are verified.
02
Complete the listing
Categories, hours including holidays, services with prices, ten or more real photos, and a description written for a customer choosing between you and one competitor.
03
Find your offer
Check three places: the promotion banner in your Business Profile dashboard, the sign-up flow of a new Google Ads account, and partner codes from web hosts, payment processors, or your chamber of commerce.
04
Redeem the offer
Most introductory offers apply automatically at sign-up. If you have a code, open Billing, select Promotions, select the plus button, enter the code, and submit.
05
Meet the spend requirement
Spend the stated amount, commonly $500, inside the window your offer names, commonly 60 days. The credit cannot pay for the qualifying spend itself.
06
Wait for the credit, then use it
Google runs an eligibility check that can take up to 35 days. Once applied, the credit covers future ad costs until it runs out or expires.
When it expires
Four clocks run on every offer. Your offer's own terms set the exact dates, so read them when you enroll.
Redeem window
Per your offer
Partner codes usually carry a deadline tied to when the ads account was created. Enter the code early. Codes expire quietly.
Spend window
Commonly 60 days
The clock to hit the qualifying spend. Miss it and the offer lapses.
Processing
Up to 35 days
Google's eligibility check after you meet the requirement. Keep campaigns running.
Credit expiry
Normally 60 days
Once credit lands in your account, Google says advertisers normally have 60 days to spend it. Unused credit is gone after that.
Before you spend a dollar
- Send ads to one page built for one action, not your homepage.
- Track calls and form fills as conversions, not clicks.
- Start with branded and high-intent local terms.
- Cap the daily budget so the qualifying spend lasts the full window.
- Review search terms weekly and add negative keywords.
Offer amounts, windows, and eligibility vary by country and promotion, and Google changes them without notice. Source: Google Ads Help, About promotional offers. For the full background, read the article on claiming the credit.
Strategy
Make the free spend a real test.
A consult turns the credit into a plan: the right page, the right terms, and a clear read on what the results mean.