Google AdSense has updated its payment-threshold guidance to require identity verification at $0 for affected publishers. Those accounts must complete the check before they can start showing ads or receiving payments.
The requirement depends on location. Google’s account-setup guide dates the change to June 2026. Barry Schwartz reported the documentation update at Search Engine Roundtable on September 23, describing a reduction from the previous $10 identity-verification threshold.
What publishers need to provide
Google says publishers need a current government-issued photo ID. Depending on location, they may also be asked for a video selfie. Publishers offered that process can opt for manual review, which Google says takes two to three business days.
Its setup guide gives publishers 45 days from the first verification request to complete the process. After that, Google says it will pause account activation.
Address verification remains a separate step, triggered at $10 in earnings or the local equivalent. The payout threshold also remains separate: Google’s table lists $100 for US-dollar accounts, €70 for euro accounts and £60 for sterling accounts.
Verification becomes part of the launch schedule
For someone opening an affected account, identity checks now belong in the preparation for running ads. A publisher choosing manual review needs to allow for that processing time before expecting advertising revenue to begin.
Google says most publishers finish the verification process in five to ten minutes, but that estimate sits alongside the longer manual-review option. The 45-day deadline should therefore be treated as the time allowed to complete the request, rather than a period in which an affected account can run ads without verification.
Separately, existing publishers should also be preparing for Google’s change to how AdSense impressions are counted, scheduled for February 17, 2027.
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