Want to know about my biggest Google Adsense mistake? Like most of the bloggers I started my blog monetization with Google AdSense. Just after two and half months of online presence, I applied for a Google AdSense Account. Fortunately the application was approved and I became an AdSense publisher within three months of my online existence.
I was very happy, cause in spite of being an Indian publisher my account was approved though there is some sort of a guideline clearly mentioned at Google AdSense Support that clearly states that for publishers from India and China the blog age must be at least six months.
I added Google AdSense code in my blog. With each passing day, it was heartening to see the AdSense money getting bigger. Though the increment on a daily basis was quite small, the excitement of earning a passive income was something that kept me smiling and inspired to work more on my blog. Here I’ll share my biggest Google AdSense mistake which may help newbie bloggers.
Google AdSense Shock
After a month or so from now I was expecting my first pay-check from Google AdSense as by that time I would’ve definitely touched the payout threshold of US$ 100. Lost in my dreams, one fine evening after publishing an article at my blog, when I visited my blog, I was shocked to find Public Service Advertisements (PSAs).
Perhaps it’s the Google’s way of shock & awe to its publishers. Generally I view my AdSense earnings through Blogger’s monetization tab. I logged into my AdSense account to discover the following message:
“Your pages are displaying Public Service Advertisements (PSAs) because you haven’t yet verified your PIN and/or phone number. See the Payment History page for more details
When I explored a bit I found that Google has sent me a PIN (Personal Identification Number) using “standard mail” (postal service) almost four months back. Unfortunately, it never reached me. Moreover, there was no email communication from Google regarding this issue. Now my account will be on hold till verification is over. In worst case, if I couldn’t complete this in a time span of approx. 1 month I will end up losing my hard earned money.
Why a PIN is required?
Google sends the PIN to your payment address which you’ve provided during AdSense registration. The PIN you receive needs to be submitted to Google from the Google AdSense Account. Once they receive the correct PIN, it means the contact information provided by you is accurate and they can issue your pay-check at the verified address.
What is the most irritating part here?
Once your account is on hold, you are not earning a single penny. Moreover Google never bothers to send you any email that they have send some PIN to your payment address. So, you must regularly visit your Google AdSense account for information and warnings.
Also, you can’t track the postal mail as they are delivered through simple mail, it seems. Also, the whole process is a time consuming one. If you do not receive the PIN, you can request for subsequent PIN only after a gap of 3 weeks (of 1st PIN generation date).
How to avoid Payment Hold?
Wait for your account to reach Verification Threshold i.e. US$10 (for other currencies check the threshold amount). Once your AdSense account reaches this threshold Google will send you a postal mail. The postal mail will contain your PIN which you must submit to your Google AdSense account.
In case postal mail doesn’t reach you, request for a new PIN. Google will send you PIN through postal mail only thrice. If you’ve not received it for the third time, a link will appear in your AdSense Account. They will ask you to send a digital copy of a valid address proof. Once they receive it, they will manually remove the hold.
So, if you are of the type who is a new AdSense publisher and yet to receive a PIN, act quickly before your account is on hold. Be aware and active till Google discovers a better way of address verification and fund transfer.
Guest author Basant Narayan Singh is a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. He writes about cloud computing service and web technology at Techno-Pulse.com and recently wrote about best and free cloud computing applications. Image credits to nicholas_blake under CC license. You can also share your Adsense tips and join 200 guest bloggers on QOT.