Google Ads UK: Fintech Ad Approval (The Ultimate Guide)

Getting fintech ads approved on Google in the UK has become a proper nightmare for a lot of founders. You spend ages crafting the perfect campaign, you're ready to go, and then bang – "Ad Disapproved". It's frustrating, costs you time and money, and often Google's explanations are so vague they're useless. The truth is, it's not just Google's rules you're up against; it's the heavy hand of UK financial regulation, specifically the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

I've seen so many good fintech companies burn through their ad budget trying to figure this out. They tweak their ad copy, change images, and keep hitting the same brick wall. But it's usually not about the ad creative itself. It's about a fundamental misunderstanding of the compliance hoops you now have to jump through. The good news is, it's a solvable problem. You just have to know the rules of the game and build your campaigns around them from the start, not as an afterthought.

So, why are my ads *really* being rejected?

Let's get straight to it. Nine times out of ten, your fintech ads are being rejected for one big reason: you haven't completed Google's 'Financial products and services verification' for the UK. Since the FCA cracked down on financial promotions, Google has basically outsourced its policing. They now require advertisers promoting most financial services to prove they are authorised by the FCA.

This isn't a suggestion; it's a hard gate. If you're promoting anything from investment apps and crypto exchanges to certain types of loans or financial advice, you fall under this policy. Google doesn't want the FCA breathing down its neck, so it's put the burden of proof squarely on you, the advertiser.

There are two main paths to get through this gate:

1. You are an FCA-authorised firm: This is the most straightforward route. If your company is directly authorised and regulated by the FCA, you can apply for verification through your Google Ads account. You'll need to provide your FCA registration number (FRN) and other details to prove it's you.

2. Your ads are approved by an authorised firm: This is for companies that aren't FCA-authorised themselves but have a relationship with a firm that is. The authorised firm (often called a 'principal' firm for an 'appointed representative') can approve your financial promotions. In this case, the authorised firm has to apply to Google on your behalf to get your domain whitelisted.

If you don't fit into one of these two buckets, you're going to have a very difficult time running ads for regulated financial services in the UK. This is the first and most important thing to sort out. No amount of clever ad copy will get around it.

Beyond the big FCA hurdle, there are other common slip-ups that get ads flagged. Things like:

• -> Misleading Claims: Using words like "guaranteed," "risk-free," or promising specific returns on investments. This is a massive red flag for both Google and the FCA. You just can't do it.
• -> Lack of Risk Warnings: For any investment-related product, you absolutely must have a clear risk warning. Something like, "Capital at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up." This needs to be prominent on your landing page, not hidden in the footer.
• -> Unclear Offers: If it's not immediately obvious what your product is, what the costs are, and who you are, the ad will likely be rejected. Transparency is everything. Your landing page needs to clearly state your company's registered name, address, and contact information. For many firms, this includes your FCA number.

It's a combination of getting the formal authorisation sorted first, and then making sure every single word on your ads and landing pages is compliant. You might find our comprehensive guide on Google Ads for fintech helpful for diving deeper into overall strategy once you've cleared the compliance hurdle.

What does the approval process actually look like?

It's easy to think of the approval process as a black box, but it's more like a series of checkpoints. If you fail at any checkpoint, you're sent back to the start. Understanding this flow can save you a lot of grief. I've mapped it out below so you can see exactly where things can go wrong.

As you can see, it's the 'FCA Verification Check' (Step 4) where most fintechs get stuck. If you haven't done the pre-approval work, you won't even make it to a manual review. The system will just automatically reject you.

To start the verification process, you need to navigate to 'Tools & Settings' > 'Advertiser verification' in your Google Ads account. If you're eligible to apply for financial services verification, you'll see the option there. The application requires detailed information about your business and your FCA status, so have it all ready before you start.

What does a compliant ad and landing page *actually* look like?

Theory is one thing, but it's much easier to understand with concrete examples. Let's break down what works and what doesn't, both in your ad copy and on the page people land on. A common mistake is to get the ad approved but then have the landing page let you down, which can still lead to a suspension.

First, your ad copy. You need to be clear and honest, avoiding hype at all costs. It's about being informative, not making wild promises.

Next, your landing page. This is where the manual reviewers will spend their time. It has to be perfectly aligned with your ad and tick all the compliance boxes. It's not just about what's there, but also how easy it is to find.

Your UK Fintech Landing Page Checklist:

• Clear Company Information: Your registered company name, registered address, and company number must be clearly visible, usually in the footer.
• FCA Authorisation Statement: You should have a sentence stating you are "Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority." Your FCA Firm Reference Number (FRN) must be included.
• Prominent Risk Warning: For investment products, a warning like "Your capital is at risk. Please be aware that the value of your investments can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back the amount you invested" needs to be above the fold or clearly visible without scrolling.
• Easy Access to T&Cs and Privacy Policy: Links to these documents must be easy to find.
• No Contradictory Information: The offer on the landing page must perfectly match the offer in the ad. If your ad says "no fees," your landing page better not mention a subscription fee on the same page.
• Representative APR for Loans: If you're advertising credit, you must show a representative example of the APR, including all costs.

Building a landing page that converts while also satisfying a compliance officer is a tricky balance. For firms targeting professional investors or high-net-worth individuals, the rules can be slightly different, but for most retail-focused fintechs, these rules are non-negotiable. This is often where a specialist B2B Google Ads strategy for the UK can make a difference, as it involves understanding the nuances of different client types.

My ads are *still* getting rejected. What now?

So you've got your FCA authorisation, you've scrubbed your landing page, your ad copy is squeaky clean, and you're still facing rejections. It's maddening, but don't give up. The next step is to use the appeals process properly, and to do some deeper digging for less obvious issues.

First, the appeal. When an ad is disapproved, there's a link to "Appeal". Don't just click this and say "Please approve my ad". That's a waste of time. You need to be specific. In the appeal form, you should state:

1. That you have reviewed the specific policy cited in the disapproval (e.g., "Financial Services policy").
2. The exact changes you have made to the ad and/or landing page to become compliant. (e.g., "We have added our FCA number 123456 to the landing page footer and included a 'Capital at Risk' warning below the main headline.").
3. Politely request a manual review of the ad.

This shows the policy team that you've taken the feedback seriously and made a genuine effort to comply. A human reviewer is much more likely to overturn an automated decision if you make their job easy. If your ads still get rejected after this, it can be incredibly frustrating, and it might be a sign of a deeper issue. This is sometimes where you need an expert to fix ads that keep getting rejected.

But before you throw in the towel, try to assess your own campaign's risk factors. Not all compliance issues are weighted equally. Some are instant rejections, while others might slip through once but cause problems later. I've built a simple calculator below to help you get a sense of where your biggest risks might be.

Is there a way to avoid this headache?

You can absolutely navigate this process on your own. It takes patience, incredible attention to detail, and a willingness to read through pages of dense policy documents from both Google and the FCA. For a busy founder or marketing manager, it's a huge drain on resources that could be spent on actually growing the business.

The real cost of getting it wrong isn't just the rejected ads; it's the risk of a full account suspension. If Google's system flags you for repeated or egregious policy violations, they can shut down your account entirely. Getting an account reinstated is a long and difficult process, and sometimes impossible. This is why many successful fintech companies in the UK choose to work with a specialist agency.

An agency that lives and breathes this stuff already knows the pitfalls. They know what the policy team is looking for in a manual review, they know how to structure landing pages for compliance without killing conversion rates, and they have experience getting accounts verified. We've worked with numerous clients in the software and app space, including those in complex niches like UK investment apps. For any client in a regulated industry, the first step is always a full compliance audit before a single penny of ad spend is touched.

It's not about finding loopholes. It's about building a robust, compliant advertising foundation that lets you scale confidently without constantly looking over your shoulder, worried about the next disapproval email. For many, the peace of mind and speed to market is well worth the investment.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Navigating the complex world of UK fintech advertising on Google is a significant challenge, but it's far from impossible. By focusing on compliance from the ground up and understanding the specific requirements of the FCA and Google, you can build a sustainable and scalable customer acquisition engine.

If you've followed these steps and are still struggling, or if you'd rather have an expert handle the entire process from audit to execution, it might be time to get some professional help. We offer a completely free, no-obligation consultation where we can take a look at your specific situation and provide an honest assessment of what it will take to get your ads approved and performing. Feel free to reach out to schedule a session.