Google Ads updated policies to target dishonest pricing practices

Google will update its Misrepresentation policy specific to the Dishonest Pricing Practices. Specifically, this will require advertisers to disclose the payment model or full expense that a user will incur before and after purchase, and clarify any false or misleading impressions of the cost of a product or service.

What is changing. Google will update the policy specific to these changes:

• Advertisers must clearly and conspicuously disclose the payment model or full expense that a user will bear before and after purchase.
• Pricing practices that create a false or misleading impression of the cost of a product or service, leading to inflated or unexpected charges are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Bait-and-switch tactics: Deceptively advertising a product or service at an enticing, often unrealistic, low price to lure customers, with no genuine intent to sell it, only to pressure them into buying a different, typically more expensive or inferior, alternative once they’re engaged
  • Price Exploitation: Exploiting individuals in vulnerable situations or under duress, leveraging their immediate need or lack of reasonable alternatives to demand a payment significantly higher than the prevailing market rate. For example, a locksmith threatening to leave the customer unless a cost above what was quoted is paid on the spot
  • Promoting apps as free when a user must pay to install the app
  • Promoting a free trial without clearly stating the trial period or that the user will be automatically charged at the end of the trial

Violation timeframe. Google will begin enforcing the policy update on October 28, 2025, with full enforcement ramping up over approximately 4 weeks, the company said.

If you do get a violation, it will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued, at least 7 days, prior to any suspension of your account.

Recommendation. Google recommends that you review this policy update to determine whether or not any of your ads fall in scope of the policy. If they do fall within the scope, then remove those ads before October 28, 2025, Google added.

Why we care. Make sure to review any ads that may fall within the scope of this policy change. You do not want those ads to have a negative impact on your campaigns and overall ad accounts.

Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, wrote that this is a “minor update” to the overall policy.