It can be frustrating when you want to remove a payment method from your Facebook ads account but find you are unable to do so. There are a few reasons why you may be running into this issue.
Your payment method is still tied to active ads
The most common reason you can’t remove a payment method from Facebook ads is because the payment method is still being used to fund active ads. Facebook requires you to have an active payment method as long as you have active ads running. This is to ensure there are no disruptions in your ad campaigns due to declined payments.
Before removing a payment method, you need to either pause or delete any active ads that are using that payment source. Once all active ads are stopped, you should then be able to detach and remove the payment method from your ads account.
Pending payments need to clear
Another possibility is you have pending payments on your ads account that need to clear with the payment method before it can be removed. Facebook bills advertisers after their campaigns have been running, so there is often a delay between when ads are served and when the charges process.
You’ll need to wait for any pending transactions to fully process across the payment method before you can successfully take it off your account. This can take up to 5 business days after pausing or deleting campaigns.
Account restrictions or limits
In some cases, removing a payment method may not be possible due to restrictions or limits on your Facebook ads account. For example:
- New accounts may have a minimum time period you must keep a payment method on file before removing it.
- Accounts with a history of policy violations could have restrictions on changing payment methods.
- Facebook may not allow removing a payment method if it would take your account below their minimum funding requirements.
If your account has been restricted in some way by Facebook, you may not have the option to delete payment methods until the issue has been resolved.
The payment method is the account’s primary
For billing purposes, Facebook requires that one payment method is set as the primary source for each ads account. While you can detach secondary methods, you cannot remove the primary payment method outright – you have to replace it with a new primary first.
To remove a primary payment method, first attach a new payment source and set it as the primary. Once confirmed, you should then have the option to remove the old primary method from your account.
Steps to remove a payment method
If your payment method is not locked for one of the reasons above, use these steps to remove it:
- Go to your Facebook Ads Manager account settings.
- Click on the Billing tab.
- Locate the payment method you want to remove.
- Click the 3 dots beside the method and select ‘Remove’.
- Confirm you want to remove this payment method.
The payment source will now be fully detached from your account so it cannot be charged in the future.
Adding a new payment method
Once you’ve removed any unwanted payment sources, it’s a good idea to add a new valid payment method right away to avoid any account disruptions.
Facebook requires at least one active payment method to continue running ads without issues. Here is how to add a new source:
- Go to your Facebook Ads Manager account settings.
- Click on the Billing tab.
- Click ‘Add Payment Method’.
- Select your desired payment source type – credit card, PayPal, etc.
- Enter the required details for the payment method.
- Follow any additional prompts to finish adding it.
Be sure to designate your new payment method as the account’s primary source to enable billing. Now you can run Facebook ads again smoothly with your updated payment setup.
Why removing payment methods matters
It’s generally wise to review and remove any outdated, invalid, or unused payment methods from your Facebook ads account from time to time. Here are some of the benefits of cleaning up your payment sources:
- Prevents unwanted charges from old payment methods you no longer use or have funds in.
- Removes unused stale payment sources that may be expired or closed.
- Can fix payment errors caused by invalid payment profiles on your account.
- Allows you to update to your latest active payment source.
- Maintains billing security by deleting methods you no longer own or have access to.
Conclusion
Removing a payment method from your Facebook ads account can run into issues if ads are still running on it or pending payments need to clear. Restrictions on your account may also limit deleting payment sources. But once you resolve these problems, detaching an old or unwanted payment method is straightforward.
Be sure to always have at least one valid active payment on your account to keep your Facebook ads running without disruption. Regularly managing your payment methods helps optimize billing and security.