Change of Payee Name

What a Pain!

[Yidaki]

I need to change the payee name of my AdSense account. Just the Payee Name - actually just the company name and the email address. Postal address and phone will stay the same. Since i'm not in the US i'd don't even have to change any TAX info. I contacted google and sure they said, i'd need to submit a new application after they closed my current account ... for my own security (?).

So, the change of payee name means:

- I'll loose revenue for the period between the closing process and the confirmation of the new application. In my case a couple of hundred $$$.

- I'll have thange all adsense codes on all pages and sites i manage with my account.

- I'll have to rebuild all custom settings like URL filter, Ad Colors, Channels. I can't export /import them from the old to the new account. (Hint, hint, ASA)

Well, thanks for the pain, google!

[blairsp]

Can you nto just keep a bank account in the old name. Pay in the cheque every month then transfer it to the new one?

[Yidaki]

Nope. Due to tax reasons and due to the fact that i'll probably quit the current company / payee next year i need to change the payee name.

[trillianjedi]

Did you ask google if in the circumstances they would let you open your second account before you close your current one?

TJ

[Yidaki]

No, i didn't ask them tj. Why? Because they said in their first reply that under no circumstances it's allowed to maintain a second account. They clearly explained the steps and also said that they understand my fear of loosing revenue and that they'll try their best to confirm the new submission as quick as possible ... yadda, yadda ...

btw, congrats for your <new> moderator job, tj! I missed your nomination 'cause i've been not very WebmasterWorld busy for a while.

[Jenstar]

I would wait to do the new application for a Monday or a Tuesday - you don't want to submit it on a Thursday afternoon or Friday, and lose weekend revenue if they don't get to it until Monday.

I would also send the close account email at the same time you send your new application - hopefully the time lag on replies would be about the same, so there would be less lost revenue.

I can see why they do it - if someone gets your password to your AdSense account, they could have easily changed the payee information in the account prior to the changes AdSense made to this (in one case, two "business partners" kept swapping the payee information back and forth). And they want to confirm you are who you say you are - and have access to those webpages to add the new publisher ID to them. This would help eliminate potential fraud of someone hacking into your email account and say "hey, I'd like to change Yidaki's payee information to John Doe."

It is there for the protection of you and your earnings, but I do think there should be a better way to make a transition, such as having a one-step process where they would approve the new account and close the old one at the same time. This way, the lost earnings would only be during the time frame it takes the publisher to swap out the old publisher ID with the new one.

[Yidaki]

Yep, Jen - i can also understand why they do it this way. However, with a little work they could establish an easier way without loosing safety. All in all they don't have the best publisher support (no electronic payments, transfers etc.) ...

I already sent them the cancel email a few hours ago. So you think it might be a good idea to submit a new application now without waiting the cancel confirmation?

... although they said that i should wait until they confirm ...!?

[trillianjedi]

Thanks Yidaki ;-)

But you're not "maintaining a second account" if the payee is a different corporate identity?

Can you not apply for an account under the new corporation, switch Ads over a period of time, and then close the old one?

TJ

[Yidaki]

>Can you not apply for an account under the new corporation,
>switch Ads over a period of time, and then close the old one?

Exactly my thoughts BUT, my name, my postal address, my phone and fax number all will stay the same. It's a risk ... i'd loose some money if they wouldn't like it ...

[Yidaki]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

- Sent the quit-account-email yesterday noon 12:30 MET.
- Received the confirmation tonight 03:45 MET.
- Submitted new application + email notification with the quit process ref number this morning 10:25 MET.
- Received the Welcome / accepted email at 11:55 MET.

Accepted 1 hour and 30 minutes after submission!

Wow - the loss in revenue will be very very small, if not zero.

Although the pain for rebuilding the custom settings and changing the ad code still remains, this is superiour support!

Thanks Google!

[trillianjedi]

That's good news Yidaki - now just don't go changing name again ;-)

TJ