Ad Refund Requests

Understanding Ad Spend Recovery Through Refunds

This article explains how fraud0 helps you reclaim ad spend lost to invalid or suspicious clicks while setting realistic expectations for what refunding can achieve.

Our primary mission is to stop invalid traffic before it is ever billed. For the smaller share that still slips through, we support you with data, guidance, and documentation to request refunds from platforms such as Google Ads or Meta Ads.

Why Ad Spend Recovery Matters

Invalid traffic (IVT) is not only wasted budget. It can also distort core campaign metrics and make performance appear stronger than it really is.

Industry experience shows:

• Up to 20–30% of paid clicks can be invalid or low-quality.
• Refund approval rates vary by advertiser and platform, and evidence is critical.
• Many companies never submit claims, even when they have strong supporting data.

With fraud0, you cover both prevention and recovery.

Our goal is simple: help you protect spend before it is lost and recover what still manages to slip through.

Setting the right expectations

With fraud0 blocking enabled, most fraudulent traffic is already prevented before it ever reaches your bill. Even so, it is still worth trying to recover the smaller share that slips through, even if platforms like Google apply a very strict review process.

Tilman Pfeiffer, fraud0 CEO

We want every advertiser to approach refunds with confidence and clarity:

• Most fraud never reaches your invoice. fraud0’s prevention layer already blocks the majority of invalid traffic in real time.
• Refunds are an additional recovery opportunity, not a guarantee. Even with strong evidence, platforms such as Google apply strict internal review criteria.
• Evidence makes the difference. Detailed fraud0 reports with timestamps, IPs, GCLIDs, and campaign data make a claim materially stronger.
• We support the process. From exports to claim formatting, our team helps at every step.

Think of refunds as the recovery bonus of your protection strategy: a smart follow-up when prevention has already done the heavy lifting.

fraud0’s Core Standards for Recovery

Every refund request we support follows four guiding principles:

1. Data Integrity
   All claims should rely on verifiable, timestamped evidence such as campaign IDs, IP logs, GCLIDs, and click/session data that can be traced end to end.

2. Evidence-Based Claims
   Refund requests should be built on clear, quantifiable signals of invalid activity that align with the fraud definitions used by Google, Meta, and other platforms.

3. Platform Alignment
   Each platform applies its own refund logic and timing. In practice, this often means:

   • Google accepts claims for traffic up to 60 days old.
   • Only one open case per account can be reviewed at a time.
   • Reviews may take 2–6 weeks.

   fraud0 ensures your data is packaged in a way that supports these requirements.

4. Continuous Improvement
   We continuously refine how invalid clicks are measured and logged so prevention and recovery can work hand in hand.

Typical Refund Process (Across Platforms)

While every ad network has its own workflow, the overall process is usually similar:

1. Detect the issue
   Identify unusual click patterns or suspicious traffic sources in your fraud0 dashboard.

2. Gather your evidence
   Export fraud0 data such as campaign details, date ranges, IVT metrics, logs, screenshots, and supporting analytics.

3. Submit your claim
   File your request through the platform’s official contact form.

4. Stay in touch
   Most reviews take a few weeks and may require follow-up questions or additional documentation.

5. Receive credit or refund
   If approved, refunds generally appear as account credits in Billing → Adjustments.

Platform-specific guides

Requesting Refunds from Google Ads Step-by-step guide to preparing evidence and submitting a refund request through Google Ads.

Need support?

Do you still have questions or require further details? Contact our support team for assistance.

Send us an email