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’s ever billed. For rare cases that slip 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) isn’t just about wasted budget - it can also distort your key metrics, making campaigns appear more successful than they really are.

Industry research shows:

• Up to 20-30% of paid clicks can be invalid or low-quality.

• Refund approval rates may vary across advertisers - evidence is key.

• Many companies never file claims, even when they have strong evidence.

With fraud0, you have both prevention and recovery covered.

Our goal: help you protect your spend before it’s lost - and recover what still manages to slip through.

Setting the right expectations:

With fraud0’s blocking enabled, we already prevent most of the fraud before it even hits your bill. Still, we can try to recoup some of the clicks that slip through. Google is super tough on this, but we should try it anyhow

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 stops the majority of invalid traffic in real time.

💰 Refunds are an extra opportunity, not a guarantee.

Even with strong proof, platforms like Google have strict internal checks.

📊 Evidence makes all the difference.

Detailed fraud0 reports - with timestamps, IPs, and campaign data - give your claim real credibility.

🤝 We’re here to help.

From data exports to claim formatting, our team supports you at every step.

Think of refunds as the recovery bonus of your protection strategy - a smart next step when prevention has already done its job.

fraud0’s Core Standards for Recovery

Every refund request we support follows four guiding principles - our Core Standards for Ad Spend Recovery:

1. Data Integrity
   All claims rely on verifiable, timestamped evidence - campaign IDs, IP logs, GCLIDs, and click/session data you can trace end to end.

2. Evidence-Based Claims
   Refunds are built on clear, quantifiable signals of invalid activity - matching the fraud definitions used by Google, Meta, and other ad platforms.

3. Platform Alignment

   Each platform has its own refund logic and timing - recent experience shows:

   • 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 meets these standards.
   

4. Continuous Improvement

   We’re constantly refining how invalid clicks are measured and logged - building toward a future where refunds and prevention work hand in hand.

Typical Refund Process (Across Platforms)

While every ad network has its own workflow, the overall steps are similar:

1. Detect the issue

   Identify unusual click patterns or traffic sources in your fraud0 dashboard.
   

2. Gather your evidence

   Export fraud0 data (campaign, date range, IVT metrics, logs, screenshots) and include supporting analytics.
   

3. Submit your claim

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

   (See Requesting Refunds from Google Ads for detailed steps.)
   

4. Stay in touch

   Most reviews take a few weeks. Some may require follow-up or extra documentation.
   

5. Receive credit or refund

   Approved refunds appear as account credits in your Billing → Adjustments section.