Microsoft Ads suspended before your first campaign: refund, appeal or switch?

Your access to Microsoft Advertising is currently blocked.

Microsoft’s sign-in page shows this when an account is suspended. Microsoft’s own account access troubleshooting page lists it word for word.

If you see this when you sign in, Microsoft’s own account access troubleshooting page says your account is suspended for security or policy reasons. For a brand-new account, that can happen before a single ad has run. For serious violations, which Microsoft calls egregious, its policy says it suspends access “immediately and without prior warning”.

Microsoft also says it emails the reason and how to appeal. Brand-new accounts can get that email too: on Microsoft Q&A, one advertiser said their account was 30 minutes old, with no payment method and no campaign, when the suspension email came (July 2024). The email our director received in May 2026, for an affiliate marketing account he ran through his other company (not Ad Restore’s own account), was headed “Action required: Reinstate your Microsoft Advertising account” and listed eight possible reasons rather than one. That email, and how his account was suspended and reinstated, are on our page about his case.

Checked against Microsoft’s help, policy and blog pages on 19 October 2026, and against StatCounter’s figures the same day. Microsoft changes its pages without notice, so check the linked page before relying on a detail.

At a glance

• Early signals

  Microsoft says it uses signals such as suspicious business credentials to act before violations occur.

• Identity check

  Microsoft said in 2023 that new accounts are asked to verify their identity (AIV), and that for a suspended account that hasn’t verified, passing it is the first step to an appeal.

• Appeal through Support

  You have six months. Microsoft says reviews typically take 7 to 10 business days.

• Refunds aren’t guaranteed

  Microsoft’s refund page covers deactivated accounts, and refunds after it deactivates one are at its sole discretion.

• Our view on switching

  Move the budget to Google Ads when a conversion costs you too much: Google has the larger share of searches.

On this page9 sections

Why a new account is stopped before any ad runs

Microsoft doesn’t say why any one account is stopped, but it says it can act before a violation happens. Its 2024 trust and safety review says it fights advertiser fraud “using early signals”: suspicious business credentials, impersonation patterns and anomalous payment activity. Those signals, it says, help it “take swift action before violations occur”.

The same review says more than 475,000 accounts were suspended in 2024, and that Microsoft overturned its decision on 20,000 accounts after appeals. It doesn’t say how many of either were new accounts.

The checks start at sign-up. Microsoft’s API documentation says a new account starts as a draft and becomes active once the payment method is validated. A 2023 Microsoft blog post says all advertisers are asked to complete identity verification when they set up a new account. A Microsoft Advertising support specialist on Microsoft Q&A wrote in 2023 that every new account will “automatically undergo an account review”.

When Microsoft finds a serious problem, it suspends at once. Its egregious violations page says these violations often point to an intent to use the service in a fraudulent, harmful or illegal way. That describes the category, not a finding about you. First on its list of examples is hiding the advertiser’s or payer’s identity, including giving inaccurate identity information or documents. The list also includes getting round its safeguards, and opening a new account or manager account to get round a suspension.

Microsoft doesn’t usually name the exact cause. Its API describes a suspended account simply as “suspended because of suspicious activity, and no ads are eligible” for delivery. On Microsoft Q&A, support specialists’ usual reply, in threads from 2024 to 2026, is that they’re “unable to provide exact details on why an account has been suspended”.

Did importing from Google Ads cause it?

Two advertisers on Microsoft Q&A say their new account was suspended within hours of importing a campaign from Google Ads (May 2026, July 2026). That’s their own account of events. Microsoft’s import help page doesn’t mention suspension, and Microsoft hasn’t said that importing is a cause. We also found nothing from Microsoft on whether a suspended Google Ads account affects a Microsoft one.

Identity verification can come first

Microsoft’s identity check is called advertiser identity verification, or AIV. In an August 2023 update, Microsoft said:

• All advertisers are asked to complete AIV when they set up a new account.
• If an account has been “flagged by systematic checks related to risk”, its ads won’t serve anywhere until AIV is complete.
• If an account is suspended for policy violations and hasn’t done AIV, passing AIV is “the first step” towards being able to appeal.

That post is from 2023. Microsoft’s current help page says most new accounts have 30 days to verify, and that some payment methods may need AIV before ads serve in any market. Its review may take 3 to 5 business days. A postpay (threshold) account also needs a verified AIV status.

Microsoft wants your business name and location to match your documents exactly. Our director’s case shows the AIV appeal form he filled in. Microsoft limits both verification attempts and AIV appeals, so check every detail before you submit. An AIV appeal ideally takes 7 to 10 business days, and you can’t make a new attempt while it’s being reviewed.

What Microsoft asks you to do

Microsoft’s policy says you can appeal an immediate suspension “by Contacting Support within six months” of the decision. In order:

1. Don’t open another account.

   Microsoft lists a new advertiser account or manager account, made to get round a suspension, as an egregious violation in its own right.

2. Keep your account numbers.

   If you can still see your account and manager account numbers, note them somewhere outside the account. Our director couldn’t look up his manager account number once he was locked out.

3. Contact Support.

   Microsoft’s UK support page lists a phone line, 0800-633-5915 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT), and chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you can sign in, Microsoft’s troubleshooting page says you can also appeal in the portal.

4. Complete AIV if you’re asked.

   For a suspended account that hasn’t verified, Microsoft calls it the first step towards an appeal.

5. Wait for the review.

   Microsoft says reviews typically take 7 to 10 business days, and Super Admins get the result by email. If you’ve heard nothing after 10 business days, contact Support again.

6. Ask about any prepaid money.

   If you added funds, ask Support what happens to the balance. If you paid by SEPA Direct Debit, cheque or wire transfer, Microsoft’s refund page says a refund on a deactivated account needs Support to start a manual refund.

Microsoft doesn’t publish how quickly Support replies. The only times it gives are for reviews.

Can you get your money back?

A new account can hold your money even though no ad has run. On a prepay account, you have to add funds before your ads can display. On a postpay account, Microsoft may place an authorisation hold on your card, typically 120% of your billing threshold. The hold is removed when its time limit runs out (usually seven days) or when the final payment arrives, whichever comes first. To check a card, Microsoft may make a small authorisation charge, which is removed in a few days.

Microsoft’s refund page doesn’t mention suspension. It covers accounts that are deactivated: an account deactivated with a positive prepay balance is on its list for refunds. But if Microsoft deactivates the account, for any reason, it “reserves the right to issue refunds” for payments “at its sole discretion”. So a refund isn’t guaranteed.

If the account is deactivated and Microsoft decides a payment is refund-eligible, its page says it automatically tries to refund it to the method you paid with. Its estimates, once the refund is processed:

• Card or PayPal: 1 to 2 business days.
• Bank or wire transfer: 10 business days.
• Cheque: 4 to 6 weeks.

A refund request can take up to 90 working days to process once Microsoft has the details it needs. If you paid by SEPA Direct Debit, cheque or wire transfer, you have to contact Support to start a manual refund.

In two 2024 threads on Microsoft Q&A, Microsoft Advertising support specialists said a suspended account’s refund usually goes back automatically to a card or PayPal (March), and that a prepay balance is “refunded back to your payment method automatically” unless you paid by cheque or bank transfer (May). That’s what staff wrote on a forum, not a policy page, and neither thread shows whether the money arrived.

We found no promise of a refund on suspension in the UK Microsoft Advertising Agreement. It says either side can end it “at any time, for any or no reason”. It also says you must dispute a charge within 60 days of it being posted to your account.

We haven’t seen a Microsoft refund ourselves, so this section rests on Microsoft’s published pages and what its staff wrote on the forum, not our experience.

Should you switch to Google Ads?

You don’t have to decide today. Microsoft gives you six months to appeal, and reviews typically take 7 to 10 business days once an appeal is in. While the account is suspended, Microsoft says you can’t use its advertising services, so any prepaid money can’t go on ads. AIV may come first, too.

Our view, from working on Google Ads every day: switch when you’re paying too much to get a conversion. Google has the larger share of searches. StatCounter put Google at about 91% of UK search engine referrals in September 2026, and Bing at about 6%, across all platforms. StatCounter counts “search engine referrals, not the number of searches performed”: clicks from a results page to the websites it tracks.

If your Microsoft account never ran a campaign, you don’t have a cost per conversion to compare yet.

Whatever you decide, don’t open a new Microsoft account. If you move to Google Ads, Google has its own identity checks: see our guide to Google Ads advertiser verification.

Can a suspension like this be reversed?

Sometimes. Microsoft says it overturned its decision on 20,000 accounts after appeals in 2024. On Microsoft Q&A, one advertiser reported in June 2026 that a new account was reinstated after Support escalated the case. That’s one case, not a pattern.

Our director’s case was an affiliate marketing account he ran through his other company, not Ad Restore’s own. It was reinstated on 19 May 2026, ten days after the suspension email, after he spoke to Microsoft Advertising support and filed an identity-verification appeal. That isn’t a promise for yours: only Microsoft decides. We don’t take Microsoft Advertising cases, so we can’t handle the appeal for you.

The appeal route

• Can’t sign in? Contact Support by phone or chat. Microsoft’s policy says you appeal an immediate suspension by contacting Support within six months of the decision.
• Can sign in? Microsoft’s troubleshooting page says to review possible violations, then appeal in the portal or contact Support. One advertiser on Microsoft Q&A reported a “fraud appeal form” button on the suspension page in July 2026, though it was greyed out for them.
• Asked to verify first? Complete AIV. Microsoft’s 2023 update calls it the first step towards an appeal for a suspended account.
• AIV failed? The appeal link shows under the AIV status in Settings, Account verifications. Check every document first, because Microsoft limits AIV appeals.

For what speaking to Microsoft support looked like, and the Account Review Form our director filled in, see his case.

Frequently asked questions

Why was my Microsoft Ads account suspended before I ran a single ad?

Microsoft says it acts on early signals, such as suspicious business credentials, impersonation patterns and unusual payment activity, before any violation happens. In a 2023 update it said all new accounts are asked for identity verification at set-up. On Microsoft Q&A, its support specialists usually say they can’t give the exact reason. Read why new accounts are stopped.

Will Microsoft refund my prepaid balance if my new account is suspended?

It isn’t guaranteed. Microsoft’s refund page covers deactivated accounts with a positive prepay balance, and says refunds after Microsoft deactivates an account are at its sole discretion. In 2024, support specialists on Microsoft Q&A said a suspended account’s balance usually goes back automatically to a card or PayPal, but that’s a forum answer, not policy. Ask Support.

How long does Microsoft Advertising support take to respond to a suspended new advertiser?

Microsoft doesn’t publish a response time for Support. Its UK support page lists a phone line (0800-633-5915, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) and 24/7 chat. For the appeal itself, Microsoft says reviews typically take 7 to 10 business days, and to contact Support if you’ve heard nothing after 10. An identity verification review may take 3 to 5 business days.

Should I still use Microsoft Ads after an instant suspension?

That’s your decision, and Microsoft gives you six months to appeal. Our view: if you’re paying too much to get a conversion, move the budget to Google Ads, which has the larger share of searches. StatCounter put Google at about 91% of UK search engine referrals (clicks from results pages, not searches) in September 2026. Don’t open a new Microsoft account to get round the suspension.

Did importing my Google Ads campaigns get my Microsoft account suspended?

Microsoft hasn’t said so, and its import help page doesn’t mention suspension. Some advertisers on Microsoft Q&A say they were suspended soon after importing, but that’s their own account of events, and Microsoft didn’t confirm a cause in those threads.

Is paying for help with a Microsoft Ads suspension worth it?

We can’t judge that for you, because we don’t take Microsoft Advertising cases. Microsoft’s own route is to contact Support by phone or chat. Our comparison of suspension recovery services notes one firm that lists Microsoft Ads among the work it supports.

Can I open a new Microsoft Advertising account instead?

No. Microsoft lists opening a new advertiser account or manager account to get round a suspension as an egregious violation. Appeal the account you have.