AdSense for YouTube

AdSense for YouTube is the Google account that pays YouTube creators. Earnings are credited between the 7th and 12th of each month and paid between the 21st and 26th once the balance reaches the $100 payment threshold, after the address is verified with a mailed PIN at $10.

YouTube pays creators through an AdSense for YouTube account: last month's finalized earnings are added to its balance between the 7th and 12th of each month, and paid out between the 21st and 26th once the balance passes the $100 payment threshold (or its local equivalent) with no holds. Before the first payment, the creator verifies identity and address at $10, which includes typing in a 6-digit PIN that Google posts by mail. A linked, active AdSense for YouTube account is one of the requirements of the YouTube Partner Program, and the account is set up from the Earn tab of YouTube Studio.

Quick facts

Tax info	Required at $0; without it up to 24% of worldwide earnings may be withheld
Verification	$10: identity and address (PIN)
Payment method	Chosen at $10
Payment	$100
Final payment on closing	Above $10, about 90 days after the month ends
Earnings credited	7th to 12th of the next month
Paid	21st to 26th
Changing the linked account	Once every 32 days

Sources: Meet YouTube's revenue thresholds for payment and YouTube partner earnings overview, YouTube Help. Amounts are in US dollars; local thresholds differ.

1:20 For a channel applying to the Partner Program, AdSense is the last step of the application: in YouTube's own walkthrough, the creator opens Earn in YouTube Studio, clicks Apply now, reviews and accepts the terms, then sets up AdSense, after which YouTube reviews the channel, which the video says usually takes about a month. The setup itself:

Sign in to YouTube Studio and open Earn in the left menu.
On the Sign up for AdSense for YouTube card, click START and sign in again when asked.
Choose the Google Account for AdSense. Anyone who already has AdSense, for a website for example, should use that same account.
Confirm the email address, enter contact details and submit.

Approval can take several days and arrives by email; linking an existing account usually takes minutes, and Studio can take up to 24 hours to show it. One AdSense for YouTube account can be linked to several channels. A person may hold only one AdSense or AdSense for YouTube account per payee name: duplicates are refused, and the channel tied to one has monetization switched off. Each channel, in turn, links to one AdSense account at a time.

Thresholds and the PIN

At $10 AdSense asks for identity and address checks and a payment method. Google mails a unique 6-digit PIN by standard post, with no tracking, which usually takes 3 weeks to arrive; after that a replacement can be requested. The PIN must be entered within 4 months of being generated, and three wrong entries, or the deadline passing, stop ads on the account until it is fixed. At $100 the balance is paid in the next payment run. George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, covers these thresholds in his video "Get $10, not $100, from AdSense if...".

Monetization page statuses decoded

George's notes list the statuses a creator sees on Studio's monetization page and what each needs:

Status	What to do
Error AS-10	Turn off the ad blocker or privacy extension on that page, then reload
In progress	Wait: Google is reviewing the AdSense application
Address issue or identity verification	Complete the verification AdSense asks for
AdSense disapproved	Read the email from adsense-noreply@google.com for the reason
AdSense closed	Create a new AdSense account
Missing payment details	Add a payment method in AdSense
Address verification (PIN) needed	Enter the mailed PIN
Not linked	Click Link AdSense on the monetization page
Disabled for invalid click activity	File the invalid traffic appeal

Changing or switching accounts

A channel can change its linked AdSense for YouTube account once every 32 days, from Earn > Change under the Partner Program options. George found that switching to a new account pauses monetization until the new one is approved: on a channel he switched on May 9, 2023, every video stopped earning and Studio went back to the AdSense sign-up step until approval. An account's type (individual or business) cannot be changed after it is activated; the only way is to cancel it and open a new one (AdSense Help), which is also the route to a new payment country.

YouTube has required every monetizing channel, including those in networks, to link its own active AdSense account since early 2021. On Feb 4, 2021, channels still without one had monetization paused, after a 30-day notice in Studio on Jan 4, 2021, as George's video "Demonetized on Feb 4, 2021 without an active AdSense" recorded at the time. Paused is not the same as demonetized for breaking rules: linking an active account turns earnings back on. The rule still stands today.

Invalid traffic

AdSense disables accounts it finds receiving invalid traffic: views or ad clicks bought from promoters, bots, or a creator clicking their own ads. When that happens, a 30-day payment hold lets Google work out a final payment for the valid part, and the invalid part is refunded to advertisers. The creator can appeal through the invalid activity form, explaining the likely cause and what will change, with no promise of reinstatement; after reinstatement, ads can take 48 hours to return. A creator disabled for invalid traffic may not open a new AdSense account, and a related disabled account can bring down others. A creator reported in 2023 that ticking Only let linked accounts use this channel's videos as ads, under Studio's advanced channel settings, ended an invalid traffic revenue drop; that is one creator's experience, not YouTube's advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the YouTube payment threshold? $100 in the US, or its local equivalent. Earnings below it roll over to the next month until the balance reaches the threshold.

When does YouTube pay creators? Finalized earnings are added to AdSense for YouTube between the 7th and 12th of each month, and paid between the 21st and 26th if the balance is over the threshold and there are no holds.

What does error AS-10 mean on YouTube? It usually means an ad blocker or privacy extension is blocking the AdSense page in YouTube Studio; turn it off for the page and reload.

How long does the AdSense PIN take to arrive? Usually about three weeks by standard mail. You have four months from when it was generated to enter it.

Can I have two AdSense accounts for YouTube? No. Only one AdSense or AdSense for YouTube account is allowed per payee name, though one account can monetize several channels.

How often can I change my YouTube AdSense account? Once every 32 days, and monetization can pause until the new account is approved.