Microsoft Advertising

Software96% confidence

Microsoft Advertising is Microsoft’s online advertising platform that provides pay-per-click search, display, and native advertising across Bing, partner sites, and the Microsoft ecosystem.

Redmond, WA, USA
advertising.microsoft.com
Owned by Microsoft Corporation

About Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is Microsoft’s self-service online advertising platform that powers paid search and display ads across Bing, Yahoo, AOL, partner sites, and properties in the broader Microsoft ecosystem (including MSN and some Outlook/Windows placements). Businesses of all sizes use it to run pay‑per‑click (PPC) search campaigns, shopping ads, display and native ads, often as a complement to Google Ads. Accounts are managed online at advertising.microsoft.com, where advertisers create campaigns, set budgets and bids, and manage billing; Microsoft Corporation is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, and charges may appear under descriptors such as “MICROSOFT ADVERTISING,” “MSFT*MICROSOFT ADS,” or similar.

A Microsoft Advertising charge may appear on your bank or card statement if you (or your business) have an ad account with active or recently active campaigns. Charges can come from ongoing PPC ad spend, one‑time prepayments, postpay billing once your spend reaches a threshold or monthly invoice date, and recharges when your prepay balance is low. You might also see small temporary authorization holds when you first add or update a payment method, when Microsoft verifies your card, or when you switch between prepay and postpay billing. There are no “free trial” media credits that bill you automatically themselves, but promotional coupons applied to an account can be used up, after which your regular payment method is charged for further ad spend.

To verify or resolve a Microsoft Advertising charge, first sign in at advertising.microsoft.com and go to Tools > Billing & Payments (or Billing Summary) to compare the transaction date and amount with your account’s invoices and transaction history. Check all accounts and sub‑accounts you manage, as agencies or multiple user profiles can share a card. If you still don’t recognize the charge, contact Microsoft Advertising Support through the Help icon in the interface for chat, callback, or email options, or visit the support section on the website. Common fixes include turning off or pausing campaigns, adjusting daily budgets and payment thresholds, updating or removing a saved card, or disputing unauthorized use with both Microsoft and your bank or card issuer.

Bank Statement Variations

1 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to Microsoft Advertising.

  1. MICROSOFT*ADVERTISING MSBILL.INFO IRL

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I seeing a charge from Microsoft Advertising on my credit or debit card?

You’re typically charged by Microsoft Advertising when you have active or recently active ad campaigns on Bing or Microsoft’s partner network. Depending on your billing setup, you may be charged when you reach a billing threshold (postpay), when your monthly invoice period closes, or when your prepay balance is topped up. Log in to advertising.microsoft.com and go to Billing & Payments to confirm the charge against your invoices and transaction history.

What are common Microsoft Advertising charge amounts or patterns I might see?

Many advertisers on postpay billing see recurring charges in round amounts (for example, $25, $50, $100, $250, or more) each time their spend hits a billing threshold, plus a final charge at the end of a monthly cycle. Prepay advertisers see occasional, user‑initiated top‑ups for custom amounts they choose. You may also see a consolidated monthly invoice charge if you’re on monthly invoicing, often matching the exact amount of your invoice in the Billing section of your account.

Why do I see a small or temporary Microsoft Advertising charge (like $1 or a very low amount)?

Small charges (often $0, $1, or a few local currency units) are usually authorization holds to verify that your payment method is valid when you add or update a card. These are not actual ad charges and should disappear or be reversed by your bank within a few business days. If such a hold remains pending for an unusually long time, contact your bank first and then Microsoft Advertising Support if needed.

How does Microsoft Advertising billing work—prepay vs. postpay and monthly invoicing?

With prepay, you add funds to your Microsoft Advertising account in advance, and your ads run until that balance is used, after which you must manually or automatically add more funds. With postpay, your card is charged after your ads accrue costs, either when your spend reaches a set threshold or at the end of your monthly billing cycle, whichever comes first. Larger or qualified advertisers may be approved for monthly invoicing, where Microsoft issues an invoice and you pay by bank transfer or other agreed methods under specified payment terms.

How do I stop future Microsoft Advertising charges or pause my ads?

Sign in to advertising.microsoft.com and pause or remove all active campaigns by going to Campaigns and changing their status to Paused. This stops your ads from accruing new costs, though you may still see a final charge for spend already incurred before pausing. If you want to fully prevent future automated charges, clear any scheduled prepay auto‑recharge, remove saved payment methods where appropriate, and confirm that no other users with access to your account can reactivate campaigns.

How can I cancel my Microsoft Advertising account and remove my payment method?

First, pause or delete all active campaigns and shared budgets so new charges don’t accrue. Then go to Tools > Billing & Payments > Payment Methods to remove or replace saved cards, subject to Microsoft’s requirement that at least one valid method be on file while there is an outstanding balance. If you no longer wish to use the platform at all, contact Microsoft Advertising Support via the Help menu to request account closure once your balance is settled and there are no active campaigns.

How do I request a refund for a Microsoft Advertising charge I believe is incorrect?

Log in and review your Billing & Payments section to ensure the charge matches actual ad activity and that no other authorized user created campaigns. If you still believe you were incorrectly billed—for example, due to fraud, duplicate charges, or a platform error—contact Microsoft Advertising Support with the transaction amount, date, last four digits of the card, and your account ID. Refund approvals are evaluated case by case; if a refund is granted, it is usually returned to the original payment method, and your bank’s processing time will determine when you see the credit.

What should I do if I don’t recognize this Microsoft Advertising charge or suspect unauthorized use?

First, check whether someone in your business, an agency, or another user with access to your Microsoft account might have set up ads using your card. If no one recognizes the activity, immediately contact your bank or card issuer to report potential fraud and secure your card. Then reach out to Microsoft Advertising Support with details of the unrecognized charge so they can investigate, help identify any related ad accounts, and assist in preventing further unauthorized use.

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