Start with a read-only review
Treat a delivered advertising account as a working tool that needs inspection, not as a blank setup waiting for changes. Before touching payment or campaign settings, confirm that you can access the account through the platform’s normal interface and that the account type and access arrangement match what was agreed with the seller. Check the platform’s current terms and any requirements for changing account access or ownership. A sale or handover does not override those requirements.
For this first review, do not add a card, remove a payment method, change the billing profile, launch a campaign, or edit a limit simply to see what happens. A setting can affect billing, account access, or active advertising. If you are unsure whether an action is read-only, pause and ask the seller or consult the platform’s official help material.
Keep a private handover record as you inspect. Note the section you checked, what appeared, and anything that needs clarification. Screenshots can help document settings, but store them securely: billing pages may contain personal or business information. Do not share passwords, full card details, security codes, or verification codes with the seller or anyone else.
Stored payment methods and ownership
Open the payment or billing area and identify whether a payment method is saved. Read the type of method and any visible description or account-holder information, without copying sensitive details into your notes. Check whether the method appears to belong to the seller, a business, or another party. Do not assume that a saved method is available for your use simply because it is visible.
Checklist:
- Is a payment method present?
- Can you tell who owns or controls it from the information shown?
- Does that ownership match what the seller told you?
- Is there a separate billing contact or profile that needs explanation?
Never use a payment method you do not own or have explicit authority to use. Do not test it with a campaign, attempt a charge, or ask the seller to share its security details. If ownership is unclear, the method belongs to someone else, or the seller says it should remain in place, document the discrepancy and ask how the handover is meant to work. Do not remove it or replace it until the responsibility and the platform’s permitted process are clear.
Billing country, currency, and business details
Review the billing profile for the country or region, currency, business or individual name, address, and tax-related fields that the platform displays. The available labels and fields vary across services such as Meta Ads, Google Ads, and TikTok Ads, so focus on what is actually shown rather than assuming that every account has the same layout.
These details can influence how billing is handled and may be tied to the account’s history or verification. A mismatch is not automatically evidence of a problem, but it is a reason to pause. Do not change a country, currency, legal name, or address just to make the profile resemble your own. Such edits may have consequences, and some changes may require the platform’s own process.
Checklist:
- Does the profile show a country or region?
- Is the currency stated, and does it match the seller’s description?
- Whose name or business is listed?
- Are any fields incomplete, unfamiliar, or inconsistent with the handover?
Record what you find and ask the seller to explain unexpected details. If the account is meant to be used by a different business or in a different jurisdiction, confirm that the platform permits the intended arrangement before proceeding. Do not enter invented or borrowed business information to make a profile look consistent.
Account time zone and reporting context
Find the account’s time zone, if the platform shows one, and note it without changing it. The time zone can affect how the interface groups activity and reports by day. That makes it useful to know before comparing account data or planning routine checks, even when you are not ready to run ads.
Compare the displayed setting with the seller’s description and with any written handover notes. If it is unfamiliar, ask whether it reflects the account’s original setup or a deliberate configuration. Avoid changing it as a quick correction: a time-zone change can affect how you interpret reporting periods, and the platform may have limits or consequences associated with edits.
If the seller cannot explain the setting, keep it unchanged and record the discrepancy. Do not rely on a report’s daily totals until you understand the time zone used to group them. This is a reading issue, not a reason to alter other billing or campaign settings.
Spending limits and campaign controls
Inspect any visible account spending limit, campaign budget, payment threshold, or similar control, taking care to distinguish one kind of limit from another. Platforms use different labels, and a setting at the account level may not mean the same thing as a campaign budget. Read the surrounding description in the interface rather than guessing from a number or label.
Checklist:
- Is there a spending control shown?
- Does it apply to the account, a campaign, or another scope?
- Is it active, pending, or described in another way?
- Does its purpose match the seller’s explanation?
Do not raise, lower, remove, or reset a limit during the inspection. A limit may be an intentional safeguard or part of an existing setup. If it is unexpected, capture the label and context in your notes and ask the seller what it controls and whether any campaigns are currently affected. Before making a later change, confirm the account’s status and the platform’s own instructions. Never use a limit change to conceal activity or avoid a platform review.
Notifications, roles, and linked users
Review notification settings and the list of people, roles, or users with access. Check which contact details receive billing, account, security, or campaign notifications, where that information is visible. Do not assume that every notification goes to the person currently using the account.
Then inspect the access list. Note unfamiliar names, email addresses, business profiles, or roles, and distinguish between someone who can view information and someone who can make changes. The exact role names differ by platform. Do not remove users merely because you do not recognize them; they may be connected to the seller’s business or to an agreed support arrangement.
Ask the seller to identify any access you cannot explain and to clarify which users are intended to remain after delivery. If the arrangement is unclear, do not share your own credentials or verification codes, and do not let an unknown person direct you to make changes outside the platform’s normal access controls. Once you are authorized to manage access, follow the platform’s supported process and keep a record of changes. If a notice or security prompt appears, read it carefully before responding.
Connected assets and active advertising
Check what the account is linked to, such as a page, profile, business portfolio, website, app, catalog, analytics property, or other advertising asset. The available connections depend on the platform and account type. Confirm that each visible asset is expected for the handover and that the seller has explained any connection you do not recognize.
Look for active campaigns, drafts, scheduled items, or other live advertising work. Do not publish, pause, duplicate, or edit anything just to test access. An existing campaign may have a separate owner, budget, payment arrangement, or approval status. A connected asset may also remain controlled by another account or organization.
If an asset or campaign is unexpected, note its name and status as displayed and ask the seller who controls it and what should happen next. Do not disconnect assets or take over ownership unless you understand the effect and are authorized to do so. If you find activity that could create charges or affect a business relationship, stop and seek clarification through the agreed handover channel before taking action.
Open invoices, balances, and policy notices
Look for unpaid invoices, pending charges, account balances, payment failures, billing alerts, and policy or eligibility notices. Read the wording and status in context; an alert may require attention, but its presence alone does not tell you who is responsible or what action is appropriate. Avoid clicking a prompt that would submit payment, accept a change, or start an appeal until you understand it.
Checklist:
- Is an invoice or balance shown, and which billing profile does it relate to?
- Is a payment issue described as pending, failed, or resolved?
- Are there policy, verification, or account-status notices?
- Does the seller’s written description account for what you see?
Document the notice and ask the seller to explain any outstanding item, including who is expected to resolve it. Do not pay a charge on someone else’s behalf without a clear agreement and authority to do so. Do not try to work around a restriction by changing identities, payment details, or linked assets. Use the platform’s official support or review process when the issue concerns platform status.
Close the review with a written handover record
Before making any operational changes, summarize what you checked and list every unresolved point. Separate observations from assumptions: write down what the interface showed, then mark what needs confirmation. Ask the seller to respond in writing about unclear payment ownership, billing details, access, connected assets, limits, invoices, and notices. Keep the record private and redact sensitive information if you need to share a screenshot.
A useful stopping point is a review in which you understand who controls each payment method, what billing profile is attached, which users and assets are connected, and whether any outstanding notices or charges need attention. If those points remain uncertain, leave the settings unchanged and do not launch advertising. Once the handover is clear, make only authorized changes through the platform’s normal tools, one at a time, and keep a record of what changed and why.