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Financial services ads: loans, credit, investing and insurance rules by platform

Short answer

Financial products such as loans, credit cards, investments and insurance can be advertised on Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn and X, but only to adults, often only by licensed or verified advertisers, and with the disclosures local law requires. Every platform bans some products outright, such as binary options, and rejects ads that promise guaranteed returns or easy money.

Licensing, verification and age

All five platforms treat financial services as a restricted category with extra checks.

  • Meta: ads for credit cards, loans and insurance must target people 18+. Advertisers may need to verify their identity and show regulatory authorization where required, and must meet legal disclosure requirements.
  • Google: some countries require financial services verification, which usually involves your licenses and registration numbers.
  • TikTok: generally requires compliance with local law, a license from local and regional authorities, disclaimers where applicable, and an 18+ audience, with country-specific rules on top.
  • LinkedIn: ads must not target members under 18, and ads for financial services aimed at the UK may come only from FCA-authorised advertisers.
  • X: financial ads can target only listed countries, often need a license from the local regulator, and need X's certification, with a separate request for each category (for example crypto vs NFTs).

Special Ad Category on Meta

Meta's Advertising Standards say any advertiser based in the United States, or targeting the United States, Canada or certain parts of Europe, that runs ads for financial products and services must declare a Special Ad Category and use the approved targeting options. This exists because laws in those places prohibit discrimination in offers of financial products, housing and employment.

Products that are banned outright

Some financial products can't be advertised on a platform no matter how the ad is written.

  • Meta: payday loans, paycheck advances, bail bonds, loans that must be repaid in 90 days or less, binary options, contracts for difference (CFDs), initial coin offerings and penny auctions.
  • Google: credit repair services and binary options; personal loans that must be repaid in under 61 days; and, in the United States, personal loans with an APR of 36% or more.
  • LinkedIn: payday loans, reverse mortgages, peer-to-peer lending, binary options, penny stocks, penny auctions and services that guarantee financial returns, foreclosure prevention or loan modification.
  • X: binary options, bail bonds, penny stocks and financial spread betting.
  • TikTok: get-rich-quick offers, pyramid schemes and too-good-to-be-true financial offers.

Disclosures and claims

Google requires financial ads to show the business's physical address, all associated fees and links to any third-party accreditation the ad implies, visible without clicking or hovering. Personal loan destinations must show the minimum and maximum repayment period, the maximum APR and a representative example of the total cost. LinkedIn asks for a privacy policy, accurate contact information and all legally required disclosures, and for personal loans the total cost, repayment terms and maximum APR.

Meta prohibits ads that directly request personally identifiable or financial information, such as bank account or card numbers. Across platforms, promises of guaranteed returns or fast, effortless money are a common reason for rejection.

Before you publish

Confirm that the product is allowed in every country you target, that you hold any license the platform asks for, and that your audience is 18+. Put the required disclosures on the landing page where people can see them without clicking, and replace any promise of a return with factual information about rates, fees and risk.

InspectAd AI can check a financial ad against Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn and X policies before you publish it, and it can also create ads, which helps you catch guaranteed-return wording and missing disclosures early. It does not replace legal or regulatory advice.

Risky copy and safer rewrites

Likely to be flagged

“Guaranteed 15% returns, zero risk.”

Safer rewrite

“Investing involves risk, including loss of capital. See fees and past performance.”

LinkedIn prohibits services that guarantee financial returns, and TikTok bans too-good-to-be-true financial offers.

Likely to be flagged

“Need cash now? Get it today, pay back in 2 weeks.”

Safer rewrite

“Personal loans repaid over 12 to 60 months. See the APR, fees and a representative example.”

Meta bans loans repaid in 90 days or less and Google requires at least 61 days, plus APR and total-cost disclosures.

Likely to be flagged

“Enter your card number in the comments to see your new credit limit.”

Safer rewrite

“Check your eligibility on our secure website.”

Meta prohibits ads that directly request financial information such as card or bank account numbers.

Likely to be flagged

“Get rich quick trading binary options!”

Safer rewrite

“Learn how diversified index funds work in our free course.”

Binary options are banned on Meta, Google, LinkedIn and X, and get-rich-quick offers are rejected across platforms.

Check your ad before you publish

Upload your ad or paste your copy: InspectAd AI checks it against these policies and suggests compliant rewrites. Or create a new ad with AI and check it before export.

Questions

Can I advertise payday loans?

Not on Meta or LinkedIn, which prohibit them. Google only allows personal loans repaid over 61 days or longer, and in the US not with an APR of 36% or more.

Do I need a license to run financial ads?

Often yes. Meta, TikTok and X may require proof of authorization from the relevant regulator depending on the country, Google requires verification in some locations, and LinkedIn accepts UK financial ads only from FCA-authorised advertisers.

What is a Special Ad Category on Meta?

A declaration Meta requires for financial products and services, housing and employment ads from US advertisers or ads targeting the US, Canada or certain parts of Europe; these ads must use approved targeting options.

Can financial ads target people under 18?

No. Meta (for credit cards, loans and insurance), TikTok and LinkedIn all require financial ads to target adults 18 or older.

Official sources

Platforms change their policies. This guide summarises them and isn't legal advice; the linked pages are the reference.