How Meta Ads Work for Financial Services

Banks, brokers, lenders, insurers and fintech apps can all run Meta ads, but financial products sit in Meta’s Restricted Goods and Services section. Meta’s policy sets an age floor, asks some advertisers to show they are authorized by a regulator, and bans a short list of products. In the US a special ad category also limits targeting. Rules vary by country and by law, so read the linked pages and ask a qualified adviser.

What does Meta’s financial services policy require?

Meta’s Financial and Insurance Products and Services policy includes these requirements, which matter to every advertiser in this field:

• Ads promoting credit cards, loans or insurance services must be targeted to people 18 years or older.
• Ads that directly request personally identifiable information, or certain types of financial information, are prohibited by Meta’s Fraud, Scam and Deceptive Practices and/or Privacy Violations policies.
• You may be required to verify your business or individual identity and show that relevant regulatory authorities have authorized you, where that is a requirement.
• You must comply with disclosure requirements set by law.

You can act on these before you build a single ad: set the age floor, strip data requests from creative, and gather your licence documents.

Which financial ads need verification, and which do not?

Meta’s help article says financial products that may require a licence include, but are not limited to, insurance products, mortgages, loans (long and short term), investment products and opportunities, and credit card applications.

Meta says these are generally allowed without verification, as long as the ad does not focus on an in-scope product: brand ads for banks and insurance companies, news articles, financial education, education or training to apply for or manage loans, and educational ads that give no ability to obtain or connect with the product.

Where does Meta ask for proof of authorization?

The same article lists regions that require verification: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Requirements differ by region. For example, Meta’s Instagram help page says any advertiser promoting financial products or services to UK audiences needs to be authorized with the Financial Conduct Authority, and that if an ad is rejected on that ground you may need to confirm your FCA authorization in a notification in Ads Manager. In Australia, Meta says you verify the advertiser and the payer and add a “paid for by” disclaimer.

Check the article for your region before you plan a launch date. For Australia, Meta says you get a status update within 2 business days.

Which financial products can you not advertise?

Meta’s policy prohibits these loan products: payday loans, paycheck advances, bail bonds, short-term loans of 90 days or less that require repayment in full, and misleading content related to student loan consolidation, forgiveness or refinancing.

It also prohibits deceptive and misleading financial instruments: binary options, contract for difference trading, initial coin offerings, and penny auctions, bidding fee auctions or similar business models.

Crypto businesses have their own policy and permission process.

How does the US special ad category change your targeting?

Starting 21 January 2025, Meta requires the financial products and services special ad category for US-based advertisers or ads shown to US audiences. Meta says age, gender, postcode, audience exclusions, lookalike audiences, saved audiences and some interests are limited or unavailable. Locations can be targeted, but not by postcode, and you cannot exclude locations.

See the housing, employment and credit page for the full list of limits.

What should you do before you launch?

1. Match your product against the prohibited list above.
2. Check whether your region is on Meta’s verification list and start verification early.
3. Set the minimum age to 18 or higher for credit cards, loans and insurance.
4. Choose the special ad category when your campaign or audience falls under it.
5. Remove any request for ID numbers, income or other financial details from the ad itself.

FAQ

Can a bank run a brand awareness ad?

Meta’s verification help article lists brand ads for banks and insurance companies among ads that can generally run without verification, if they do not focus on an in-scope product. But in the US, Meta’s special ad category help lists brand ads for financial products and services as in scope for the category, so targeting limits can still apply.

Do I need a licence to advertise a loan on Meta?

Meta says you may be required to verify and demonstrate authorization by the relevant regulator where that is a requirement, and that financial services ads are “subject to unique regulatory requirements in each country”. Meta also requires you to comply with all applicable laws, including licensing and disclosure requirements. Ask a qualified adviser.

Can my ad ask people for their income or ID number?

No. Meta prohibits ads that directly request personally identifiable information or certain types of financial information, under its Fraud, Scam and Deceptive Practices and/or Privacy Violations policies. Keep the ad itself about the product and the offer, and check any data collection against Meta’s rules and your local privacy law.