Can I set spending limits on my VCC for YouTube Ads?

Yes, you can set spending limits on your Virtual Credit Card (VCC) to help manage and control your spending on YouTube Ads (through Google Ads). While Google Ads itself does not provide a built-in feature for limiting how much you can spend using a VCC, you can use the features provided by most VCC issuers and platforms to restrict spending and manage your budget effectively.

Here's how you can set spending limits on your VCC:

1. Set Spending Limits Directly with Your VCC Provider
Most VCC providers offer some form of spending control or spending caps. This allows you to restrict how much you can spend on the card, either for a specific period (daily, weekly, or monthly) or for particular types of transactions (such as online purchases).

Examples of VCC Providers Offering Spending Limits:
Privacy.com: Allows you to set spending limits for individual virtual cards, and you can also specify how much a card can spend on a particular merchant (like Google Ads).

Revolut: Lets you create virtual cards with customizable limits for specific uses. You can manage the budget for the card in the app.

Wise: You can manage and track your virtual cards but may need to manually monitor spending or set alerts.

Payoneer: You can set alerts for transactions, and in some cases, apply limits to card spending.

Steps to Set Limits with a VCC Provider:
Log in to your VCC provider's platform (mobile app or website).

Go to the card management or settings section.

Create a new virtual card (or select an existing one) that you want to use for Google Ads.

Find the option to set a spending limit or apply controls.

Choose the spending limit you wish to set (e.g., daily, monthly, or per transaction).

Save your changes.

2. Use Google Ads Budgeting Features
Although Google Ads does not directly control VCC limits, you can manage your YouTube Ads budget within Google Ads to ensure you do not exceed your planned spending:

Set a Daily Campaign Budget:
Go to Google Ads > Campaigns.

Select the campaign you want to monitor.

Click on the edit icon next to the campaign budget.

Set a daily budget limit. This will control how much your campaign spends per day, regardless of the payment method used.

Save the changes.

Set a Monthly Spend Limit:
While Google Ads doesn't offer a direct monthly cap feature, you can calculate your monthly budget based on your daily limits and manually monitor your spending to ensure you stay within your desired budget.

3. Monitor VCC Transactions for Overspending
In addition to setting limits, you should regularly monitor the transactions on your VCC provider's platform:

Enable transaction alerts to receive notifications when payments are made.

Check your VCC's transaction history to ensure no unauthorized charges are being made.

Use your VCC provider's tools to disable or lock the card after reaching the spending limit.

4. Review Google Ads Billing Statements
Since YouTube Ads are part of Google Ads, you should regularly review your Google Ads billing history to track actual spending against your set budget.

Access Google Ads Billing History: Go to Tools & Settings > Billing & Payments > Transactions to see detailed records of all charges made to your VCC.

Summary of Steps to Set Spending Limits for Your VCC
Set spending limits with your VCC provider (e.g., Privacy.com, Revolut, Wise, Payoneer).

Set a daily or monthly budget within Google Ads for your YouTube Ads campaigns.

Monitor transactions through both your VCC provider and Google Ads to ensure you're staying within budget.

Set alerts for any spending over a certain threshold to catch potential overspending.

By using these methods, you can effectively control your spending on YouTube Ads and ensure you stay within your desired budget without exceeding your VCC limit.