In this guide · 8 sections
- 01First, find out why the account was disabled
- 02Disabled after a failed payment
- 03Restricted for a policy violation: how to request a review
- 04Disabled because the account looks hacked
- 05The 6-month rule and when to stop trying
- 06Setup that stops it happening again
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Open Meta Business Support Home, select the disabled account and follow What you can do. For a failed payment, pay the balance in Billing & payments. For a policy restriction, fix the cause and request a review as an admin; Meta says reviews typically take 48 hours. Review requests are limited.
First, find out why the account was disabled
Do not create a new ad account or start an appeal until you know the reason. Meta's help page Troubleshoot a disabled or restricted account says to go to Meta Business Support Home on a computer, open Account Overview (Account status overview), click the restricted account and read the What you can do section.
| What you see | Likely cause | Where to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Account unsettled, payment failed | Card declined, expired or blocked for online use | Billing & payments: pay the balance |
| Ads rejected, then account restricted for policy | Repeated ad policy violations | Fix the ads, then request a review |
| Confirm your identity or start verification | Unusual activity, possible compromise | Follow the identity or verification steps |
| Secure your account | Two-factor authentication not on | Turn on 2FA from the same screen |
| Personal profile restricted from advertising | Problem with the person's own account | That person must resolve it; other admins may still advertise |
Meta's page About advertising restrictions explains that restrictions can apply to a business portfolio, an ad account, a Page or a personal profile, and can range from a lower daily spending limit to losing the ability to advertise.
Disabled after a failed payment
This is the most common and easiest case. Meta's page Fix a failed payment issue says that when your payment method fails, your ads are paused and the ad account is disabled until you pay the amount due.
Open Billing & payments
Go to Billing & payments in Meta Business Suite and select the ad account.
Check the card
Meta says the card must allow online transactions, have a CVV, not be expired, have funds, and be linked to a phone you can receive an OTP on. Some cards have overseas or online payments switched off in the bank app; check yours.
Pay the balance
Click Payment methods, then Pay now, and pay with an existing or new payment method.
Add a backup payment method
A second card stops one decline from stopping all ads. Meta notes one payment method can usually be added to up to 10 ad accounts.
Wait, then check the spending limit
If ads stay paused after payment, Meta says you may have hit the daily spending limit it sets.
Restricted for a policy violation: how to request a review
If the account was restricted because ads broke the Meta Advertising Standards, first work out which ads and which rule. Common triggers for small businesses include before-and-after health claims, personal attributes ("Are you struggling with debt?"), misleading prices and landing pages that do not match the ad.
Read the rejected ads and the rule cited
Check each rejected ad in Ads Manager and the policy named. Fix or delete those ads before appealing.
Check the landing page
Make sure the page works, matches the offer, shows your business name and contact details, and has no claims you cannot back up.
Request a review as an admin
In Business Support Home, select Account status overview, the restricted account, then Request review. Only an admin can do this.
Wait for the decision
Meta says reviews are typically completed in 48 hours, sometimes longer. If upheld, the account stays blocked; if not, it is reinstated.
Turn your ads back on
Meta notes that ads running before the restriction do not restart automatically. Turn them on again in Ads Manager.
Disabled because the account looks hacked
Meta may restrict an account if it suspects the business portfolio or assets were compromised, or sees unusual payment or account activity. Signs include ads you did not create, new admins you do not recognise, or spend in currencies you never use.
- Follow the Confirm your identity steps; Meta may ask for your account email, a mobile number for SMS, a photo ID or the payment method on the account.
- If asked to Secure your account, turn on two-factor authentication. Meta says users of business portfolios over 90 days old may need 2FA to keep access.
- Remove admins and partners you do not recognise, and change passwords for every admin's Facebook account.
- Tell your bank if the card was charged for ads you did not run.
If a staff member's personal Facebook account was the way in, our guide to recovering hacked social media and WhatsApp accounts covers the first hour.
The 6-month rule and when to stop trying
Meta's help pages say that if an ad account disabled for a policy violation remains ineligible for reinstatement for 6 months, any unused prepaid funds may be forfeited where the law allows, and the account can no longer be reinstated. Meta also reserves the right to disable an account permanently earlier.
If a review is refused, do not open a stream of new ad accounts to get around it. Meta may treat that as an attempt to circumvent enforcement and restrict the whole business portfolio or the people behind it. Fix the underlying issue, make sure your verification details are correct, and ask Meta support through Business Support Home about your options.
Setup that stops it happening again
Most repeat restrictions come from weak account hygiene rather than bad intent.
Meta ad account hygiene
Advertisers reaching Singapore audiences also need verified advertiser and payer details; see our Meta advertiser verification guide for Singapore.
Do it yourself or get help?
Payment and 2FA cases you can usually fix yourself within a day using the steps above. Policy restrictions are worth a second pair of eyes before you spend a review request.
Our Ad Account Audit (S$290, paid upfront) checks access, verification, payment setup and the ads and landing pages most likely to trigger policy problems. If the account needs rebuilding cleanly in your company's name, Meta Ads Setup (S$590) sets up the portfolio, ad account, verification and tracking. We cannot guarantee Meta will reinstate an account; nobody can. IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience.
Frequently asked questions
Meta's help centre says reviews of restricted advertising accounts are typically completed in 48 hours, although some take longer. If Meta decides the restriction should not apply, the account is reinstated, but ads that were running before do not restart automatically; you need to turn them on again in Ads Manager.
Meta says that when the payment method used for ads fails, ads are paused and the ad account is disabled until the amount due is paid. Pay the balance from Billing and payments, check the card allows overseas online transactions, and add a backup payment method so one decline does not stop all ads.
Not as a way around a policy restriction. Meta can restrict the whole business portfolio or the people behind it if it sees attempts to circumvent enforcement. For a payment problem, fixing the existing account is faster. For a policy problem, fix the cause, then request a review of the original account.
Only an admin on the account can request a review, according to Meta. If the person who set up the account has left, you may need to regain admin access to the business portfolio first. Keep at least two trusted admins with two-factor authentication on every business portfolio.
Meta says that if an ad account disabled for a policy violation remains ineligible for reinstatement for 6 months, unused prepaid funds may be forfeited where the law allows and the account can no longer be reinstated. Meta may also disable some accounts permanently sooner.