I finally received my first Google ad payment today. I originally wanted to write about receiving my first money earned online, but that isn't quite accurate 0.0 so I'm calling it my first Google ad payment XD. Google originally told me the money would be sent on January 30, and I could collect it on January 31. But they actually sent it on the 25th, and I didn't notice. By the time I realized they had paid early, it was already the 29th. That day was a Saturday, so the bank was closed, and I could only go on Monday. So in the end, it made no difference whether they paid early or not.

Right now, Google AdSense supports two payment methods: Western Union Quick Cash and checks. I know that a check feels really satisfying to hold. Even though the amount on it is a bit small… a check feels great, but it comes with a fee. Also, mailing a check from the US to Taiwan takes several weeks. With Western Union, there’s no fee, and you can go to the bank to collect the money the day after Google pays out. It’s very convenient, which is why almost everyone uses Western Union to get their Google ad money these days.

First, a quick introduction to Western Union. In Taiwan, only two banks can pay out Western Union transfers: Cathay United Bank and Taishin Bank. You can’t collect at any other bank. Also, when you applied for Google AdSense, it asked you to be 18 or older to run ads. In fact, whether or not you’re 18 doesn’t really matter, because Google doesn’t ask you to submit any ID documents. And there’s no age limit when you collect a Western Union transfer either. As long as the name on your ID matches the name you registered with Google, you can collect the money. So if you’re under 18 and applied for Google AdSense under a parent’s name, then your parent has to be the one to collect the money.

Also, since the US dollar has been losing value recently, it might seem like you’d lose money when you collect a Western Union transfer. Actually, you can open a Cathay or Taishin foreign-currency account (depending on where you plan to collect the Western Union transfer). When you collect the Western Union money, tell them to deposit it directly into the foreign-currency account. Then, when the US dollar goes back up, convert it. Whatever you do, DO NOT withdraw US dollars as cash, because withdrawing US dollars costs a fee!! So either withdraw the money in NT dollars, or open a foreign-currency account and deposit the USD into it. I learned this trick from Sausage XD.

Western Union official website: http://www.westernunion.tw/tc/

You can check the official Western Union website to find the bank closest to you that can pay out Western Union transfers.

Features of Western Union:

  • No fees
  • Available the day after payment
  • Can be exchanged directly for local currency

What to Bring When Collecting a Western Union Transfer:

  1. The Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) that Google gives you, written down
  2. The English name you registered with Google
  3. The amount of ad money Google paid you
I personally recommend going to the Google AdSense admin interface, then clicking "My account" → "Payment history."

Then find “Payment issued” and click the details next to it.

Click the earnings report.

Copy this table down, and when you go to the bank, this table has all the information you need~