How to create a Snapchat ads account
This guide walks through creating a Snapchat business account, the Public Profile Snapchat requires for advertising, your first ad account, a payment method, and team access.
Snapchat ads run from Snapchat Ads Manager at ads.snapchat.com. Before you can launch ads, Snapchat requires three things: a Snapchat login, a business account, and a Public Profile. The business account, which Snapchat’s help center also calls an organization, holds your ad accounts, payment methods, pixels, and members.
A Public Profile is your brand’s page on Snapchat. Snapchat says Public Profiles are required for advertising, but they’re free and don’t need a payment method. Each ad account links to one, and your ads can link to it from your brand name.
Sign up at Snapchat Ads Manager
Go to ads.snapchat.com and click Sign Up. Enter your business name, an email address, a password, and your birthday. Snapchat creates a Snapchat login as part of this. If you already have a Snapchat account, log in instead and enter your business details, which creates the business account and its first ad account.
Watch outChoose your username carefully, since Snapchat says it can't be changed later.
Set up your Public Profile
During sign-up, Snapchat asks for a username and website and offers Import Brand Assets to pull your logo and details from your site. Add a profile image and bio to complete the Public Profile. Profile photos must be at least 320 x 320 pixels, in PNG or JPG format, and no larger than 2 MB.
TipUse a username and display name that match your brand, since that is how Snapchatters will find and recognize you.
Enter your business details
Next, enter your business details, confirm the country and currency for the ad account, and add a phone number. Snapchat limits business sign-up to a published list of eligible countries. Verify your business email through the link Snapchat sends, and make sure a business address is saved under Business Details in Ads Manager.
Create or review your ad account
Sign-up creates your first ad account. To create another, open the menu in Ads Manager, select Ad Accounts, and click + New Ad Account. You’ll say whether you’re an agency and whether you’ll run housing, credit, employment, or political ads. Then complete Account Details, including Name, Billing Type, Currency, Time Zone, and the linked Public Profile.
Choose the billing type and create the account
Revolving bills an ongoing payment method that you can replenish, and Snapchat describes it as the type often used for running ads in Ads Manager. Insertion Order is for a one-time campaign with a fixed spend cap. Check every field, then click Create Account.
Watch outAccount Type, Billing Type, Currency, and Time Zone can't be changed after creation. A different setting means a new ad account.
Add a payment method
Open the menu and select Billing & Payments, then click + New Payment Method and choose a credit card or PayPal. Enter the details, select the ad accounts to link, and click Add. Snapchat doesn’t accept prepaid cards and requires a billing address first. Prepay, where you load funds in advance, is rolling out by market and may not be available to you.
TipAdd a backup payment method so a declined charge doesn't stop your ads.
Invite your team
People must join the organization before they can access an ad account. Open the menu, select Members, click + Invite Member, enter work email addresses, and pick a role: Organization Admin, Business Admin, or Member. Then assign ad accounts and access levels. The invitee clicks Join in the email, which must match the email on their Snapchat account.
TipAd account roles include Account Admin, Campaign Manager, Creative Manager, and Data Analyst, so you can give each person only the access they need.
Before you move on
- Business account created and business email verified
- Public Profile live with your logo and brand name
- Ad account set to the right currency and time zone
- Payment method and billing address added
- At least two people hold admin roles
- Agency or partner access granted through Members, not a shared login
Official resources
- Set up your Snapchat and business account
- How to create an ad account
- How to set up a Public Profile for your business
- Invite a member to an organization
- How to add or remove a credit card
Ad platforms update their tools often. This guide was last reviewed against the official documentation above in October 2026. If your screen looks different, the official help pages have the latest steps.
At a glance
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- What you need
- Your business name, address, and website
- An email address for the Snapchat login
- A credit card or PayPal account (prepaid cards aren't accepted)
- A profile photo for your Public Profile, at least 320 x 320 pixels
- Your reporting time zone and currency, decided in advance
Rather have it done for you?
Active Digital Marketing builds and manages Snapchat ad accounts for businesses doing $25,000+ a month in revenue.
Apply to work with usOr get an ad account auditWhere DIY setups go wrong
The most common problems with self-built Snapchat Ads setups, and what they cost.
Treating the Public Profile as an afterthought
Snapchat requires a Public Profile to advertise, and you can't create an ad account without one. A profile with no logo or a placeholder name makes your ads look less credible when people tap through.
Locking in the wrong currency or time zone
These can't be changed after the ad account is created. Fixing a mistake means a new ad account and rebuilding campaigns there.
Sharing one login across the team
Snapchat ties access to individual Snapchat accounts. A shared password makes it impossible to remove one person's access cleanly, so invite each person as a member.
Using a prepaid card
Snapchat doesn't accept prepaid cards, or a card already used by another organization. A rejected card delays your launch.
Answering the special ad questions carelessly
If you mark the account for housing, credit, or employment ads, Snapchat may reject ads that use age, gender, or postal code targeting. Answer accurately for what you'll actually run.
What this guide doesn't cover
An active ad account and Public Profile get you to the starting line. Results on Snapchat depend on what comes next: vertical creative made for the app, accurate pixel and Conversions API tracking, a sensible campaign structure, and decisions about formats such as collection and dynamic product ads.
Active Digital Marketing runs Snapchat as a secondary channel alongside Meta for established eCommerce and lead generation brands. If you want an experienced team building and managing the account, ADM can help.
- Organization structure for multiple brands or agencies
- Snap Pixel and Conversions API setup
- Creative built for full-screen vertical viewing
- Catalog and dynamic product ads
- Audience strategy, including custom and lookalike audiences
- Budget scaling against contribution margin
Common questions
Do I need a Snapchat Public Profile to run ads?
Yes. Snapchat's help center says Public Profiles are required for advertising and that you can't create an ad account without one. They're free to create.
Can I change my ad account currency later?
No. Account Type, Billing Type, Currency, and Time Zone are fixed once the ad account is created. You'd need to create a new ad account.
Can I have more than one ad account?
Yes. Snapchat allows multiple ad accounts under one business. Create them from **Ad Accounts** in Ads Manager.
What payment methods does Snapchat accept?
Self-serve accounts can use a credit card or PayPal. Prepaid cards aren't allowed. Prepay balances and lines of credit also exist, but they depend on your market and eligibility.
Keep learning
How to Create a Snapchat Ads Campaign
Build your first Snapchat campaign: choose an objective, set up the ad set, targeting, placements, and bidding, create your ad, and publish for review.
Read the guideHow to Set a Snapchat Ads Budget
Snapchat budgets explained: daily vs lifetime ad set budgets, the $5 minimum, campaign spend caps, bid strategies, and how to edit budgets safely.
Read the guideHow to Install the Snap Pixel
Install the Snap Pixel with Shopify or base code, add the Conversions API, and verify events with Snap Pixel Helper and Events Manager test events.
Read the guideHow to Create a Meta Ad Account
Set up a Meta business portfolio, create an ad account, add a payment method, and give your team the right access, step by step.
Read the guideHow to Create a Google Ads Account
Step-by-step: sign up for Google Ads without a forced campaign, set billing and time zone, add users, and complete advertiser verification.
Read the guideHow to Create a TikTok Ads Manager Account
Set up TikTok Ads Manager step by step: sign-up, business details, payment method, account approval, Business Center, and team access.
Read the guideRather have it built right the first time?
If your business does $25,000+ a month in revenue, apply and Mitch will review your accounts personally. Earlier than that? An ad account audit gives you a senior-level fix list you can work through yourself.