Setting Up Your Ad Account
Two of the settings you pick here can never be changed. Get them right the first time and you avoid the single most common “I have to start over” mistake in Meta ads.
Create the ad account inside your portfolio and choose currency and time zone carefully, because both are permanent. For an India business use INR and IST, add your GSTIN, and set a spending limit as a safety cap.
01Where to create it
Inside your portfolio, open Business Settings → Accounts → Ad accounts → Add → Create a new ad account. Because it's created inside your portfolio, your business owns it from the start — exactly what you want.
02The two settings you can never change
When you create the account, you choose a currency and a time zone. These are permanent. To change either one later, you'd have to create a whole new ad account and start building history from zero.
| Setting | What it controls | For an India business |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | How you're billed and how spend is reported | INR (₹) |
| Time zone | When each “day” starts for budgets & reporting | Asia/Kolkata (IST) |
| Account name | Just a label | Editable anytime |
Beginners often leave the time zone on a US default or pick the wrong currency, then discover their daily budgets reset at the wrong time and reports don't match their day. You can't fix it in settings later. Slow down and choose correctly now.
03Adding a payment method
Go to Payment Settings and add how you'll pay. In India you can typically use a credit or debit card, net banking, UPI, or a prepaid (manual) balance you top up in advance. Prepaid is a useful way to hard-cap spending if you're nervous about a card being charged automatically.
04India: GST, GSTIN and TDS (the short version)
For accounts with the business country set to India, ads are billed in INR by Facebook India, and 18% GST is added on top of your spend. If you're GST-registered, add your GSTIN in Payment Settings so you can claim Input Tax Credit. TDS also applies under Indian law even though it doesn't show on the invoice.
I'm not a tax advisor, and neither is Meta. The tax treatment depends on your registration and which Meta entity invoices you. Add your GSTIN if you have one, keep every invoice, and let your CA handle GST/TDS filing correctly.
05Set a spending limit
You can add an optional account spending limit — a hard ceiling across the whole account. It's a good safety net while you're learning, so a mistake in a campaign budget can't quietly run away with your money. You can raise or remove it anytime.
Currency = INR, time zone = IST, payment method added, GSTIN entered (if registered), and a modest account spending limit set while you find your feet.
- Create the ad account inside your portfolio so the business owns it.
- Currency and time zone are permanent — INR and IST for an India business.
- India accounts pay 18% GST; add your GSTIN for input credit and keep invoices.
- Set an account spending limit as a safety cap while learning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my Meta ad account currency or time zone later?
No. Currency and time zone are set at creation and cannot be changed. To switch either, you must create a new ad account and start history from scratch.
Is there GST on Meta ads in India?
Yes. India accounts are billed in INR by Facebook India with 18% GST added on top. Add your GSTIN to claim input tax credit, and let your CA handle filing.
How do I limit my Meta ad spend?
Add an optional account spending limit, a hard ceiling across the whole account, so a mistake in a campaign budget cannot run away with your money.
Return to the Meta Ads course hub for the full curriculum.