If you are in Ghana and subscribe to Google Adsense, then this news will be great news to you. The news is that Google is working out a more efficient and effective payment system for Ghana. But Google officials in Ghana will not say any more beyond that.
It is not clear how many Ghanaians subscribe to Google Adsense, but it is put around 5000, and they all have one familiar but uncomfortable headache – how to clear their cheques after Google has issued it to them, and cheque payment is the only payment system that Google offers to Ghanaian subscribers.
The Google adsense is a shared revenue programme through which Google puts banner adverts and what it calls adwords of clients on websites belonging to individuals and organisations. Google then shares part of its earnings from the adverts with the website owners depending on the number of clicks the adverts get.
But while Google is able to make payments through Western Union and Telegraphic Transfer to subscribers in some countries, it only pays Ghanaian subscribers through cheques and clearing the cheque through the banking system in Ghana is difficult for most website owners and bloggers who for the most part depend on the money they earn through the programme as their income online .
Currently, it could take between six to eight weeks or even more to cash a Google cheque in Ghana, and not all banks accept such cheques especially so, because it is in US dollars.
Speaking at Barcamp Accra Saturday October 2, 2010, Google Ghana , Head, Ms. Estelle Akofio-Sowah told the gathering that Google was looking at a new payment system for Ghana that would make it easier for Ghanaian website owners and bloggers to get paid faster and easier. She however, did not say what form it would take nor when it would begin. When ghanabusinessnews.com asked for more details, she declined.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
Are you kidding me? If Google has any “new payment system for Adsense subscribers in Ghana”, it won’t be exclusively for Ghana. Ghana is not alone among the countries that suffer the cheque headache. I assure you, there is nothing special coming unless they choose to extend Western Union payments to Ghana, like they did to some Asian countries several months ago.
Google GH head must have just told you something nice to sooth your boiling nerves and that explains why when “asked for more details, she declined.”
Oluniyi D. Ajao i agree with you 100%!
Google gh.jux want to make Adsense subscribers happy by telling them this.
All i want to say is,Adsense users from GH,should stop daydreaming!
But if not,why did she decline?
As an adsense publisher based in Kenya. The best google can do for Ghana is to allow publishers to receive payments in Ghana currency. Reports remain in Euros but the check will be in your local currency. They are already doing this in Kenya. Payments take four days.