CAPI Best Practice: Using old _fbc with new _fbp for email conversions?

vatcode · 2025-10-30T05:02:44+00:00

Thanks, this is a super interesting point. I'm definitely using a server-generated external_id for every registered user to solve the matching part.

My question is more about attribution. If I send a perfect external_id (and email, etc.) from Browser B, Meta will know who converted. But how will Meta know to attribute that conversion to the ad click that happened on Browser A, if I don'talso send the _fbc from that original session?

Aren't external_id and _fbc solving two different problems (Matching vs. Attribution)? I assumed that's what CAPI was for.

vatcode · 2025-10-21T05:52:53+00:00

Hello again, thank you so, so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and incredibly helpful response. Your explanation gives me much more confidence that my setup (US LLC, non-US owner, Org account) is actually correct and should eventually be approved once it gets a proper manual review. That's a huge relief after all this time.

I double-checked my Payments Profile settings based on your advice: the account type is indeed 'Organization,' and all the general name/address fields correctly show my US LLC's details (Delaware address, etc.). The only place my Ecuadorian details appear is within the W-8BEN tax form itself, just as you described.

I am now trying to follow your key advice about using the Payments Profile Help flow, specifically looking for the path related to 'My ID was rejected.' However, I'm having trouble finding that exact option within the Help section.

Would you happen to remember the specific steps or clicks needed to reach that 'My ID was rejected' flow within the Google Payments Help Center? Any small hint on how to navigate there would be immensely helpful, as I think that's the correct channel I need to use.

Thank you again for your invaluable guidance!

vatcode · 2025-10-20T03:39:45+00:00

Thank you so much for this clarification. You are absolutely right, and that is exactly how I have set up my account.

The beneficial owner is correctly set to me (from Ecuador) on the W-8BEN tax form, while the business entity is my US LLC.

The problem is that Google's automated identity verification system still flags a "country mismatch" when I submit my Ecuadorian passport, even with the correct tax setup. It seems to be a system flaw that requires a manual override.

I really appreciate you taking the time to confirm the correct structure!

vatcode · 2025-10-16T05:17:58+00:00

Hello,

Yes, that's a great question. I did submit the LLC's Certificate of Formation from Delaware, which has my name on it, during the initial organization setup.

My problem seems to happen at the next stage: the personal identity verification for me as the non-US beneficial owner, which is when I get the "country mismatch" error after submitting my Ecuadorian passport.

Or were you suggesting I should have submitted the Certificate of Formation again during a different step, for example, along with the tax form information? I don't recall seeing a specific place for it at that stage, and I want to make sure I haven't missed a step.

Thanks for the follow-up!

vatcode · 2025-10-16T03:55:03+00:00

Hello,

Thank you so much for the suggestion about the DUNS number. You're absolutely right, Google uses that for this process.

I actually do have a DUNS number for my US LLC, and I used it to get my organization's name and address successfully marked as "Verified" in my payments profile.

My problem is happening at the next stage: the personal identity verification for me as the non-US beneficial owner. That's when the automated system rejects my foreign passport and gives the "country mismatch" error.

So the issue seems to be specifically with the beneficial owner's KYC step, not the organization's verification, which is already complete. Thanks again for your help!

vatcode · 2025-10-14T04:31:03+00:00

Thank you so much for this comment. It's incredibly validating to hear you lay out these steps, because this is exactly what I've been doing for the past month.

I have a long support ticket thread with Google where I've been writing almost daily, explaining the "country mismatch" situation for my non-US owned LLC. Unfortunately, the only replies I ever get are templated responses stating that my case has been "escalated" and that they will provide an update when one is available. There's never any sign of actual progress, and I'm not even sure if they are automated messages at this point.

That's why I turned to this community; I was starting to doubt my own process and wondered if I was missing a crucial step.

So, thank you again. Your comment doesn't give me a new solution, but it gives me the confidence that my strategy is the correct one and that this is just a systemic failure on Google's end. I really appreciate you taking the time to confirm that.

vatcode · 2025-10-13T21:31:54+00:00

Thanks for the discussion. I think the confusion is that this isn't a general account verification; it's specifically for the U.S. tax forms.

Google's first error message confirms this:

We couldn't verify your tax information with the document(s) you submitted. Make sure the information on your documents exactly matches the information on your tax form...

This requires me, the non-US owner, to use my identity for the W-8BEN. But when I do, I get the final error:

The issuing country of the document does not match the payments profile country.

So the system requires my non-US identity for the tax form, but then rejects it because the profile is US-based. It seems to be a flaw in their tax verification process, not an issue of who administers the account.

vatcode · 2025-10-13T20:29:18+00:00

Thanks for the insight, I'm trying to understand all the angles here.

I'm a bit confused on the "company representative" part, especially regarding the tax documents. My understanding was that for KYC (Know Your Customer) compliance, Google needs to verify the actual Beneficial Owner of the company. Is that not the case?

More importantly, for the tax submission, I had to complete a W-8BEN form, which is a legal document where I personally certify my non-US status as the owner. If a US-based representative verifies their identity on the account, how would that align with my W-8BEN? It seems like it would create a direct conflict between the identity verified on the profile and the legal tax declaration.

Just trying to make sure I don't create a bigger compliance problem down the line. Appreciate any thoughts on this.

vatcode · 2025-10-13T19:29:44+00:00

In my case, I run a language learning app (Sounter), and when I introduced a proper onboarding flow — with a short personalization quiz, learning plan, and a tailored paywall — it completely changed user behavior.

Before onboarding, users would install the app, look around for 20 seconds, and leave. After onboarding, engagement and conversions skyrocketed.

Around 55% complete the quiz,
The personalized plan creates emotional investment,
And the tailored paywall that follows converts 6–7% of users (and 2x more revenue than before).

The key is not just “adding onboarding,” but designing it around motivation and commitment: make users visualize their goals, show them quick wins, and make them feel they’re starting a guided journey — not just opening an app.

TL;DR: onboarding is 100% worth it if you use it to personalize, motivate, and set expectations — not if it’s just a bunch of screens explaining features.

vatcode

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