Congratulations on taking steps towards monetizing through the YouTube Partner Program! However, if you're encountering issues with AdSense due to multiple household members having accounts, you're not alone. Here's a guide to help you navigate and resolve this frustrating situation.
The Problemwith household AdSense accounts
AdSense should allow one account per individual. It should not be limited to one per household. However, multiple people have had reported an error when multiple people in the same household apply for AdSense. This usually shows up when trying to link AdSense to YouTube.
You may keep getting the "your account wasn't approved" and "you already have an account" error messages. This is despite not having any other accounts!
From reading other user experiences, my theory is that it can happen if email addresses are being used for recovery purposes, if you're accounts are linked in any way, and/or if you used the same device to create the accounts.
How to Fix It:
Verify Accounts: If you receive an error message indicating multiple AdSense accounts, check your email for details on the second account. Ensure it's not an old or forgotten account of yours. If it is, delete it and resubmit your review on Adsense or via YouTube Studio.
Contact Support: If the issue persists, reach out to YouTube or Adsense support via chat. At the bottom of their help pages there should be a 'contact' button. It is not clear if it is a heavily scripted person replying or a bot, however with some persistence they do help. Try contacting them multiple times if necessary. Be prepared with screenshots.
Post to the help community forums: Post on the YouTube or Adsense support communities. Again, this is at the bottom of the Google help pages. Include screenshots if possible (do not share any personal details).
Post to social media: Post on social media platforms to seek advice from others who have faced similar issues. Sometimes, this approach can get the attention of a support representative who can assist you. I've had luck in the past with tagging @TeamYouTube on Twitter.
Last resort: Consider sharing an account... Or maybe even creating a business account? That way you can delete any previous accounts. As soon as the flagged account is deleted and you resubmit for review, it instantly works. This is one way to resolve the issue promptly. But definitely not the best!
It's disheartening that such issues persist, and I wish there were a smoother, more reliable solution in place. I hope, this is a niche experience... And I hope that AdSense fixes this in the future.
