Google Adsense PIN - A Complete Walkthrough

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One of my friends just received their Adsense PIN. He came straight to me and I walked him through the entire process. During this I had my camera around and made some pictures. I noted some distinct features of the mail; it's difficult for me to remember how it looked at the time I received mine but here it is for you to see.

The friend had been sent two PINs earlier which never reached him (which is understandable in the age of IM communication and Skype). The pics are not to good, we were on shaky grounds too eager to open it up and validate the account.

Front

Here is how it looks as seen from the front. The text "Important Account Information Enclosed" may confuse and illude the postman into believing as if this thing carries something of high value. But the catch is it's not even a paper-weight if it reaches the wrong person.

Rear

Here's the other side. Note the cellophane tape at the sides; I had to tilt and twist the camera to catch the reflection and highlight it. This tape secures it on the three sides. Read further to know why. The top side is just a fold.

Side

This is intelligent. You can't actually call it an envelope, it's more of a folded postcard. Just in case the words on the front got anyone excited and eager to keep the thing, they can peep in and take a look - nada - only some text there.

Inside

Once you are done shooting, cut through the tape and flip open the card. This is how it looks inside.

Next Steps - Entering the Adsense PIN

You must now login to your adsense account. You'll see the following screen (relevant areas are highlighted).

Click on the "More Details" link

Your payments will be on hold and that the reason you've been sent this PIN - to enter it into your Adsense account and validate it. The "payments on hold" notice is accompanied by the "More Details" link. Click it to proceed.