Google decided a few days ago to start paying its AdSense publishers, even if they're not all that productive. That's to say it is currently trying to attract some more people to join the program, that they were uncertain before if they were to make the minimum limit they needed to.
The 50 dollar mark is obsolete as of yesterday, when the Mountain View-based company
ruled for a 10 dollar limit. It's not much, but the way I see it, it's a certainty many were expecting. In order for them to operate this change, they've also shared the type of information and documentation needed for this to start happening.
There are two things that the AdSense team does, in order to see the information entered as valid and correct. First, they send a Personal Identification Number (PIN in short) email that users will have to reply to, and second, they attempt a phone number verification, that will be found in the account page. If both are matching the data input at the creation of the account, you'll be good to go.
As they say, this is a good time to find out more about PINs, so that you don't get caught off guard when the email arrives, and moreover, it's very important that you do not throw the mail away (although I don't know why anybody would do that).
Just in case you don't believe me, here's the exact words that Julie Beckman wrote on the Official Google AdSense blog: "In the past, our system would ask you to verify your information when your earnings reached $50. However, we've recently changed the threshold to $10. This lowered amount means many of you may see a PIN arrive in your mailbox soon, as well as a prompt in your account to verify your phone number. For more information about these holds, visit the links in the 'Required Actions' box on your Payment History page."
The AdSense team has been working hard as of late, to optimize user's experience with their program. They even introduced subscriptions to their news, so that no one misunderstands or is left out of the loop.