Google Shopping Actions makes selling on Google not only possible, but also affordable and scalable. And Google has done a great job of rolling out the program and educating sellers and service providers along the way. But like any marketing platform, there's bound to be questions about the setup, the process, timelines, etc. That's true of the sellers we've helped onboard into the program and it'll probably be true for you (future Shopping Actions seller) too.
We've compiled our customers' most frequently asked questions to help you clarify these fuzzy aspects. Additional questions will be added as they come up so be sure to check back (or ask us) if you don’t see your question listed.
Now let’s dive in.
Where do my products appear with Google Shopping Actions?
People can shop for your products on Google Express a few different ways. The most common is via the Google Express website, express.google.com.
A second method is the Google Express app for iOS and Android.
Finally, there’s the Google Assistant (on Google Home and web-enabled phones and TVs), which lets shoppers search products, add products to their Express cart and even complete orders using voice.
What are Google Express’ commission rates?
In general, commission rates for Google Shopping Actions range from 5-20% with a mode average of 12%. See the full commission rates table here.
How often are payouts made?
Once the order has been marked as shipped in Merchant Center, that's a signal to Google’s systems that the order value is ready to be sent to the bank account via ACH. Once a day, this transfer is made for all orders that have been marked as shipped.
How are orders fulfilled?
You, the retailer, are responsible for fulfillment. Here is a list of carriers supported by Google Shopping Actions:
- UPS
- USPS
- FedEx
- DHL
- eCourier
- CXT
- OnTrac
- Emsy
- Ont
- Deliv
- Dynamex
- Lasership
- MPX
- UDS
Can I use third party fulfillment tools?
Google does not currently have any direct insight on which OMS systems are being applied, but here is a general article on integrating an OMS API.
How are refunds processed?
Once returned items are processed at the merchant's returns facility, merchants go into Merchant Center and process refunds. Alternatively they use the OMS API to send signals to Merchant Center to initiate refunds.
See this article on Google Returns to learn more.
Why are payments grayed out? (permissions issue during setup)
Most issues results when the user is not assigned the correct roles in Merchant Center. Follow these steps:
- Click on the three dots on the top right hand corner of your Merchant Center Account.
- Select users.
- Click on your email.
- From here, select “Payments manager” and “Payments analyst” and click save at the bottom of the page.
What promotions are available on Shopping Actions?
There are two types of promotions available on the Shopping Actions platform:
- Merchant Funded promotions. For these promotions, you allocate the budget yourself.
- Google Funded promotions. For these promotions, Google covers the cost of the discount or free shipping depending on the promo type.
How do I exclude products from Google Funded promotions?
Excluding orders from being a subject of Google Funded promo should be done by implementing google_funded_promotion_eligibility attribute. But please note this doesn't cover free shipping.
Here is an example of how to use this attribute in the Content API:
"customAttributes": [
{
"name": "quantity",
"type": "int",
"value": "66"
},
{
"name": "google_funded_promotion_eligibility",
"type": "text",
"value": "all"
}
],
Can I exclude products from Google’s free shipping promo?
Google is currently paying for shipping on orders between $15 and $75. If you want to explicitly exclude their products from this Google promotion, your Google rep can configure that on your behalf.
There is no API ready for this exclusion at this time.
Can I opt out of the promotions entirely?
You can opt products of Google's site-wide promotions in two ways. Either via your feeds, or via content API, depending on your integration.
Here are your two options for opting out of promotions:
- Adding column into the Product Feed:(by default it marks products as "ALL") in the google_funded_promotion_eligibility field you can mark either "ALL" or "NONE"
- Content API:
- Values: ALL or None
- Name: google_funded_promotion_eligibility
- Location: within “customAttributes”
How long does the review process take?
The approval process has two parts:
- The initial review after submitting the Google Shopping Actions interest form.
- Once approved for entry, there is a second process which requires you to provide additional info -- i.e., shipping, tax, returns, branding, etc. -- for further vetting.
The turn around for both processes is 1-2 business days. From time to time, the Google Shopping Actions approval team’s volume increases and creates delays. During these high-volume situations, 24-48 hours is the typical response time.
Can’t find the question you were looking for?
Ask us. We’ll put our Google Shopping Actions experts on the case.
