Google Merchant Center is a powerful tool for increasing your store’s visibility and getting your products in front of more potential customers across various Google platforms. Customers can view detailed product information, including the delivery cost.
At times, Google may issue you a warning or even block your shipping rates from being displayed due to non-compliance. This typically happens when the actual shipping rates returned by Intuitive Shipping are higher than the delivery prices listed in your Google Merchant Center settings.
Why Higher Shipping Rates Are Non-Compliant
According to the Google Merchant Center Help Site, shipping cost is one of the most common reasons customers abandon their purchases. Because of this, Google aims to avoid showing misleading pricing information to potential buyers. For example, if Google lists your product with a $49.00 delivery cost but the customer is quoted $65.00 when checking out on your site, they may choose not to complete the purchase.
It’s the merchant’s responsibility to ensure that the shipping rates displayed on your store's website match the delivery prices listed in Google Merchant Center. When they don’t align, Google states:
"When the shipping costs in the Merchant Center are lower than those on the website during checkout, an account warning or suspension may occur."
That means if the actual shipping costs being returned by Intuitive Shipping on your site are higher than what is being listed by the Merchant Center, Google will consider your shipping costs to be non-compliant with their terms of service.
Resolve Non-Compliant Shipping Costs
To ensure that shipping costs returned by Intuitive Shipping remain lower than those listed in Google Merchant Center, Google recommends overestimating your delivery prices in Merchant Center. This approach helps prevent discrepancies if your site’s calculated rates fluctuate or can’t be matched exactly, reducing the risk of non-compliance and ensuring your listings remain visible.
Learn more about how to fix inaccurate shipping costs on Google Merchant Center.
If you have questions about compliance or need more information, contact Merchant Center Customer Service or your Google representative and ask for detailed instructions on how to inflate Merchant Center shipping costs.