Google Merchant Center Updates: Essential Changes Every Online Seller Must Know
New rules for pricing, sales tax, and more—Here’s how Google’s updates impact your business.
If you sell online, Google Merchant Center’s upcoming changes should be on your radar. Starting April 8 and continuing through July 1, new rules will affect how you display product information for your Shopping ads and free listings. These updates are designed to improve transparency and streamline processes, but they’ll also require you to adjust your product data.
Let’s break down the key updates and how they’ll affect your store.
🚨 Immediate Changes (April 8, 2025)
Google is rolling out three important updates starting on April 8. Here’s what’s changing:
- New Installment Pricing Rules
Google is cracking down on how installment products are listed. Now, installment plans must be displayed differently:
- The [price] attribute should only show the full price of the product if paid upfront.
- For installment products, use the [downpayment] sub-attribute within the [installment] attribute to indicate the initial payment.
This change ensures that customers are clearly aware of what they’ll pay upfront versus what’s owed over time.
- Updated Energy Labels for EU Countries
Google has revamped the way energy efficiency labels are displayed for EU countries:
- The old energy efficiency class attributes are being replaced with the more general [certification] attribute.
- This update supports both the new and old energy labels in the EU. For Norway, Switzerland, and the UK, the previous energy attributes will still apply.
EU sellers, make sure your product listings comply with these new standards for energy labels.
- Improved Delivery Options
Google is giving you more control over how delivery information is displayed:
- New attributes like [carrier_shipping] allow sellers to specify more detailed delivery options, including business days for handling and transit.
- These updates help show more accurate delivery times in your ads, giving shoppers the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
🔔 Changes Coming July 1, 2025
The next phase of updates will take effect on July 1. Here’s what’s changing:
- No More Member Pricing in Price Fields
If you offer membership discounts or loyalty program prices, you’ll need to update how you list them:
- Google will no longer allow member prices in the [price] or [sale_price] attributes.
- Instead, use the [loyalty_program] attribute to showcase member pricing.
If you don’t make this switch by July 1, your products may be disapproved.
- Goodbye Sales Tax Requirement for US Merchants
In a move to simplify things for US merchants, Google will no longer require sales tax information in Merchant Center. This includes the [tax] and [tax_category] attributes.
- No more submitting tax info after July 1.
- If your products were previously rejected for missing tax information, they might now appear in search results, potentially impacting your ad spend.
US sellers—this change means fewer hurdles for your listings and cleaner data.
💡 What These Updates Mean for Sellers
These changes aren’t just about compliance—they’re about improving how you interact with customers and streamline your operations. Here’s what you can expect:
- Installment pricing: Clearer displays of upfront costs vs. payment plans will help avoid confusion.
- Energy labels (EU): Streamlined attributes for compliance with evolving regulations.
- Loyalty pricing: A more accurate representation of member discounts and loyalty programs.
- Sales tax: A simpler process for US merchants, potentially eliminating issues with disapprovals.
By staying on top of these changes, you can optimize your listings and improve the overall experience for your customers.
🛠️ How to Get Ready for These Google Merchant Center Updates
To make sure your listings continue to perform well:
- Review your product feeds for outdated attributes.
- Update installment pricing if it applies to your products.
- EU sellers, switch to the new certification attribute for energy labels.
- Update how you handle loyalty pricing before July 1 to avoid disapproval.
- Watch for better performance on listings that were previously disapproved due to tax info.
By preparing early, you can take full advantage of these changes, improving both your product data and delivery information.
Stay Ahead of the Curve!
These updates are essential for every Google Merchant Center user, and adapting early will ensure you stay competitive. Don’t wait until the last minute—get your store ready today and benefit from the improvements these changes bring.
For more tips on navigating Google Merchant Center and ensuring your listings perform at their best, check out our latest guides and expert resources!
