Google expands Merchant Center loyalty features to 14 countries and AI surfaces
Member perks are now baked into product listings — and showing up on Gemini and AI Mode for the first time.
Google has recently expanded its Merchant Center loyalty features to 14 countries, integrating these enhancements into its AI-powered shopping experiences. By embedding member perks directly into product listings, Google aims to make loyalty programs more visible and accessible to shoppers, potentially driving higher engagement and sign-ups.
The new updates allow retailers to highlight member-exclusive pricing and shipping options within their product listings. This means that shoppers can now see the benefits of a retailer's loyalty program right at the moment of purchase discovery, without needing to navigate to a separate app or website. Additionally, loyalty annotations have been expanded to include local inventory ads and regional Shopping ads, making it easier for retailers to promote in-store or geography-specific perks.
The integration of loyalty features into Google's AI-first surfaces, such as AI Mode and Gemini, further enhances the shopping experience. By surfacing member offers at a new layer of the search experience, Google is making it more convenient for shoppers to access tailored offers, which can lead to increased click-through rates and conversions.
According to Google, some retailers have already reported a 20% lift in click-through rates when showcasing tailored offers to existing loyalty members. This demonstrates the potential impact of embedding loyalty benefits directly into product listings and search results.
The expansion of Merchant Center loyalty features covers 14 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US. Retailers can activate the loyalty add-on in Merchant Center, configure member tiers, and set up pricing and shipping attributes to begin showcasing their loyalty benefits.
To display strikethrough pricing and shipping perks to known members, retailers must connect Customer Match lists in Google Ads. For US-based merchants, Google is offering a pilot program that uses Customer Match as a relationship data source for free listings. This could potentially expand loyalty reach without requiring additional ad spend, further enhancing the benefits of the loyalty program for both retailers and shoppers.
In conclusion, Google's expansion of Merchant Center loyalty features and integration with AI-powered shopping experiences represents a significant step forward in personalizing the shopping journey. By making loyalty programs more visible and accessible, Google is helping retailers to engage with their customers on a deeper level, ultimately driving higher conversion rates and customer loyalty.
