Are you worried about the Price Mismatch errors in Google Merchant Center? As a Google Shopping expert, I know all too well how damaging this common mistake can be for your business. If there is a mismatch between the product price feed and the website, not only will your sales decrease, but your entire Merchant Center account may also be suspended.
In this blog post, we will delve deeper into this issue and show you step-by-step how to quickly resolve these errors and prevent such issues in the future. This guide will be extremely helpful in helping you make your e-commerce business a success.
What is Price Mismatch in Google Merchant Center?
Simply put, a price mismatch is a discrepancy between the price of a product listed in the product feed in Google Merchant Center and the price shown on the landing page of that product’s website. A ‘Mismatched value [price]‘ error is generated when Google’s crawler scans your website’s product page and sees that a different price is being displayed.
This error can occur in several ways. For example, a product in your feed costs $100, but on the website it costs $120. This type of ‘Merchant Error’ is against the fundamental principles of Google Shopping, which ensure a consistent and transparent shopping experience for consumers. These errors fall under Google’s “Misrepresentation Policy“, and repeated violations of this policy may put your account at risk.
Common Causes of Price Mismatch Errors
Price-mismatch errors are a common problem, but there can be several reasons behind it. Once these are identified, they become much easier to solve.
1. Outdated product feed
If your product prices change frequently, but your feed doesn’t update on time, this could be the problem. Especially, when you manually upload feeds, such inconsistencies are more common.
2. Slow feed update during sales/discounts
You can quickly change the price on the website during a special sale or discount, but if the feed update is delayed, the Google crawler finds the old price, resulting in errors.
3. CDN/dynamic pricing issues
Some websites use CDN (Content Delivery Network) for dynamic pricing or caching, which changes product prices based on visitors’ geographic location, device type, or other factors. This can confuse the Google crawler and fail to show the correct price.
4. Incorrectly structured data/GTIN mismatch
Google uses your website’s structured data to verify prices. If your website code (such as schema markup) contains an incorrect price or GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), it will not match the data in Merchant Center and generate errors.
5. Page Crawl discrepancies
If your website is not properly optimized for the Google crawler or has crawling problems, the crawler may not find the right price at the right time. This results in a ‘Page Crawl’ error.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Fix Price Mismatch Errors
Fixing the Google Merchant Center price mismatch error isn’t difficult. You can fix these issues yourself by following the simple steps below.
Step 1: Verify feed vs website price
First, go to the ‘Diagnostics’ tab in the Merchant Center and view the list of affected products. Then manually compare the price given in the feed and the price shown on the website for each product. Make sure the same price and currency are used in both places.
Step 2: Regular feed updates
Schedule your feed uploads regularly. If your product prices change frequently, schedule your feed to update multiple times a day or every few hours.
Step 3: Enable Automatic Item Updates
Go to the ‘Automatic Improvements’ settings in Merchant Center and turn on the ‘Automatic item updates’ option. This feature allows the Google crawler to update product prices and stock directly from your website, reducing the risk of manual errors. The Google crawler usually verifies your changes within 12 hours.
Step 4: Test Page Crawl results
Test your product landing pages using Google’s Rich Results Test Tool. Make sure the structured data is set correctly and the crawler is not getting any errors.
Step 5: Review structured data & variants
If your product has multiple variants (eg, different colors or sizes), make sure each variant has a separate URL and correct price in the structured data. This is a common cause of the ‘Mismatched Value [Price]’ error.
Step 6: Contact Google Merchant Center support
If none of the above solutions work, contact the Google Merchant Center support team directly. Send them a detailed description of your problem and a list of affected products.
Advanced Fixes for Complex Websites
If your website is somewhat complex, simple solutions may not be enough. In such situations some advanced procedures can be followed
Multiple Currency and Region Management: If your website displays different prices for different countries, specify the correct price and currency for each region in the feed. Make sure that the website displays the correct currency for the user’s location.
Solutions for WooCommerce and Shopify: To resolve WooCommerce price mismatch or Shopify product feed issues, you can use a third-party feed management tool that syncs with your store to ensure real-time updates. Sometimes, themes can also create incorrect structured data, which needs to be fixed by a developer.
CDN and Caching Troubleshooting: If your website uses a CDN (Content Delivery Network), make sure that it is not serving old cached pages to Googlebot, but rather the latest version.
Using the Merchant Center API: For products with frequent price changes, using the Google Merchant Center API is the best solution to ensure real-time updates. This will allow you to update the feed directly through programming.
How to Prevent Future Price Mismatch Errors
Once the problem is resolved, it is important to keep an eye out to avoid this type of error in the future:
- Automated feed sync: Set up automatic feed sync instead of manually uploading feeds.
- Scheduled updates during promotions: Create a schedule for feed updates before or after a sale or discount.
- Structured data validation: Check your website’s structured data regularly.
- Using Merchant Center feed rules: Fix any mistakes in feed rules, which automatically change your feed data.
FAQs About Price Mismatch Errors in Google Merchant Center
How to call Google Merchant Center support?
There is no option to speak directly with Google Merchant Center Support over the phone. However, you can contact them via email or chat via ‘Contact Us’ in the ‘Help’ section.
Why are prices .99, .95, .90 instead of whole numbers?
Psychologically, prices ending in .99 or .95 attract buyers. This makes it appear as if the product is priced slightly lower, which helps increase sales.
How to price items correctly?
Consider profit, competitors’ prices and market demand to determine the right price of the product. Make sure your feed and website prices are always the same.
Is price matching price fixing?
No, Price matching allows the customer to buy the product at your store’s price with the price of another store they visit. It is not price fixing by any means.
What proof is needed for a price match?
Usually, a link to another store’s official website or a screenshot of the ad is sufficient for a price match.
What happens if I don’t fix a price mismatch error?
If you do not resolve a price mismatch error, your product ads may be disabled. Repeatedly making this mistake may result in temporary suspension of your Merchant Center account. Generally, Google gives you 28 days to resolve the issue.
Conclusion
Price mismatch errors are a common problem, but if left unresolved, they can pose a serious threat to your e-commerce business. You can effectively address these issues by regularly updating your feed, using automated updates, and ensuring proper structured data.
Over the past few years, we at ecomhustle.net have helped hundreds of e-commerce businesses resolve Google Merchant Center suspensions and feed errors. Our experience proves that a proper feed management strategy and real-time data sync are the backbone of a successful Google Shopping campaign.
Need expert help?
If you need expert help fixing your Google Merchant Center errors or getting feed optimization services, contact us at ecomhustle.net today. We are ready to create an error-free and profitable Google Shopping strategy for your business.
