Choosing The Right CSS Partner

CSS: A Brief Introduction

Comparison shopping service (CSS) partners are third-party companies that enable shoppers to compare products and prices from multiple retailers in one place before making a purchase decision. When a business sets up their Shopping Ads, they are automatically displayed through Google’s own comparison shopping service, known as Google Shopping. A CSS partner can replace Google Shopping and present your products in the Shopping Carousel as usual.   

So, why choose a third-party CSS Partner?

In 2017, the EU issued Google a €2.4 billion for unfairly favouring its own comparison service, Google Shopping in search results. CSS partners filed complaints arguing that Google was breaching competition rules, and the EU agreed. 

As a result, Google introduced changes to make the market more competitive. This included giving CSSs greater bidding power through margin-free CPCs, as well as training and support to help them guide retailers within the Shopping landscape and improve ad performance. 

That’s why by switching to a CSS partner, you can reduce your cost per click (CPC) by up to 20%. However, this benefit only applies within the European Economic Area and the UK, which is why CSS partners are particularly relevant for businesses advertising in those regions. 

However, if you’re advertising in territories outside the EU, you can still run Shopping ads via a third-party CSS; the CPC discount just won’t apply. 

How does the discount work?

When you advertise through Google Shopping directly, part of your bid is effectively kept by Google’s own service as a ‘handling fee’. 

When you switch to a third-party CSS partner, more of your bid goes straight into the auction itself. This makes your ads more competitive in the auction without increasing your actual bid, often resulting in improved cost-per-click efficiency – with savings of up to 20%. 

For example, if you bid £0.80 through a third-party CSS, it can perform like a £1.00 bid in the auction compared to a £1.00 bid placed through Google Shopping’s CSS. Meaning, a third-party CSS can make your budget go further.  

Which CSS should I choose?

When deciding a CSS Partner, it is important to choose the one who will best align with your business goals. With CSS Partners, each one operates differently, which can make it unclear which is the best fit for you and your business. However, to help you make your decision easier and well-informed, we have created a checklist of questions to ask when considering a third-party CSS.  

• Do they have an established reputation; ideally a Google CSS Premium Partner or longstanding CSS provider? 

• Do they offer the service model I need (managed, self-service, or hybrid)? 

• Are they transparent with pricing (CPC margin, commission, or fixed fee)? 

• Do they demonstrate the ability to reduce Google Shopping CPCs (via CSS benefits)? 

• Do they support our countries, languages, and product categories? 

• Is the switching process simple with minimal disruption (Google confirms campaigns continue uninterrupted)? 

• Do they offer tools for feed accuracy, campaign automation, optimisation and reporting? 

• Are they more than just a tool but act as a growth partner offering strategy? 

• Can they provide access to expertise, industry knowledge, and ongoing optimisation? 

• Will I be able to easily reach someone for support? 

At Productcaster, we take a unique approach within the CSS landscape. As a subscription-based service, our fees don’t increase as your business grows – meaning you’re never penalised for success. Our priority is simple: we want our clients to scale and perform. 

As a Google Premium Partner, Productcaster provides expert service, priority support, and access to early features and insights. We currently operate across 21 EU countries. 

Delivering a premium client experience is central to our ethos. That’s why we offer proactive troubleshooting support, monthly updates on Google best practices, and Productcaster news and insights. Our dedicated Client Success Team is always on hand to assist with troubleshooting queries, Google ticket support, and strategic guidance; with deep expertise in Shopping. 

How easy is it to switch to Productcaster?

To onboard you, Productcaster only needs 3 things: your Merchant Centre ID, logo and API Key (JSON file) – this is quick and easy, and we are always available to guide you through each process. We submit the switch request on our side; you’ll receive a notification in your Merchant Centre or via email and all you’ll need to do is accept. Your ads will then begin to be served ‘by Productcaster’ and start accessing the benefits of the CPC saving.  

That said, Productcaster is more than just a CSS. We also offer a range of tools that can support you with improving the quality of your product feed and strengthening overall inventory visibility. These solutions include: 

• ProductMaximiser – our product opportunity booster 

• FeedManager  –  our feed management and optimisation tool 

• ProductTester  – our new testing app for understanding how products perform in search 

Our ProductMaximiser analyses your feed with a series of plug-and-play, interactive dashboards to quickly spot product drop off/errors and optimisation opportunities. It prioritises fixes and improvements to capture more opportunity and boost visibility across your shopping campaigns. 

FeedManager is a tool made by marketers, for marketers; this ensures it is easy to use. With this solution you can automate, optimise and enrich your product feeds at scale and publish them to multiple advertising channels. Being able to do this from one platform ensures ease of management and aims to improve reach, accuracy and ROI.  

And lastly, ProductTester answers the question around how well your optimisations have improved performance. With ProductTester, you run SKU-level experimentation by running controlled tests on product feed attributes (like titles, descriptions, and images) to scientifically identify which changes driver better ad performance and higher returns. 

So, to best position yourself on the shopping carousel and boost your visibility, consider Productcaster as to be your new CSS Partner… because here at Productcaster we ‘make every product matter’. Contact one of our experts today!

References:  

BBC – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjw3e1pn741o 

European Commission –  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_1784 

Google Merchant Help Centre – https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/12653197?hl=en-GB#:~:text=FAQ-,How%20it%20works,of%20merchants%20that%20they%20represent. 

Google Shopping Help – https://support.google.com/googleshopping/answer/9128904?hl=en 

Productcaster – https://www.productcaster.com/