How it works
Pay ~20% less per click on Google Shopping. Same ads, same placements.
The one-line version
You are currently paying more per Google Shopping click than you need to. Switching to a CSS Partner brings your cost-per-click down by around 20%. Your ads look identical. Your campaigns stay exactly as they are. You go live in 24 hours.
Why does this exist?
Not because Google decided to be generous.
In June 2017, the European Commission fined Google EUR 2.42 billion (case AT.39740) for giving its own Google Shopping service an unfair advantage over rival comparison services. The remedy: Google was required to open the Shopping auction to authorised Comparison Shopping Services (CSSs) on equal terms.
"Equal terms" means that when an authorised CSS submits a bid on your behalf, your full bid enters the auction directly. When you run through Google directly, Google takes a margin first. That margin is roughly where the 20% goes.
This is not a promotional offer. It is a regulatory requirement that has been in force since 2017, confirmed by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2024.
What actually changes for your shop
Nothing your customers see. Everything you pay per click.
Your Shopping ads appear in the same positions. They show the same products, images, titles and prices. The only visible difference is a small grey line beneath each ad that shows your CSS provider instead of "Google". Most shoppers do not notice it.
What changes for you:
- Cost-per-click: around 20% lower from day one.
- Campaigns: untouched. Same bids, budgets, targeting and structure.
- Merchant Center: your account, your data, your ownership.
- Google Ads account: we do not have access to it. We connect at the Merchant Center level only.
What the saving looks like at your spend level
The 20% is on your CPC, which means the impact grows with your Shopping spend.
| Monthly Shopping spend | Approx. monthly saving | Subscription cost | Net saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 € | ~40 € | 20 € | 20 € |
| 500 € | ~100 € | 20 € | ~80 € |
| 1.000 € | ~200 € | 20 € | ~180 € |
| 2.000 € | ~400 € | 20 € | ~380 € |
| 5.000 € | ~1.000 € | 20 € | ~980 € |
These are arithmetic estimates based on a 20% CPC reduction. Your actual saving depends on your campaigns and product category. Most shops see 15 to 25%.
The subscription pays for itself in the first few days of the month at almost any meaningful Shopping spend level.
How to switch: 3 steps, 24 hours
Step 1: Sign up at The CSS Partner and pay right away via Stripe. Your subscription starts. Takes about five minutes.
Step 2: Approve the Merchant Center connection request we send you. One click in your Google Merchant Center. You do not change anything in Google Ads.
Step 3: We configure the CSS on our side. Within 24 hours, your ads are running through The CSS Partner and your lower CPC is in effect.
Your campaigns run continuously throughout. No pausing, no relearning phase, no downtime.
One price. Everything included.
20 €/month. All 21 European CSS markets. No setup fee. No contract. Cancel any time.
Direct human support based in Aarhus, Denmark. You write to us, we respond. No ticket queue.
What to look for in a CSS partner
Any authorised CSS gives you the same lower cost-per-click. What actually sets providers apart is price, lock-in, and support. Here is how we answer:
| What to look for | The CSS Partner |
|---|---|
| Price | Flat: 20 € per month per shop. All 21 European CSS countries included, with no per-country fee and no setup fee. |
| Hidden fees | None. The price on the page is the price. Prices are excl. VAT. |
| Lock-in | None. Pay monthly, cancel any time. |
| Support | A real person: Magnus, from Aarhus, direct contact. No ticket queue. |
| Guarantee | 60-day guarantee. |
| Authority | Built directly on the EU ruling (case AT.39740), and you can check our own ad live: the source line switches to By TheCSSPartner. |
| Languages and coverage | 29 languages on one domain, with real translators per market. |
