Loyalty program [loyalty_program]

The loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute allows setting up of member pricing, member shipping, and loyalty points in your Merchant Center account. Adding the attribute helps Google to accurately represent the benefits of your loyalty program across Google properties.

On this page

When to use
Format
Minimum requirements
Best practices

When to use

Optional

Loyalty program [loyalty_program] is a group attribute that is optional for all products. It is used to specify member pricing, loyalty points, and member shipping for your product for members of the loyalty program you have set up in the Merchant Center. The attribute is available for merchants in countries where loyalty program is supported and is only required if you want to display offer level loyalty benefits. For example, points, member pricing, and member shipping.

Note: To display member shipping benefits, merchants also need to set up a new shipping policy for loyalty members. Learn more about Set up member shipping.

Format

Follow these formatting guidelines to make sure Google understands the data you're submitting. Learn when and how to submit your product data.

Formatting specifications
Technical name	`loyalty_program`
Type	String (Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only)
Sub-attributes	Program label `[program_label]` (required in multi-tier program): This is the loyalty program label set in your loyalty program settings in Merchant Center. This sub-attribute allows Google to map your loyalty program to eligible offers. Not required if your loyalty program only has one tier. Tier label `[tier_label]` (required in multi-tier program): The tier label `[tier_label]` sub-attribute differentiates offer level benefits between each tier. This value is also set in your program settings in the Merchant Center. Not required if your loyalty program only has one tier. Price `[price]` (optional): This sub-attribute allows you to add member specific pricing to your data source. This will display alongside the non-member price to give shoppers an idea of the benefits of joining your program. Note that this is different from the regular price `[price]` attribute. It is required to use this sub-attribute to submit member prices for both free and paid programs. Submitting member prices using price `[price]` or sale price `[sale_price]` isn’t allowed in countries where the loyalty program is supported. If you are targeting a combination of supported and non-supported regions for loyalty programs with a free-to-join tier, you can choose how to submit these free member prices. Cashback `[cashback_for_future_use]` (optional): Reserved for future use. Loyalty points `[loyalty_points]` (optional): Loyalty points `[loyalty_points]` indicate the points that the members gain on purchasing the product on your website. This needs to be a whole number as fractions aren’t supported. The loyalty points `[loyalty_points]` sub-attribute can be specified at the tier level. Member price effective date `[member_price_effective_date]` (optional): This sub-attribute allows merchants to specify when their member pricing benefit begins and ends. Shipping label `[shipping_label]` (optional): This sub-attribute allows merchants to specify which offers are eligible for member shipping. Choose your own definition for this value. Note: This is different from the regular shipping label `[shipping_label]`. For JP merchants, the only applicable loyalty benefit is loyalty points. In Merchant Center , you can set a default point earning ratio when you set up your loyalty program. All offers will default to displaying with this loyalty benefit. If you have products with point earnings that don’t match the default earning ratio, you can use program label `[program_label]`, tier label `[tier_label]`, and loyalty points `[loyalty_points]` in your loyalty program `[loyalty_program]` attribute to override the default.
Schema.org property (What's this?)	Learn more about Merchant listing (member pricing) structured data on Google Search Central.

File format examples

To ensure your attribute is recognized correctly, use the formatting specific to your data source type.

Data source format Examples

Text (TSV or CSV) data sources

Data source format	Examples
Text (TSV or CSV) data sources	Header: Format the attribute header by always including the sub-attributes you’re submitting. Include loyalty program `[loyalty_program]`, and then, in parentheses, add the names of the sub-attributes that you want to submit separated by a colon ( `:` ). Don't use quotation marks. Value: Format the value by submitting the value of each sub-attribute listed in the same order as in the header and separated by a colon ( `:` ). If you have a single-tier program, program_label and tier_label are not required. Attribute header: `loyalty_program(price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)` Possible value: `10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver` If you include the program label `[program_label]` and tier label `[tier_label]` in the header, this is also supported. Attribute header: `loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)` Possible value: `my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver` If you have a multi-tier program, `program_label` and `tier_label` are required. Separate the values for different membership tiers by commas. Don’t add space after the comma. Attribute Header: `loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)` Possible value: `my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD:20:loyalty_shipping_gold` Note: CSV is not supported for multi-tier programs. TSV file is recommended. If only some of your products have sub-attributes values, you can use colons ( `:` ) as placeholders. Remember to still acknowledge those placeholder fields in your attribute header. For example, if only some of your products are eligible for member price, your data should look like this: Attribute header: `loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price)` Possible value (Product with member price) `my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD` Possible value (Product without member price): `my_loyalty_program:silver:,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD`
XML data sources	`<g:loyalty_program>` `<g:program_label>my_loyalty_program</g:program_label>` `<g:tier_label>silver</g:tier_label>` `<g:price>10.00 USD</g:price>` `<g:loyalty_points>10</g:loyalty_points>` `<g:member_price_effective_date>2017-05-11T00:01:59-0800/2017-06-21T22:13:59-0800</g:member_price_effective_date>` `</g:loyalty_program>` `<g:loyalty_program>` `<g:program_label>my_loyalty_program</g:program_label>` `<g:tier_label>gold</g:tier_label>` `<g:price>9.00 USD</g:price>` `<g:loyalty_points>20</g:loyalty_points>` `<g:member_price_effective_date>2017-05-11T00:01:59-0800/2017-06-21T22:13:59-0800</g:member_price_effective_date>` `<g:shipping_label>loyalty_shipping_gold</g:shipping_label>` `</g:loyalty_program>`
Merchant API	To format your data in Merchant API, check the Merchant API documentation.

Header: Format the attribute header by always including the sub-attributes you’re submitting. Include loyalty program [loyalty_program], and then, in parentheses, add the names of the sub-attributes that you want to submit separated by a colon ( : ). Don't use quotation marks.

Value: Format the value by submitting the value of each sub-attribute listed in the same order as in the header and separated by a colon ( : ).

If you have a single-tier program, program_label and tier_label are not required.

Attribute header: loyalty_program(price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)

Possible value: 10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver

If you include the program label [program_label] and tier label [tier_label] in the header, this is also supported.

Attribute header: loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)

Possible value: my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver

If you have a multi-tier program, program_label and tier_label are required. Separate the values for different membership tiers by commas. Don’t add space after the comma.

Attribute Header: loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:shipping_label)

Possible value:

my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10:loyalty_shipping_silver,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD:20:loyalty_shipping_gold

Note: CSV is not supported for multi-tier programs. TSV file is recommended.

If only some of your products have sub-attributes values, you can use colons ( : ) as placeholders. Remember to still acknowledge those placeholder fields in your attribute header. For example, if only some of your products are eligible for member price, your data should look like this:

Attribute header:
loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price)

Possible value (Product with member price)
my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD

Possible value (Product without member price):
my_loyalty_program:silver:,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD

XML data sources

<g:loyalty_program>

<g:program_label>my_loyalty_program</g:program_label>

<g:tier_label>silver</g:tier_label>

<g:price>10.00 USD</g:price>

<g:loyalty_points>10</g:loyalty_points>

<g:member_price_effective_date>2017-05-11T00:01:59-0800/2017-06-21T22:13:59-0800</g:member_price_effective_date>

</g:loyalty_program>

<g:loyalty_program>

<g:program_label>my_loyalty_program</g:program_label>

<g:tier_label>gold</g:tier_label>

<g:price>9.00 USD</g:price>

<g:loyalty_points>20</g:loyalty_points>

<g:member_price_effective_date>2017-05-11T00:01:59-0800/2017-06-21T22:13:59-0800</g:member_price_effective_date>

<g:shipping_label>loyalty_shipping_gold</g:shipping_label>

</g:loyalty_program>

Merchant API To format your data in Merchant API, check the Merchant API documentation.

Note:

Ensure that the program label [program_label] and tier label [tier_label] sub-attributes of the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute match one of the program labels and tier labels configured under your Merchant Center account.
For Marketplace accounts, loyalty program should be set up at the MCA level and the program label [program_label] and tier label [tier_label] provided in the data source should be the ones from MCA. No need to set up a loyalty program at the sub-account level.
Always provide the sub-attributes you are submitting in the header in data sources. Missing sub-attributes in the header will lead to formatting error and you will notice a warning "Invalid format for sub-attributes [loyalty_program]" in the "Needs attention" tab.
If you're not able to provide the sub-attribute names in the header, you will need to provide all 7 sub-attributes in the value. The order listed above is how you should submit the value.

Format the [member_price_effective_date] sub-attribute:

Google sheets: Backslashes (“\") are needed in front of colons for the member price effective date [member_price_effective_date] sub-attribute.
Tab-delimited (or tab-separated values) data sources: Quotes (“) are needed for the member price effective date sub-attribute.
API or XML: Neither is needed.

Follow the formatting example if you’re using text data sources. The format is applicable to both primary and supplemental data sources.

Google Sheets

Header	`loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:member_price_effective_date:shipping_label)`
Value	`my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10::,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD:20:2017-05-11T00\:01\:59-0800/2017-06-21T22\:13\:59-0800:loyalty_shipping_gold`

Tab delimited text file

Header	`loyalty_program(program_label:tier_label:price:loyalty_points:member_price_effective_date:shipping_label)`
Value	`my_loyalty_program:silver:10 USD:10::,my_loyalty_program:gold:9 USD:20:”2017-05-11T00:01:59-0800/2017-06-21T22:13:59-0800”:loyalty_shipping_gold`

Minimum requirements

These are the requirements you'll need to meet to show your loyalty program benefits on Google. If you don't follow these requirements, we'll disapprove your loyalty program and let you know in your Merchant Center account.

Ensure adherence to Google’s editorial standards by reviewing the help center and making sure your benefits and program data meet requirements.
Ensure that the currency of the price [price] sub-attribute of the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute matches the currency of the price [price] and sale price [sale_price] attributes.
Ensure member prices provided to Google is the lowest possible price they can get. If there's a seasonal promotion that can be applied to the evergreen member price, provide the post-promotion price in the price [price] sub-attribute of the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute as the final member price.
Ensure that the member price for both free and paid tiers are submitted in the price [price] sub-attribute of the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute, and not in price [price] or sale price [sale_price] in countries where the loyalty program is supported. If you are targeting a combination of supported and non-supported regions for loyalty programs with a free-to-join tier, you can choose how to submit these free member prices.
Ensure the data provided to Google matches what’s showcased on your website. Google will check to make sure the benefits and program information submitted in Merchant Center aligns with the information displayed on your website.
Ensure member prices are clearly accessible on your website for members, whether through a loyalty overview page, a dedicated event page, or otherwise clearly communicated to members.
Ensure Member price effective date sub-attribute is provided when the member price is effective only for a certain period. If this is not specified, Google would assume this is effective all the time and may show an incorrect price to the users when the price is no longer live.
Use ISO 8601 standard to represent the effective dates for the Member price effective date [member_price_effective_date] sub-attribute.

Best practices

These best practices can help you go beyond the basic requirements to optimize your loyalty program data for performance.

In a single-tier loyalty program, you can choose not to provide program_label and tier_label. This will make the implementation easier and more straightforward.
Ensure that the price [price] sub-attribute of the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute is not higher than the price [price] attribute. Google will only showcase member pricing in ads when the member discount is >=5% or >=5 unit currency of regular price or sale price (when available).
Submit exact values for member pricing. For example, submit 1.01 USD instead of 1.0012 USD, otherwise we will round the submitted value.
Leverage the price sub-attribute under the loyalty_program attribute and make data source updates for member pricing instead of setting up a data source rule (unless 100% of your products are eligible for flat rate discount member pricing). This will improve accuracy and decrease the chances of dropping off of eligibility to show loyalty prices.
If you're selling products with minimum advertised pricing (MAP) agreements, submit the member price only when it’s compliant with MAP.
Show your member prices on your landing page using schema.org. This allows Google to crawl your data.

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