Vendably operates as a Google-approved Comparison Shopping Service (CSS). When your Google Shopping ads run under Vendably's CSS domain instead of Google's own CSS, you can pay up to 20% less per click for the same Shopping placements. CSS is always free for every Vendably user.
What a CSS does
Google Shopping runs on an auction. Advertisers bid for Shopping placements via Google's own CSS (called Google Shopping) or via an approved third-party CSS. Google's own CSS takes roughly a 20% margin from your bid, whereas a third-party CSS like Vendably does not, so the same placement competes at a lower effective CPC. The advantage is a bidding discount applied inside the auction, not a payment or refund that appears in your Google Ads account.
The user experience for your customers is identical: the same Shopping placement, the same product tile, the same click to your website. The only difference is that your ads are submitted through Vendably's CSS domain rather than directly through Google, which is what generates the cost saving.
CSS is separate from your campaign management
CSS is a billing mechanism, not a campaign management tool. Your Google Ads campaigns, bids, budgets, and targeting are all managed through your Google Ads account exactly as before. What changes is which CSS domain your Shopping ads are submitted through. Switching to Vendably CSS does not affect your campaign history, Quality Scores, or impression share.
How to switch
Switching from your current CSS to Vendably CSS requires a brief authorisation step in your Google Merchant Center account. Vendably's CSS section walks you through the switching process, which involves accepting a transfer request in Merchant Center. The switch typically takes effect within 24 hours.
If you are already advertising on Google Shopping through Google's own CSS, the switch is straightforward. If you use a different third-party CSS, you will need to end your arrangement with them before switching to Vendably.
There is no minimum ad spend and no eligibility tier for Vendably CSS. The only requirement is a Google Merchant Center account to switch onto Vendably's CSS domain. CSS is always free, with no paid upgrade and no credit card needed.
CSS and your existing Shopping feed
Your DataHub Google Shopping feed works with or without CSS. The feed defines which products are submitted to Merchant Center and in what format. CSS affects only the pricing of the clicks those listings generate, not the feed itself or the campaign management. Both capabilities work together: a well-optimised feed from DataHub gets your products approved and eligible to show; CSS ensures you pay less for each click those listings generate.
CSS for agencies
If you manage multiple merchant accounts through Vendably's Agency Platform, the agency CSS view lets you see and manage each client's CSS status across your portfolio, with aggregated CSS savings for the accounts you manage.