Shipping cost at checkout vs Merchant Center settings
Your checkout must never charge more for shipping than your Merchant Center settings say for the same basket and destination. Overestimating in Merchant Center is allowed; underquoting is the error Google has a fix page for. Test the real checkout, because that is where the cheap listing and the pricier basket finally meet.
You run this check yourself
Our scanner can’t see inside your Google accounts, so this one’s on you. Work through the checklist below without running a scan.
Why this matters
Google’s “How to fix: Inaccurate shipping costs” page describes the error in one line: “The shipping rates in your Merchant Center shipping settings or product data are lower than the shipping rates shown on your website during checkout.” It is written for accounts that have been warned or suspended for it, and it explains why: “Shipping costs are a major decision factor for online customers.” The fix runs one way. Update the settings or the [shipping] attribute to match your website, and “If you’re unable to provide exact shipping rates, you can slightly overestimate the costs provided in Merchant Center.”
The “Shipping [shipping]” attribute page sets the same bar: “Match or overestimate the cost users would pay. Note that overestimating excessively may negatively impact your product performance.” It counts any charge whose name includes shipping, delivery, handling, logistics or carrier as a shipping cost, so a “handling fee” line at checkout belongs in the Merchant Center figure too. It also says “Use the rate for shipping directly to an individual.” Not a cheaper ship-to-store price, and not a members-only price unless you set up the loyalty labels it describes.
Free-delivery thresholds are where gaps like to hide. Merchant Center has an order value condition for them, “Free shipping over a specific order value”, and the “Checkout requirements and best practices” page asks you to use it at the account level when free delivery needs a minimum spend. Set the threshold in one place and a basket just under it shows the difference at once. Fees beyond shipping have their own rules; see hidden checkout fees, and for the item price itself, price consistency from product page to cart.
Manual check: StoreVerifier cannot see your Merchant Center settings or place a paid order, so the side-by-side comparison is yours. The free scan walks the public checkout as far as it can. It reports as a failure a clear free-shipping promise that the checkout then charges for, and flags a checkout that shows no tax line before payment. Those checks are listed on the misrepresentation checker.
Typical evidence
Two shipping settings, one needs checking
Compare the shipping rate you submit with the shopper's checkout rate. When free-shipping thresholds differ, the public promise and checkout can conflict.
The public signals this check looks for:
Merchant Center says free shipping and checkout adds a delivery charge
Merchant Center says free shipping and checkout adds a delivery charge.
Merchant Center has a flat £3…
Merchant Center has a flat £3.99 and checkout charges £5.99 because the carrier put its prices up.
The free-delivery threshold is £30 in Merchant Center and £50 at checkout, so every basket…
The free-delivery threshold is £30 in Merchant Center and £50 at checkout, so every basket between them is quoted one price and charged another.
Checkout adds a “handling” line that is not included in the shipping cost in Merchant Cent…
Checkout adds a “handling” line that is not included in the shipping cost in Merchant Center.
Heavy or bulky items cost more to ship than the account-wide flat rate, and no product-lev…
Heavy or bulky items cost more to ship than the account-wide flat rate, and no product-level [shipping] value covers them.
What it looks like once it is right
Merchant Center: £4.95 including handling, free over £50, set with an order value condition. Checkout for a £40 basket: £4.95. For a £55 basket: free. Tested and dated after the carrier’s price change.
Common mistakes
Common mistake
Self-check steps
Test the basket right on the boundary
The threshold is one number that needs to agree across your submitted settings and checkout. Build a basket just under, just over, and well over the free-shipping cut-off, then record what the shopper is charged.
Investigator’s note
StoreVerifier compliance desk
Questions merchants ask
Can my Merchant Center shipping cost be higher than my checkout?
Slightly, yes. Google's inaccurate shipping costs fix page says you can slightly overestimate if you cannot provide exact rates, and the [shipping] attribute page says to match or overestimate, while warning that overestimating excessively may hurt product performance. Lower than checkout is the error.
Does a handling fee count as shipping in Merchant Center?
Yes. Google's [shipping] attribute page treats a charge as a shipping cost if its name includes shipping, delivery, handling, logistics or carrier. Include those fees in the shipping cost you submit, or stop charging them at checkout.
How do I set up free shipping over a threshold in Merchant Center?
Use the order value condition “Free shipping over a specific order value” in your shipping settings, at the same amount as your website. Google's checkout requirements ask for this at the account level when free shipping needs a minimum order value.
Remediation
Risk signal
Similar cases
Sources
- How to fix: Inaccurate shipping costs (feed vs checkout)Google Merchant Center Help — support.google.com
- Shipping [shipping] — cost, speed and handling in product dataGoogle Merchant Center Help — support.google.com
- Checkout requirements and best practicesGoogle Merchant Center Help — support.google.com
Last reviewed 25 Sep 2026.
That is one issue. The library documents 134.
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