Google VLA | Installment Options Checklist
Feature Description:
When setting up Vehicle Listing Ads (VLA) in Google Merchant Center, you can use the installment attribute to display monthly payment options directly on the ad. This helps car shoppers see affordability at a glance.
Sub-attributes: You must provide the number of months (
months) and the monthly amount (amount).Optional Fields: You can also include the down payment (
downpayment) and the Annual Percentage Rate (apr).Credit Types: You can specify if the installment is for financing or a lease.
Requirements: The installment plan shown in the ad must match a plan clearly visible on your vehicle’s landing page (VDP).
This checklist is is designed to help you prepare your data and website to support Installment Options (Financing OR Leasing) within Google Vehicle Listing Ads (VLA).
Please note that the options are limited to passing either a Lease OR Finance offer per VIN within the dedicated installment column.
By providing these details via your Hoot Feeds, you can display monthly payments, APR, and down payment info directly in search results—a proven way to increase click-through rates and attract high-intent buyers.
Requirement Checklist for Google VLA Installment Options
Mandatory Feed Data (Sub-Attributes)
To enable monthly payment displays, the following data points must be provided for each vehicle in the Hoot Feed.
Finance Option | |
|---|---|
Amount ( | The monthly payment amount (e.g., |
Months ( | The total number of installments (e.g., |
APR ( | This must be a decimal (e.g., |
Down Payment ( | The upfront cost (e.g., |
Credit Type ( | Must specify |
Please Note: APR is required for US finance offers. Google automatically adds a disclaimer that APR is subject to credit approval.
Lease Option | |
|---|---|
Amount ( | The monthly payment amount (e.g., |
Months ( | The total number of installments (e.g., |
Down Payment ( | The upfront cost (e.g., |
Credit Type ( | Must specify |
Website & Landing Page Compliance
Google's automated bots will crawl the Vehicle Description Page (VDP) to verify the feed data.
Pricing Consistency: The monthly payment and terms (months/APR) in the feed must match what is displayed on the website.
Ease of Discovery: The installment plan details must be "straightforward to find." It shouldn't require a user to log in or fill out a form to see the basic representative example.
No Loyalty Requirements: The advertised rate cannot be contingent on a loyalty card or exclusive membership.
Legal Disclosures: Ensure your VDP includes standard financial disclosures (e.g., "Payment based on [X] months at [Y%] APR with $[Z] down") to comply with local advertising laws.
Technical Setup in Google Merchant Center (GMC)
Vehicle Ads Program: Ensure "Vehicle Ads" is already enabled in the Add-ons/Manage Programs section of GMC.
Primary Price Attribute: * For Finance/Purchase: The
priceattribute must reflect the full cash price.
Lease Only: If a vehicle is only available for lease, the price attribute should be set to 0.
Single Country Target: Installment attributes do not support cross-border trade. The feed must target a single country (e.g., USA).
Best Practices
Update Frequency: Ensure your Google Merchant Center data feed is set to fetch at least daily. Discrepancies between your feed price and website prices and payments will lead to item-level disapprovals.
Representative Examples: Since actual rates vary by credit score, Google uses your feed data as a "representative example." Ensure the data you provide represents a commonly available offer to avoid "bait and switch" flags.
Visual Impact: Using installments physically expands the size of your ad in search results, often pushing competitors further down the page.