Google turns Shopping Ads into “Subscribe & Save.” Contractors: here’s when it’s worth your time

By techgrad | October 16, 2025

Google now lets U.S. merchants promote physical-goods subscriptions directly in Shopping ads, enabling a Subscribe & Save-style offering. Eligible categories include home & garden, apparel, coffee, healthcare (excluding prescriptions), personal care, pet supplies, prepared foods, and toys, and merchants must add the subscription_cost attribute with period and amount. Contractors who ship replenishable items can leverage this for recurring revenue, retention, and smoother shoulder-season cash flow, though only one subscription price per landing page is allowed and subscription discounts aren’t yet supported. If you don’t ship products or your ecommerce operations are weak, prioritize lead generation via Search/LSA before testing Shopping subscriptions.

TL;DR Google now lets U.S. merchants sell physical goods on subscription directly in Shopping ads. If you ship replenishable items (filters, humidifier pads, UV bulbs, water softener salt, drain treatment, IAQ cartridges), this can lock in recurring revenue and smooth seasonality. You’ll need the subscription_cost attribute in your feed, a landing page with one subscription price, and you can’t run subscription discounts yet. If you don’t ship product, skip it and keep driving calls via Search/LSA.

What changed (in plain English)

  • New capability: U.S. merchants can promote physical goods subscriptions in Google Shopping ads.
  • Eligible categories: Apparel, coffee, healthcare (no prescription drugs), home & garden, personal care, pet supplies, prepared foods, toys. Home & garden is where most contractor-friendly SKUs live.
  • Feed requirement: Add subscription_cost with billing period (week/month/year), period length, and amount.
  • Limitations: Only one subscription price per landing page. No native subscription sales/discounts yet.

Why contractors should care (or not)

I’m a “calls not clicks” guy. For most HVAC/plumbing/electrical shops, Shopping isn’t your main acquisition engine—Search and Local Services Ads are. But if you ship replenishable goods, this subscription toggle matters because:

  • Recurring revenue: Predictable, higher LTV. Think MERV filters every 3 months, humidifier pads each winter, UV bulbs annually, water softener salt monthly, enzyme drain treatment, RO/IAQ cartridges.
  • Retention flywheel: Subscriptions keep your brand front-and-center between service calls and can feed club memberships.
  • Shoulder-season cash flow: Recurring orders blunt summer/winter demand swings.
  • Early-mover edge: Few contractors run Shopping subscriptions today. Less competition = cheaper CAC while it lasts.

When to ignore it: you don’t ship product, your ecommerce ops are shaky (fulfillment, returns, cancellations), or your phone isn’t ringing enough. Fix lead gen first.

How to implement without wasting money

1) Product and landing page

  • One subscription price per page: Google requires it. Pick the cadence that fits how the product is used (e.g., every 3 months for filters).
  • Disclose billing clearly: Show cadence (month/quarter/year), price per cycle, and first-charge timing. Reduce surprise = reduce churn.
  • Cart must support recurring billing: Your platform or app should handle renewals, address changes, and cancellations.
  • Own the “why subscribe” message: Convenience, timely replacement, better system performance, bundle with your maintenance plan.

2) Merchant Center feed

  • Add subscription_cost: Include billing period (week/month/year), period length (e.g., 3), and amount (e.g., 24.00).
  • Create distinct SKUs: Separate one-time purchase SKUs from subscription SKUs to avoid conflicts and make reporting cleaner.
  • Category mapping: Assign eligible Google product categories (home & garden for most contractor SKUs) to pass policy review.

3) Campaign structure

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