Missing Installment
installment is a structured attribute that describes available installment payment plans for your product. It includes the number of installments and the price per installment. Google displays this information in Shopping results as 'or 4 x $12.50' below the full price, signaling to shoppers that financing is available. For products above certain price thresholds (typically $50+), installment display can increase CTR by 15–30% because it reduces perceived cost barrier.
Missing value [installment] (recommended for eligible products)Impact: Missing installment is a Warning that affects conversion rate, not product approval. When you offer BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) via services like Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, or Affirm, the installment attribute tells Google to display 'or 4 payments of $X' in Shopping results. Without it, shoppers don't see payment plan options until checkout — missing a critical conversion lever, especially for higher-priced items.
Root Causes
- 1You offer BNPL at checkout but don't pass installment data to Google — no structured attribute in the feed.
- 2Your BNPL provider (Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay) configures itself dynamically at checkout based on cart value, but your feed doesn't reflect this.
- 3Installment data varies by product price — you'd need to calculate per-product installments but haven't set up the logic.
- 4Your feed template doesn't include installment as a column.
- 5Your BNPL is for specific product categories only, and those products don't have the installment attribute populated.
Fix by Platform
- 1If you use Shop Pay Installments, Affirm, Klarna, or Afterpay: the installment data can be calculated from product price.
- 2Add a metafield: Settings → Custom data → Products → Add definition. Namespace: 'google', Key: 'installment', Type: Multi-line text. Format: 'months:4, amount:X.XX USD'.
- 3For automated calculation: use a Shopify Flow or your feed app's calculation rules to divide the product price by the number of installments (typically 4 for Afterpay/Klarna, 3-12 for Affirm).
- 4In your feed app: map installment to the google.installment metafield. For Simprosys: Feed Settings → Attribute Rules → installment → custom formula: 'months:4, amount:{{ variant.price | divided_by: 4 | money_without_currency }} USD'.
- 5Only set installment for eligible products (e.g., above $35 minimum for most BNPL providers).
{% assign installment_amount = variant.price | divided_by: 4 | divided_by: 100.0 %}
months: 4
amount: {{ installment_amount }} USDWhen This Doesn't Apply
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the correct format for installment?+
Two fields: 'months' (integer, number of installments) and 'amount' (price per installment with currency). In XML: <g:installment><g:months>4</g:months><g:amount>12.50 USD</g:amount></g:installment>. In CSV: 'months:4, amount:12.50 USD'. The 'months' field name is misleading — it actually represents the number of payments, not necessarily months (Klarna's 4 payments are bi-weekly, not monthly). Use 'months' regardless of the actual interval.
What if I offer multiple installment options (3, 6, 12 months)?+
You can submit only one installment plan in the attribute. Pick your most popular or standard option (typically 4 payments for Klarna/Afterpay, 3 for Affirm's baseline). Other options can still apply at checkout — the feed attribute just shows one preview. Google plans to support multiple installment options in the future but this isn't available yet.
Which products should have installment set?+
Products that meet your BNPL provider's minimum threshold (Klarna: $35+, Afterpay: $35+, Affirm: $50+). Products below the threshold shouldn't include installment because it's not available for them. For products above the threshold, installment display is recommended — it consistently improves CTR for higher-priced items.
Does installment affect Google's ranking or visibility?+
Not directly in Google's ranking algorithm. But installment display improves CTR (click-through rate), which is a positive signal for ad quality. Higher CTR leads to better ad placement and lower cost-per-click over time. Installment is a performance optimization rather than a visibility requirement.