Google Checkout Promotions feature supported?

[AbleMods]

Google Checkout appears to be doing something new. They're offering a GC-side promotion setup that discounts orders paid through GC.

Is this something supported by the AC7 GC gateway?

Excerpt from the GC site:

This promotion is an opportunity to offer Google Checkout users a merchant-funded discount, pre-tax and shipping, and limit one per customer. There is no technical integration required. During the promotion we'll change your standard Google Checkout button to a special promotional button that features an orange starburst labeled with the discount amount. When the minimum cart requirement is met, the discount will automatically appear for buyers when they shop with Google Checkout.

[Robbie@FireFold]

I would like to hear on this also. My customers love discounts!

If I can give them a discount on someone elses dime that would be great.

[jmestep]

The small print?

merchant-funded discount

[Robbie@FireFold]

The small print?

merchant-funded discount

Doh.

I was thinking this was like the $10 off $10 they offered when it first came out.

[AbleMods]

Never underestimate the power of a visually different Google Checkout graphic on every Google ad or product feed listing for your site.

[Robbie@FireFold]

That's a very valid point.

Hopefully someone can chime in and point us in the right direction on this.

[Robbie@FireFold]

Found this - http://www.hypercup.org/google-checkout ... -2008-307/

[AbleMods]

Based on the numbers the GC interface gives my account, they are assuming you have at least a 16.6% markup in your products.

Anything less and you're taking a loss on every single purchase made via the promotion.

After charge card processing fees, you'd pretty much need a minimum of 20% markup to have anything to show at the end of the day.

If I'm going to throw 95% of my profit away, I'll do it with more Google Ads and CPC marketing.

Pass.

[draneb]

I ran Google Checkout's "Back to School" discount promotion when I was running AC 5.5 and everything went fine.

Of course we are now talking about 7.0 but I just wanted to let you know I did run that promotion and it was supported back then.

[combra]

Based on the numbers the GC interface gives my account, they are assuming you have at least a 16.6% markup in your products.

Anything less and you're taking a loss on every single purchase made via the promotion.

After charge card processing fees, you'd pretty much need a minimum of 20% markup to have anything to show at the end of the day.

If I'm going to throw 95% of my profit away, I'll do it with more Google Ads and CPC marketing.

Pass.

Joe, I got invited to this exact Google Checkout promotion as well. They usually only invite the top Google Checkout merchants. I look at it as more of an advertising expense than discounts, as you are suppose to get a special google checkout button, plus you should be in their press release page, which usually gets picked up by many industry blogs and online news sources. I think I'm going to give it a try, and as the terms says, I can cancel it whenever I want.

The only thing that I found related to API was this, http://code.google.com/apis/checkout/de ... tions.html . I think all that has to be done is to enable the promotion notification feature in your Google Checkout Merchant Integration settings. I don't know if AC has to do anything else.

-Brandon

[AbleMods]

I'm for some privileged marketing from Google as much as the next guy. I just don't have those kinds of margins built in.

Maybe it'd work better than I think - internet marketing ROI is such a phantom figure anyways

[Robbie@FireFold]

Ah shucks. I just started Google Checkout 3 weeks ago when we went live with Able. Guess we haven't done enough in that limited amount of time to get the promotion.

[AbleMods]

Ah shucks. I just started Google Checkout 3 weeks ago when we went live with Able. Guess we haven't done enough in that limited amount of time to get the promotion.

It has to be random, I don't have that many GC orders. Your 3 weeks worth is probably more than my 90 days worth.

I think I get maybe 2 a day via GC. Half of my store is GC-disabled due to incorrect shipping methods being sent to GC from AC7 - got tired of losing money on these little $20-something orders.

[combra]

Is anyone that was invited by Google participating in Google Checkout's Holiday promotion? I believe that it begins today, but I'm still on the fence on whether to participate or not.

[AbleMods]

Is anyone that was invited by Google participating in Google Checkout's Holiday promotion? I believe that it begins today, but I'm still on the fence on whether to participate or not.

Not me. Economy is junk. I'm going conservative for a while until things return to some sense of rational economic behavior. Besides, Google gets enough of my money as it is now.