Retailers can now link their PayPal and Google Merchant Center accounts

When Google announced last month that its Shopping search results would include free listings, it also announced an integration with PayPal. That integration is now live.

Retailers and brands using PayPal as a checkout option on their sites can link their PayPal accounts to their Google Merchant Center accounts in order to onboard products for listings across Google. If you’re new to Google Merchant Center, the PayPal connection can also speed up the merchant verification process.

How to get started. After you log into Google Merchant Center, click on the Tools icon in the upper left navigation and then “Linked accounts” under the Settings menu. Select “Platforms” and you’ll see the option to link your PayPal account.

You’ll need to opt into Surfaces across Google in order to have your products eligible to appear in organic listings on Google Shopping, Search, Images and elsewhere.

Why we care. For now, PayPal is the only platform listed, but Google says, “Soon there will be more platforms to choose from.” These types of integrations lower the barrier to entry for merchants to get their products on Google. This helps retailers expand to new unpaid channels and helps Google broaden the universe of products it can show users.