An agency can earn from Google CSS in two ways. It can refer e-commerce clients to a CSS partner and collect a commission, or it can offer CSS under its own brand with a white label plan and set its own price. Both give the client the same CPC advantage over Google Shopping Europe. What differs is how much the agency earns, how much risk it takes and whose name appears on the ads.
This article puts numbers on both models using Feedve's current terms. For how white label works technically, see What is white label CSS?; for how to win the clients in the first place, see How agencies sell Google CSS to clients.
The two models at a glance
| Affiliate (referral) | White label | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays Feedve | The client, for Feedve Pro: €20/month or €200/year | The agency: €199/month or €1,990/year |
| What the agency earns | 20% of every subscription payment, for as long as the client stays | What it charges clients, minus the plan fee |
| Fixed cost | None | The plan fee, with or without clients |
| Clients included | No limit | Unlimited clients and products, no per-client fees |
| Brand on clients' ads | Feedve | Your agency |
| Client billing | Client pays Feedve directly | You invoice your client |
| Attribution | 12 months from the first click on your link | Not needed – the clients are yours |
| CPC advantage vs. Google Shopping Europe | Up to 20% | Up to 20% |
What the affiliate model pays
With the Feedve affiliate program you earn 20% of every subscription payment a referred client makes, with no cap. For Feedve Pro that means:
- €4 a month per client on the monthly plan (€48 a year);
- €40 a year per client on the annual plan.
Ten referred clients on monthly plans bring in about €40 a month; twenty-five bring in about €100. Commissions are paid by bank transfer or PayPal within 30 days of the client's payment, once you reach the €50 minimum payout.
The model costs nothing and needs no admin work, which makes it a good fit for consultants, freelancers and agencies with only a few Shopping clients. The trade-off: the amount per client is small, and clients' ads carry the provider's name, not yours.
What white label pays
With white label CSS your monthly result is simple: number of clients × your fee per client – €199. Illustrative figures for the monthly plan:
| Your fee per client | 5 clients | 10 clients | 20 clients |
|---|---|---|---|
| €30/month | –€49 | €101 | €401 |
| €50/month | €51 | €301 | €801 |
| €100/month | €301 | €801 | €1,801 |
| Affiliate, for comparison | €20 | €40 | €80 |
The annual plan (€1,990 a year, €165.83 a month) lowers the fixed cost by about €33 a month.
Break-even: when white label earns more
White label beats referrals once clients × (your fee – €4) is higher than the plan fee. The €4 is the commission you would otherwise earn on a monthly Pro client.
| Your fee per client | Monthly plan: white label earns more from | Annual plan: white label earns more from |
|---|---|---|
| €20/month | 13 clients | 11 clients |
| €30/month | 8 clients | 7 clients |
| €50/month | 5 clients | 4 clients |
| €100/month | 3 clients | 2 clients |
If your referred clients would choose annual Pro plans, the commission is €40 a year (about €3.33 a month), so white label breaks even slightly earlier.
What you can realistically charge
Clients can buy CSS directly – Feedve Pro costs €20 a month – so a higher fee has to be justified by what you add: handling the switch, measuring and reporting the result, your brand and relationship, and CSS as part of a wider Shopping management package. Anchor the fee to the client's saving, not to the provider's price. Illustrative example: a client spending €5,000 a month on Shopping whose CPCs drop by 5% saves about €250 a month for the same clicks, so a €50 fee still leaves it clearly ahead. Pricing models – flat fee, bundled retainer or tiered by spend – are covered in our white label CSS guide.
Beyond the money
- Brand. With white label every Shopping ad of your clients says “By [Your Agency]”. With referrals it shows the provider's name.
- Client relationship. White label keeps billing and the CSS relationship with you; with referrals the client has a contract with the provider.
- Risk. Referrals have no fixed cost. White label costs €199 a month even before your first client.
- Admin. White label means invoicing and first-line questions; referrals mean sharing a link.
- Launch time. A Feedve white label account is usually ready within 72 hours on business days.
Which model fits your agency?
Choose the affiliate program if you have only a few Shopping clients in the 21 CSS countries, you don't want to invoice CSS yourself, or you want to test demand first. It also suits consultants and communities that recommend tools rather than manage campaigns.
Choose white label if you manage enough Shopping clients to pass the break-even point above, you want your brand on their ads and you can bundle CSS into your retainers.
Many agencies start by referring a few clients and move to white label once the numbers favour it. Moving an existing client to a different CSS goes through Google's standard account switch, with the client's approval and a grace period of up to 14 days – see How to switch CSS partner.
Frequently asked questions
How long does affiliate tracking last?
Your referral link attributes a client to you for 12 months from the first click. If the client signs up within that window, you receive the commission.
When are affiliate commissions paid?
By bank transfer or PayPal, within 30 days of the referred client's successful payment. The minimum payout is €50.
Is there a cap on affiliate earnings?
No. You earn 20% of every subscription payment for as long as the client stays with Feedve.
Does white label get more expensive as I add clients?
No. The Feedve white label plan is a flat fee with unlimited clients and products and no per-client charges.
Do clients save the same in both models?
Yes. In both cases their Shopping ads are placed by an independent CSS, so the CPC advantage over Google Shopping Europe can reach up to 20%, depending on category and competition.
