Google Ads Update: New Pricing Rules & How to Protect ROI (October 2025)

Google Ads Update: New Pricing Rules & How to Protect ROI (October 2025)

Google Ads has announced an important policy update that goes into effect October 28, 2025. This change focuses on dishonest pricing practices ensuring businesses provide clear, transparent information about their products and services.

As a lifestyle and impact-driven brand marketing partner, we want to make sure our clients understand what this means, how it could affect your ads, and what steps to take now for better compliance, and ultimately, better ROI.

What’s Changing?

Google is tightening enforcement around misleading or unclear pricing. Specifically, advertisers must:

• Clearly disclose pricing models before and after purchase (no hidden costs).
• Avoid deceptive pricing tactics such as:
  • Bait-and-switch: Advertising at an unrealistically low price just to upsell a higher-priced product.
  • Price exploitation: Taking advantage of urgent or vulnerable buyers with inflated charges.
  • Misleading “free” claims: Promoting apps or products as “free” when they aren’t.
  • Free trial trickery: Offering a trial without making the length, terms, or auto-renewal charges obvious.

Violations won’t result in immediate suspension. Instead, Google will issue a 7-day warning before taking any stronger action. But ignoring these warnings can still lead to costly downtime for your campaigns.

Why This Matters for Your ROI

Misleading ads don’t just risk Google penalties – They erode trust with your audience. In today’s competitive ad landscape, trust equals conversions. Being upfront about your pricing builds credibility and reduces refund requests, negative reviews, and wasted ad spend.

When your ad copy and landing pages are clear, you attract the right audience (people who are genuinely prepared to purchase at your price point). That means higher conversion rates and better return on ad spend (ROAS).

Here are some of the best practices to stay compliant and maximize Performance:

1. Be Upfront with Pricing
   If your ad is for direct consumer sales, list the total cost upfront, including any recurring fees, shipping, or subscription terms. Don’t bury this info in fine print.
2. Avoid Unrealistic Offers
   Promoting “too-good-to-be-true” prices may bring clicks, but they won’t bring lasting customers and could trigger warnings under the new policy.
3. Be Transparent About Free Trials
   If you’re offering a trial, state the length and whether it auto-renews. Example: “7-day free trial, then $29/month unless canceled.”
4. Match ad copy with your landing page
   If your ad says “$99 membership special,” your landing page should immediately reflect that. Any bait-and-switch will be flagged.
5. Review your funnels and app listings
   Double-check that your checkout flow, app descriptions, and promotions align with the new policy.
6. Audit regularly
   Schedule quarterly audits of your ad copy and landing pages to prevent accidental violations as offers evolve.

Our Take at Locus Marketing

Google’s update may feel like another rule to follow, but it’s actually an opportunity. Transparent advertising isn’t just compliant – it’s more effective and leads to longevity of your ads and your brand. Clear, honest pricing also fosters brand trust, stronger customer relationships, and ultimately higher ROI.

If you’re unsure whether your campaigns meet the new requirements, our team can help with a Google Ads compliance audit. We’ll ensure your funnels are not only policy-proof but also optimized for performance.

Next Step: Review your ad copy and landing pages before October 28, 2025 to avoid interruptions. If you’d like Locus Marketing to handle your compliance check and optimization, contact us here.