# Ordering Redirect Platform Policies

The following platform policies apply to the Ordering Redirect integration.

## Data Access, Ranking, and Termination

### Overview of Actions Center data access

We collect information from our users when users click through an Action Link
via Google. Our [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) provides
more detail on the information we collect, why we collect it, and how users can
update, manage, export, and delete user information. For purposes of fulfilling
a user order or other user requests, we may share such information with the
partner, to be used in accordance with the privacy policy. Usage metrics may
also be shared with the partner and their merchants for the respective
integrations.

We also collect data from our partners to enable their merchant services on the
Actions Center. The information we collect includes merchant and service
listings and descriptions, availability, location, pricing, and other
information relevant to the service. We may use this information to improve
Google products and services.

### Ranking

#### How provider ranking works

When multiple food ordering providers offer the same services for a given
merchant, we present all partners to the users, allowing users to select which
ordering provider they prefer. Google ranks all partner providers based on a
consistent set of criteria across one ordering program. A number of ranking
factors apply including high-quality menus, merchant preferences, and other
relevant ordering data.

In order to avoid duplication of services offered via the Actions Center, the
Actions Center will remove some duplicative Place Actions links if integrations
from the same partners already exist. Some exceptions may apply to specific
partners due to technical reasons.

### Grounds for termination

We will restrict, suspend, or (where a policy is violated) terminate a partner
due to errors. Such errors may include high technical error rates, failing
health checks, and poor data quality.

Partners can also be suspended from the platform if they are not adhering to a
policy or have a significant number of merchants/services violating a policy. In
such instances, we may disable the entire integration instead of on a service by
service or merchant by merchant basis.

## Content Quality Standards

Partners must maintain good merchant and service data quality content.
The Actions Center may turn off the service, merchant, or integration if we find
errors in the quality that would negatively degrade the user experience.

### Merchant Name \& Address

- Merchant name must accurately reflect the legal business name the merchant is operating under.
- Merchant address must accurately reflect the place in which the merchant conducts the service and holds ownership of (no booth renters).

### Partner Brand

- Partner brand name must accurately reflect the legal business name the partner is operating under.
- Partner logo must be the one that officially relates to the brand name.
- Partner must not provide brand names or logos that could mislead end users of their relationship with the merchant.

## Merchant and service eligibility

Review the following merchants and services eligibility criteria before beginning an integration. If you have a specific use case that you think should be evaluated for an exception, reach out to your Google business development contact.

### Merchant eligibility criteria

For a merchant to be eligible for the Actions Center, they must have a physical location with an address that matches one in the Google Maps database.

### Supported Countries

Food ordering is available to users in all countries where Search and Maps are accessible.

**Notes and exceptions**

1. We recommend you check with the Actions Center support team prior to planning to launch payments in a country as there may be country specific requirements.
2. For Israel, price must be in local currency (ILS). Item price must be in increments of 0.10 (eg. 50.10, 50.20, 50.30) and not be in other increments (eg. 50.12, 50.22).
3. [Service](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/reference/feeds/services-feed) feeds and [Real-time updates](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/integration-steps/action-link-feeds/real-time-update) are live in US, UK, CA, AU, DE, and JP. However, we encourage partners to send this data in advance of expanding the experience to additional countries.

## Support and Maintenance Guidelines

The following guidelines apply to Support and Maintenance.

### Integration Maintenance and Support

Partner is committed to the following support functions and standards:

1. **Emergency Alert and Emergency Technical Support** : Partner will provide
   high priority support for technical issues which result in the integration
   being disabled or non-functioning, being degraded beyond
   [service health expectations](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/integration-steps/launch-and-monitoring),
   greatly impacting the user experience, or any other emergency issue.
   To ensure a positive user and merchant experience, Partner will use
   commercially reasonable efforts to respond to and resolve any emergency issues
   within 1 business day.

2. **Non-Emergency Technical Support**: Partner will provide standard support for
   non-emergency technical or production issues which do not disable the
   integration. To ensure a positive user and merchant experience, Partner will
   use commercially reasonable efforts to respond to any non-emergency issues
   within 2 business days.

3. **Post-Launch Integration Health** : Partner's integration health should meet
   the following
   [expectations](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/integration-steps/launch-and-monitoring)
   such that the end user experience is not degraded.

### User Support

Partner will provide the following support functions:

1. **Direct User Support**: Partner will provide direct support to users who
   contact Partner regarding issues with a booking made via Partner.

2. **Google Escalated Support**: Partner will provide support for situations
   where Google reaches out to Partner regarding a user issue (including, but
   not limited to: booking is not honored as described, the user has requested a
   refund, or user wishes to change/modify their booking).

## Partner Takedown Reasons and Issue Descriptions

The Actions Center may **disable** your integration or inventory as necessary in
order to maintain user expectation and experience. We will attempt to send a
notification to you prior or at the takedown time and work with you to resolve
the issue.

This following issue types describes the root causes of inventory takedowns and
the associated policies and guidelines.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Please review all policies relevant to your integration as different features and verticals may have additional policies associated with them.

### Partner unresponsive or SLA violation

This is encountered when the Actions Center team reaches out to your team
with an issue (technical, user issue, data issue, etc.) and does not hear back
within the time outlined in the [Support and Maintenance Guidelines](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#support_and_maintenance_guidelines).

Alternatively, if the issues identified are not resolved within the timeline
given, we may disable your integration. Once the issue is resolved and confirmed
by our team, we will restore your integration. You can reach out to the partner
support team with the email reference id you received for status updates or
to inform us the issue has been resolved.

**Relevant Policy:** [Support and Maintenance Guidelines](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#support_and_maintenance_guidelines)

### Unfulfillable by merchant

Any inventory offered on the Actions Center by a partner must be honored and
fulfilled by the merchant as listed. If the merchant can not honor the service
as listed, it is not eligible to be listed on the Actions Center. To resolve
this issue, please work with your merchant to update the inventory to ensure
it is accurate and that the merchant will honor any future bookings.

**Relevant Policy:** [End-to-end Policy](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/integration-policies#e2e-policies)

### Place Action policy violation

Actions Center requires that Place Actions link(s) must follow specific
guidelines to ensure user and merchant expectation. For example, Place Actions
link(s) must be actionable, lead to a dedicated landing page for specific
merchants, and clearly denote that it is owned and operated by a platform provider.

**Relevant Policy:** [Place Actions Policy](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/integration-policies#place-actions-policy)

### Pricing policy violation

The Actions Center requires that the price shown to the user is the ultimate
price that they will pay (exclusive of any optional gratuity) and the
cancellation and refund policies must be clear and accurate. Providing false,
placeholder, or otherwise inaccurate information is not supported. Please work
with your merchant to ensure that the values provided to the Actions Center are
accurate and meet our [Pricing Policies](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/integration-policies#pricing-policies).
Reach out to the partner support team once the issue is resolved.

**Relevant Policy:** [Pricing Policies](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/integration-policies#pricing-policies)

### Confusing or missing information

In order to ensure a great user experience, the Actions Center requires that
all information is present and clear to the user. Partners should work with
their merchants to ensure fields are accurately set and not conflicting.

For more information, review our [Merchants and services eligibility criteria](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#merchant_and_service_eligibility).
Once you resolve this issue please reach out to the partner support team for review.

**Relevant Policy:** [Merchants and services eligibility criteria](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#merchant_and_service_eligibility), [Data Quality Standards](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#content_quality_standards)

### Unsupported by integration

The Actions Center is only live in certain countries, merchant categories, and
with specific feature sets. Please review our [Merchants and services eligibility](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#merchant_and_service_eligibility)
and the features currently supported by your integration to ensure you are only
using those that are supported.

For example, if you have not completed an async integration, you can not offer
async inventory. Please remove the unsupported portion of the inventory and
reach out to the partner support team for a review.

**Relevant Policy:** [Merchants and services eligibility criteria](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/policies/platform-policies#merchant_and_service_eligibility)

### Bad match or noncompliance of matching policy

The provided listing must be properly matched to the Google listing.
Alternatively, if we don't have sufficient information to ensure that the match
is accurate, we will remove that inventory.

Please ensure that the match is in compliance with our matching policy. Once you
take those steps please reach out to our partner support team for them to review.

**Relevant Policy:** [Matching guidelines](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/verticals/ordering/redirect/partner-portal/inventory/matching-guidelines)

### Online services policy violation

To ensure a consistent experience for consumers, merchants, and partners using
the Actions Center, inventory for online services must adhere to the appropriate
guidelines. Failure to adhere to these policies will lead to suspension of your
inventory or integration.

**Relevant Policy:** [Online services policy](https://developers.google.com/actions-center/policies/virtual-policy)

## API terms and conditions

Last modified: October 22, 2021

By using this API, you consent to be bound by the
[Google APIs Terms of Service ("API ToS")](https://developers.google.com/terms).