France Google Merchant Center Suspended: Fix Guide 2026

Q: Do French Shopping ads require TVA-inclusive prices?

Yes. French law (Code de la consommation) requires that all prices shown to consumers include TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutee). The standard French TVA rate is 20% for most goods, with reduced rates of 10%, 5.5%, and 2.1% for specific categories. Your product feed must send TVA-inclusive EUR prices for the French market.

Q: Is a mentions legales page required for French Google Shopping?

Yes. Under the French Loi pour la Confiance dans l'Economie Numerique (LCEN), all commercial websites must display mentions legales containing: the legal name and status of the business, the registered address, the SIRET or SIREN number, the contact email address, the name of the publication director, and the hosting provider's details. This page is legally required and Google checks for it during French account reviews.

France has some of Europe's most detailed e-commerce legal requirements. If your French Google Merchant Center account has been suspended, the cause almost certainly involves one or more of: missing mentions legales, TVA-exclusive pricing in your feed, a non-compliant droit de retractation page, or GDPR cookie consent that fails the CNIL's standards. This guide tells you what each requirement actually means and what you need to change before submitting your reinstatement appeal.

France's E-Commerce Legal Framework and GMC Enforcement

Google's French market policy review checks for compliance with three main legal frameworks: the Loi pour la Confiance dans l'Economie Numerique (LCEN) for business disclosure requirements, the Code de la consommation for consumer protection, and the RGPD (GDPR as implemented in France) for data protection. The Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) enforces RGPD in France with substantial fines, and Google's French market review criteria align closely with CNIL guidance.

Before making any changes, run a free audit to find out exactly which issues triggered your suspension. Not every French account has the same combination of problems.

Most Common French GMC Suspension Causes

1. TVA Not Included in Product Prices

French law requires all consumer-facing prices to include TVA. The standard rate is 20%. Reduced rates of 10% apply to restaurant food, home improvement services, and some transport. Reduced rates of 5.5% apply to food, books, and essential goods. A reduced rate of 2.1% applies to certain medicines and press publications. If your feed sends ex-TVA prices and your product pages show TVA-inclusive prices to consumers, Google flags a price mismatch. Fix: configure your feed to send the TVA-inclusive price for each product, with the correct rate applied per product category. Verify the output by comparing feed prices to live page prices in incognito mode.

2. Missing or Incomplete Mentions Legales Page

The mentions legales requirement under LCEN is non-negotiable for commercial French websites. Your /mentions-legales page must include: the legal form of the business (SARL, SAS, auto-entrepreneur, etc.), the company's full legal name, the registered address, the SIRET and SIREN numbers, the RCS registration details for registered companies, a contact email address, the name of the publication director (directeur de la publication), and the name and contact details of the hosting provider. A missing mentions legales page is one of the most reliable French suspension triggers Google checks for.

3. Droit de Retractation Information Missing or Incorrect

French Code de la consommation Article L221-18 gives online shoppers a 14-day droit de retractation (right of withdrawal) from distance purchases. Your retractation page must: state the 14-day period explicitly (counted from receipt of goods, not order date), include the EU model withdrawal form in French, explain how the consumer exercises this right (by post, email, or the model form), state who pays return shipping costs, and explain the refund timeline (14 days after withdrawal notice, using the same payment method). A general "returns" page that does not meet these specific requirements is not sufficient for French compliance.

4. Policy Pages in English Instead of French

French law and French consumer expectations require that consumer-facing legal information be in French when targeting French consumers. An English-language mentions legales, CGV (conditions generales de vente), or retractation page fails French compliance. Google's French market review team checks that key policy pages are in French. Machine translation is a starting point but French legal terminology must be accurate. The terms mentions legales, droit de retractation, CGV, and politique de confidentialite have specific legal meanings and must be used correctly.

5. GDPR Cookie Consent Does Not Meet CNIL Standards

The CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes) requires cookie consent mechanisms that give users an equally prominent option to refuse cookies as to accept them. The CNIL has specifically ruled that "continue browsing" or scroll consent is not valid. Your banner must have a clear "Tout refuser" (refuse all) button on the first layer. Cookie tracking must not activate before consent is given. Any consent management platform you use must be configured specifically for CNIL requirements, not just generic GDPR compliance.

6. CGV (Conditions Generales de Vente) Missing or Incomplete

French businesses selling to consumers must provide CGV (conditions generales de vente) that cover: the description of the product or service, the price including all taxes and fees, delivery terms and costs, payment methods, retractation rights, warranties (garantie legale de conformite and garantie des vices caches), and dispute resolution procedures. CGV must be available in French and must be provided to the consumer before the purchase is completed. Missing CGV is a common French compliance failure that Google's review team checks for.

Step-by-Step Fix Process for French Accounts

Step 1: Create or Fix Your Mentions Legales Page

Create a dedicated /mentions-legales page with all required fields. Link it from your footer with the exact label "Mentions legales" (French users and Google's crawler look for this label). Do not combine it with your privacy policy or terms of service: it must be a standalone page. If you operate as an auto-entrepreneur, your SIRET and the mention "auto-entrepreneur" must appear. Companies must include RCS city and number.

Step 2: Fix TVA Pricing in Your Product Feed

Download your product feed and verify that prices are sent in EUR with TVA included. For Shopify, enable "include taxes in prices" for the French market. Check the TVA rate applied to each product category in your feed settings. Verify five to ten products by comparing feed price to live page price before submitting any appeal.

Step 3: Create a Proper Droit de Retractation Page

Create a dedicated /droit-de-retractation page in French using the official EU model form. Include the model withdrawal form as a downloadable file or inline form. State the 14-day period, return shipping responsibility, and refund timeline clearly. Link this page from your footer and from your checkout confirmation email.

Step 4: Update Your CGV

Review your CGV against the French Code de la consommation requirements. If you are using English CGV or CGV written for another market, have them translated and adapted for French law. Several French legal tech services offer CGV templates adapted for e-commerce, which is a safer starting point than adapting a non-French template.

Step 5: Implement CNIL-Compliant Cookie Consent

Test your cookie banner in incognito mode. Is "Tout refuser" visible on the first banner screen without opening any settings panel? If not, reconfigure your CMP. The CNIL has a list of CMPs that have received their certification: choose from that list if you want to minimize compliance risk.

Step 6: Submit Your Reinstatement Appeal

Once all fixes are live and verified on your site, submit your appeal in GMC under Account Issues. Write the appeal in English and list each fix specifically. For accounts that also received a misrepresentation suspension, read the misrepresentation guide for additional context. If your appeal was already denied, the reinstatement denied guide covers escalation options. The GMC appeal process guide has a template for writing an effective appeal statement.

Find Every Issue in Your French GMC Account

Our audit checks 52 GMC policy requirements including French-specific checks: mentions legales presence, TVA price matching, droit de retractation completeness, CGV compliance, and CNIL cookie consent. Get your full report in minutes.

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France GMC Suspension FAQ

Why was my French Google Merchant Center account suspended?

French GMC suspensions most commonly involve TVA not being included in displayed prices, missing or incomplete mentions legales, droit de retractation information that does not meet French consumer code requirements, GDPR-non-compliant cookie consent, or policy pages in English rather than French.

Do French Shopping ads require TVA-inclusive prices?

Yes. French law requires that all prices shown to consumers include TVA. The standard French TVA rate is 20% for most goods, with reduced rates for specific categories. Your product feed must send TVA-inclusive EUR prices for the French market.

Is a mentions legales page required for French Google Shopping?

Yes. Under LCEN, all commercial websites must display mentions legales containing the legal name and status of the business, registered address, SIRET or SIREN number, contact email, publication director name, and hosting provider details. Google checks for this page during French account reviews.

How long does French GMC reinstatement take?

French reinstatement reviews typically take 5 to 12 business days. Accounts that triggered both a French compliance failure and a misrepresentation flag should expect 3 to 5 weeks. Review timelines extend during Q4 high-volume periods.