On 22 October 2026, Google Ads took percentage multipliers for customer lifecycle goals out of beta: instead of a fixed value bonus for a new customer, you can apply a 1.1x to 5x multiplier, predicted from cart size. With 1.2x, a 100-dollar purchase counts as 120 for bidding purposes. It requires existing-customer segments with at least 1,000 active members. There are open points, such as interaction with the 17 August bidding change.
What changed
According to PPC Land, until now the extra value assigned to a new customer was always a fixed amount. Now it can be a percentage: the “Multiply by” option (instead of “Increase by”) applies a multiplier from 1.1x to 5x, predicted from cart size. Google’s example with 1.2x: a 100-dollar purchase counts as 120 for bidding purposes, and a 500 one counts as 600.
Multipliers are available in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen, in Google Ads and SA360, with global launch planned for October 2026.
Fixed versus percentage: a comparison
PPC Land compares a fixed 20-dollar bonus with a 1.2x multiplier. On a 50-dollar cart: fixed gives 70, multiplier gives 60. On 100: both give 120. On 1,000: fixed gives 1,020, multiplier gives 1,200. In other words, the fixed bonus favours small carts and the multiplier favours large ones.
For a shop with highly variable order values, the multiplier aligns the acquisition premium with cart value. For a shop of cheap, uniform products, the difference is small.
Fixed USD 20 bonus versus 1.2x multiplier
USD 50 cart
- Fixed bonus: worth 70
- 1.2x multiplier: worth 60
- Fixed favours small carts
USD 1,000 cart
- Fixed bonus: worth 1,020
- 1.2x multiplier: worth 1,200
- Multiplier favours large carts
Requirements: existing customer segments
You must indicate current customer segments so the platform distinguishes new from existing. Each segment must have at least 1,000 active members, managed in Audience manager, from Customer Match lists or tag-based remarketing. In Demand Gen campaigns with value-based strategies, June 2025 conversion thresholds apply (50 conversions with value in the last 35 days per campaign, or 100 per account), although the announcement doesn’t clarify whether they apply to multipliers.
Many Portuguese SMEs don’t reach 1,000 active customers in a list. In that case, this feature may be out of reach, and it isn’t a problem.
What isn't yet clear
PPC Land flags open points: it isn’t clear whether the multiplier applies in bidding, reported conversion value or both; it isn’t clear whether it also applies to retention goals (all examples are acquisition); Search Engine Land mentions high value mode in Search, something Google doesn’t confirm; and it isn’t known how multipliers interact with the 17 August bidding change or ROAS targets.
So treat it as a feature to test, not a guaranteed solution. The Original Conversion Value metric (November 2025) helps see values before adjustments and separate effects.
A high multiplier on one-time customers is paying dearly for little.
How to decide the multiplier: think lifetime value
A new customer is worth more than the first purchase if they buy again. If, in your shop, a new customer generates on average 2.3 purchases in 12 months, and first-purchase margin is 20 euros, lifetime value exceeds 20 euros. The multiplier translates that difference into bidding.
Use real data: repurchase rate, average value, margin, returns. Start with a moderate multiplier (for example 1.1x to 1.3x) and increase only if results confirm. A 5x in a shop with no repurchase would be a way of paying dearly for one-time customers.
Risks and how to limit them
The main risk is overpaying for acquisition and reducing margin. Limit with: a cost-per-acquisition ceiling, weekly review of cost per new customer, comparison with a control campaign and confirmation with real sales. In Black Friday season, the effect may mix with discounts and seasonality; test beforehand.
Another risk is distorting reports: if the value used for bidding is higher than the real one, reported ROAS may look better than true profitability. Use the original value to assess profit.
Test plan for a Portuguese shop
1. Calculate lifetime value and margin. 2. Prepare the existing-customer segment (minimum 1,000 active, with consent). 3. Choose a campaign with volume. 4. Configure a moderate multiplier, with a cost-per-acquisition limit. 5. Compare four weeks with a control campaign. 6. Decide: keep, adjust or discard.
If the list doesn’t reach 1,000, concentrate on growing it and measuring repurchase. This knowledge serves any strategy, even if you never use multipliers.
Questions for your manager
What is the lifetime value of our new customers? Do we have a customer segment with 1,000 or more active members? What multiplier do you propose and why? How do we limit risk? And how do we separate the multiplier’s effect from Black Friday’s?
Good answers include business numbers. If your manager doesn’t have this data, it’s time to build it together. I can help calculate lifetime value and prepare the test.
Frequently asked questions
What is a value multiplier?
It’s a factor (1.1x to 5x) that raises the value the system assigns to a new customer, to bid more aggressively.
Do I need 1,000 customers?
According to the report, existing-customer segments must have at least 1,000 active members.
Does it work in Portugal?
The report foresees global launch in October 2026. Confirm in your account and Google Ads Help.