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Doing a Double Take of Your Google Maps Bill?
Written by Chris Morabito
So, who noticed that their Google Maps bill increased today?
*insert raised hands...everywhere*
Don’t worry—there’s a simple explanation. Google Maps Platform transition credits (gap credits) for former standard plan customers expired September 16, and Maps Platform pricing is now in full effect. If your bill is higher than you expected, check out these tips for making the most out of your investment and planning for your future with Google Maps.
Tip 1: Explore the changes.
Begin by reviewing Google’s Important Updates. This handy guide will bring you up-to-speed on new features and changes to existing services. Pay careful attention to changes to the Directions, Distance Matrix and Places APIs; Google has begun differentiating between basic and advanced requests for these APIs.
Tip 2: Optimize your code.
You may need to implement some code changes to get the best value from the new platform pricing model. Avoid paying for previously free usages by carefully considering every use of the Maps APIs and removing any redundant or unnecessary requests from your code.
Tip 3: Set sensible usage limits.
Because you pay for what you use, it is important to routinely review usage and spending in the Google Cloud Console. Once you understand your usage patterns, you can set daily quotas for each API to guard against unexpected spikes in traffic. Create budgets for your account and elect to receive email alerts when charges reach established thresholds. If you need help setting usage limits, contact Woolpert. We’ll help you analyze your application’s usage for future billing.
Tip 4: Consider volume discounts.
Do you make over 100,000 requests for any API in a given month? If so, you may be able to take advantage of Google’s volume discounts. Contact us to determine eligibility. Remember, because volume discounts are applied at the billing account level, you’ll want to consolidate all projects with Maps usage under a single billing account to maximize your savings.
Get all the information you need--without getting whiplash. Contact us for additional details on optimizing your Google Maps billing.
Chris Morabito
Chris Morabito is a software engineer who found a passion for maps early in his career as a computer scientist. He contributes to many R&D projects at Woolpert and specializes in building innovative geospatial solutions that leverage a variety of technologies. Chris keeps his finger on the pulse of the latest geospatial software—especially in the open-source community. He serves our Google Maps team as a development specialist and is a certified Google Cloud Professional. When he’s not coding, Chris loves to cook and makes a killer cinnamon roll!