As you may have heard, Google recently announced changes to Google Maps, introducing a new “pay-as-you-go” billing system to be implemented on the 11th June, 2018. These changes are mainly directed at developers using advanced APIs, however this change will affect all businesses currently using Google Maps.
To maintain current functionality, you need a registered account and billing method to receive an API key. Without this key, the Google map on your website will cease to function.
Google grants each business account $200 of credit each month, and it is estimated that 98% of current users will not exceed this amount.
See a breakdown of the new pricing model.
Google has created a guide to these changes for existing users. You can use the platform to estimate your usage, and if necessary, place limits to prevent exceeding the $200 allowance.
Getting Started
- Sign up for a Google Maps Platform account
- Ensure your account is associated with a payment method
- Connect your API key to your website map
These steps need to be completed before the changes are implemented on June 11th, 2018. Connecting your API key to your website will require some back-end configuration.
