On July 16, Google made some significant changes to its Google Maps Platform. The company condensed its 18 Google Maps services down to 3: Maps, Routes, and Places. It also implemented a pay-as-you-go billing system. These updates were designed to make it easier for businesses to find, explore, and add new maps features to their websites.
Makes your business more visible and findable regarding physical location. Allows developers to build customized experiences that bring the real world to your users with static and dynamic maps, Street View Imagery, and 360° views. Differentiate your business from competitors by styling your maps with custom virtual tours, photos, markers, lines, and colors that align with your brand.
Increase your business’s efficiency by choosing faster routes or reallocate deliveries to workers based on real-time traffic conditions. Use predictive traffic models to plan ahead, keeping your workers out of slowdowns and decreasing late deliveries. Additionally, give users the best way to get from A to Z with high-quality directions (for transit, biking, driving, and walking).
Improve your search engine ratings by featuring your business’s hours, phone number, address, and link to your website. Make it easier for users to enter correct billing and shipping information by automatically suggesting addresses as they type. Use details on over 100 million places and points of interest to help users find you, attract customers with reviews, and even help detect fraud.
Developers MUST have a credit card on file with their Google Cloud Platform account to access the Google Maps services. Developers are given 28,000 map calls/visits ($200 of monthly usage) for free. Because of this, 98% of Google’s current customers can still use Maps, Routes, and Places to the fullest within this $200 credit. You will be charged for the service after this credit is depleted. After the initial 28,000 maps calls, Google will charge $7.00 per thousand map calls. If you need any help, Google Maps Platform support services are now free for all businesses.
For additional information about Google’s new policy visit: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide/
