Google Maps Platform will require API key and pay-as-you-go billing starting June 11, 2018

Google today has announced a massive revamp of its Google Maps business – The new Google Maps Platform promises streamlined API products, a simplified customer experience, a single pricing plan with pay-as-you-go billing, free support, a single console, and new industry solutions. Starting on June 11, you will need a valid API key and a Google Cloud Platform billing account to access the core Google Maps APIs.

Google Maps Platform APIs

The core Google Maps APIs help developers create location-based apps and experiences. This release is meant to make the APIs simpler, easier to use, and expandable as your project grows. The changes are designed to work with your existing code — no changes are required on the developer’s end.

Google has streamlined 18 individual Google Maps APIs into three core products, based on what it believes are the most common developer use cases: Maps, Routes, and Places. Below is the breakdown:

1. Maps: Helps developers build customized, agile experiences that bring the real world to users through static and dynamic maps, Street View imagery, and 360-degree views.
2. Routes: Gives your users the best way to get from A to Z with high quality directions and real-time traffic updates.
3. Places: Helps users discover the world with rich location data for over 100 million places, enabling them to find specific places using phone numbers, addresses, and real-time signals.

Pricing and billing

The previous Google Maps business standard and premium plans have been consolidated into one pay-as-you-go plan. Developers or site owners pay only for what they use, with Google promising no annual payments, up-front commitments, termination fees, or usage limits. There is a “free tier” in the form of a $200 monthly credit for all developers, which Google expects will cover the usage of 98 percent of its current customers.

Below you can see the pricing breakdown for the three products. All prices are based on your monthly usage, determined at the end of each month.

The Google Maps Platform has also been integrated with the Google Cloud Platform Console, billing, and website. The goal is to make it easier for developers to track usage, manage projects, and of course “discover” other Cloud products.

All developers will now have access to online support 24 hours a day during the week, with Google committing to 1-hour response times for critical issues. Take note that, support will not be offered on weekends.

Moving forward, ensure that all your websites with Super Store Finder plugin are using a valid Google API key, you can refer to this article on how to create and use Google API key. You can also monitor your usage via Google Cloud Platform Dashboard.