Changes to Google Maps

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem: Will upcoming changes to the Google Maps API pricing structure affect my site?

Solution: The changes in Google Maps will certainly apply to your site, but may or may not affect your site in a noticeable way. In plain language, Google is enforcing a fee for each address that the site converts to a location on a map. Those fees are charged to the API Key owner, not to Toolset. Google will give you $200 worth of this service each month at no charge. For the majority of our clients, this free service tier is sufficient for their needs and they will never incur any additional cost. However, if in one month you add a large number of new points on a map, or clear your existing geolocation cache in Toolset > Settings > Maps, you may exceed the $200 threshold. If you exceed the $200 free trial per month, your site Users may be shown error messages on your maps, and distance filtering may not work as expected.

In technical terms, Toolset uses the Google Maps API to convert each address when it is first entered or saved, then stores that address's location on the map in a cache for future use. This means that the locations that have already been mapped will not be charged again, only new addresses saved on the site. If you empty the location cache, you will be charged to convert those addresses the next time they are shown on a map. If your site implements static maps, you may be charged according to Google's policies for those maps as well, but most people don't use these.

Relevant Documentation:
@https://mapsplatform.googleblog.com/2018/05/introducing-google-maps-platform.html

This support ticket is created 6 years, 6 months ago. There's a good chance that you are reading advice that it now obsolete.

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Tagged: Toolset Maps, Views plugin

This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Christian Cox 6 years, 6 months ago.

Assisted by: Christian Cox.

Author

Posts

May 9, 2018 at 11:00 am #867213

stewartE

Hi I recently received this email (see screenshot) from Google re changes to the Google Maps platform. I was just wondering whether this will effect the Toolset Maps plugin in any way - will we need to make any amendments on the website end, will it still work etc

Here are the links to more details from the email

hidden link
hidden link

Thanks

May 9, 2018 at 1:43 pm #867828

Christian Cox

Hi, the changes in Google Maps will certainly apply to your site, but may or may not affect your site in a noticeable way. In plain language, Google is enforcing a fee for each address that the site converts to a location on a map. Those fees are charged to the API Key owner, not to Toolset. Google will give you $200 worth of this service each month at no charge. For the majority of our clients, this free service tier is sufficient for their needs and they will never incur any additional cost. However, if in one month you add a large number of new points on a map, or clear your existing geolocation cache in Toolset > Settings > Maps, you may exceed the $200 threshold. If you exceed the $200 free trial per month, your site Users may be shown error messages on your maps, and distance filtering may not work as expected.

In technical terms, Toolset uses the Google Maps API to convert each address when it is first entered or saved, then stores that address's location on the map in a cache for future use. This means that the locations that have already been mapped will not be charged again, only new addresses saved on the site. If you empty the location cache, you will be charged to convert those addresses the next time they are shown on a map. If your site implements static maps, you may be charged according to Google's policies for those maps as well, but most people don't use these.

I hope this helps clarify things. Let me know if you have additional questions.