Hello everyone,

I just wanted to give you all an update on the changes that have occurred with Google Maps recently.

As my previous email sent on the 6th of September indicated, Google has changed the rules regarding how Google Maps work on websites. The short summary is that it’s no longer a free service.

Prior to July 2018 it was free to use Google Maps on a website, with unlimited map loads or ‘calls’. Google has now put a limit on its free account allowing for up to 2,500 API calls a day, after which it makes you pay. An API ‘call’ is when your someone loads a page with a google map on it or uses that Google Map to try and find a location.

If your website has a Google Map on a page you may find that it no longer works. Don’t worry, the website isn’t broken, it’s just Google restricting your website’s use of it’s Google Maps service.

To fix this issue we will need to get you signed up with your own Google Map account and API. You will need a Google account to do this. If you have a Google account (Gmail) you can send us the username and password and we can set you up.

If your website uses less then 2,500 API calls a day it will be fine. If after this the map still doesn’t work it means you’ve gone over your cap that and you will need to add your credit card information into the Google API account so that they can bill you for the extra usage. You can learn more about the new pricing for Google Maps here https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/pricing/sheet/.

If you have any questions about what’s going on or need help fixing your map give us a call on 03 5234 5360 or by email us at support@chocchip.com.au.

Kind regards,

Christopher