For select products, Google Maps Platform offers per-user pricing, an alternative pricing model where the billable event is based on monthly active user (MAU) devices rather than individual API requests. Per-user pricing is available exclusively for applications built with the Maps 3D SDK (Maps 3D SDK for Android and Maps 3D SDK for iOS).
Per-user pricing includes the following features:
- A flat monthly rate: You are charged a flat monthly rate per active user device per calendar month. The monthly rate varies based on the total number of user devices. For more information, see the pricing list.
- Unlimited interactions: Once a device interacts with the service, all subsequent interactions that month incur no additional charges.
Per-user pricing is based on the first billable event in a calendar month. The billable event is the first successful map load on a unique device, which triggers a charge to the SKU: Immersive Maps - Per User. Any subsequent map loads from the same device are not charged.
For information about SKUs that support per-user pricing and their associated rates, see SKU details.
Eligibility criteria
To enable per-user pricing, your project must meet the following criteria:
- Account plan: You must have a self-serve pay-as-you-go billing account or an offline contracted account on usage terms.
- Supported platform: Per-user pricing is available exclusively for the Maps 3D SDK for Android and the Maps 3D SDK for iOS. Web and JavaScript implementations use per-request billing.
Enable per-user pricing
To enable per-user pricing for a billing account, go to the Billing metric page in the Google Cloud console and opt in to per-user pricing. The Billing metric tab is visible to users with Billing Account Viewer permissions. Users must have Billing Account Administrator permissions to opt in to per-user pricing, switch between pricing models, and revert changes.
Unit selection is configured at the billing account level. When enabled, per-user pricing applies across all Google Cloud projects linked to that billing account.
Active user device calculation
For billing purposes, active user device calculations are based on the following:
- Separate active user devices: Two separate mobile apps on the same phone are billed as separate active user devices, even under the same billing account.
- New sessions: Uninstalling the app, reinstalling the app, or clearing app storage mid-month creates a new session and counts as a new active user device.
- Monthly calculation reset: Active user device counts reset at the beginning of each calendar month. For example, if a device is active in both July and August, it is billed as one active user device in July and one active user device in August.
- Aggregated API key usage: Multiple API keys used within the same application are aggregated for billing purposes, provided they link to the same billing account. For example, if an application loads maps using different API keys on a single device, it is billed as only one active user device for that month.
Mid-month changes
Based on your existing API usage, a mid-month switch to per-user pricing may have different effective dates.
No existing usage accounts
For accounts with no recorded API usage over the previous 6 months, the transition to per-user pricing occurs within 48 hours. These changes can't be reverted within the 48-hour window once the console displays a confirmation message. For example, selecting per-user pricing on November 15 displays a modal stating that the update takes effect within 48 hours (November 17).
Active usage accounts
For accounts with recorded usage in the past 6 months, billing modifications are scheduled for the first day of the upcoming calendar month. You can cancel or revert these pending updates before the cutoff. For example, changing the billing metric on October 15 sets the effective start date to November 1.
If an account with recorded usage in the past 6 months switches to per-user pricing on the last calendar day of the month, per-user pricing goes into effect on the first day of the second following month. For example, changing the billing metric on October 31 sets the effective start date to December 1.
Billing administrators can cancel the pending billing metric switch until 2:00 PM PT on the day before the scheduled effective date. To cancel or revert the pending billing metric, select the Revert button in the warning banner on the Billing metric page.
Billing and proration
If you use per-user pricing at any point within a given month, you are charged at per-user pricing for the whole month. Additional API usage charges may vary.
Switch from pay-as-you-go to per-user pricing
If your account has existing usage and you switch from pay-as-you-go pricing to per-user pricing on November 20, the change doesn't take effect until December 1. You continue to be charged at pay-as-you-go rates for all 30 days of November.
For example, if you have 90,000 map loads in November and switch to per-user pricing on November 20, your November bill is calculated as follows:
| November 1–30: 90,000 Immersive Maps loads (Pay-as-you-go: first 5,000 at no charge, next 85,000 at $7.00 per 1,000 loads) | $595.00 |
| November 20: Switch to per-user pricing submitted (not effective until December 1) | $0.00 |
| Total | $595.00 |
Switch from no usage to per-user pricing
If your account has no recorded usage in the past 6 months and you switch to per-user pricing on November 20, the change takes effect within 48 hours. If your application then records 90,000 active user devices during the remainder of November, your bill is calculated as follows:
| November 1–21: No usage prior to switching to per-user pricing | $0.00 |
| November 22–30: 90,000 active user devices (Per-user pricing: first 5,000 at no charge, next 85,000 at $7.00 per 1,000 active user devices) | $595.00 |
| Total | $595.00 |
Switch from per-user pricing to subscriptions
If your account uses per-user (MAU) pricing from November 1 to November 20 and you switch to a subscription plan on November 20, the subscription becomes effective within 48 hours (on November 22). You are charged the full monthly per-user rate for active user devices recorded during the MAU billing period (not prorated), plus the prorated subscription fee for API usage from November 22 to November 31.
For example, if you have 90,000 active user devices between November 1 and November 21 and switch to the Pro subscription plan ($1,200/month) on November 20 (effective November 22), your bill is calculated as follows:
| November 1–21: 90,000 active user devices (Per-user pricing: first 5,000 at no charge, next 85,000 at $7.00 per 1,000 active user devices) | $595.00 |
| November 22–30: Pro Subscription Plan (prorated subscription pricing) | $360.00 |
| Total | $955.00 |
Troubleshoot eligibility errors
If your account returns an ineligible error during unit selection in the
Google Cloud console, follow these steps:
- Check plan type: In the Google Maps Platform console, go to the Billing page and verify that your account is set to a pay-as-you-go plan rather than an online subscription plan.
- Confirm SDK scope: Make sure your application uses the Maps 3D SDK for Android or the Maps 3D SDK for iOS rather than the Maps JavaScript API.
- Get support: Contact Google Maps Platform Support or your account manager if you believe your account qualifies.