Places API (New) provides improved performance and additional
functionality compared to Places API (Legacy). Use this guide to understand key
differences between the two Places API versions, along with how to handle
necessary changes. For more details on other Places API (New) features,
see the [product
overview](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/overview).

## Key features added to Places API (New)

This section covers key features added to Places API (New).

### Implemented on the Google Cloud standard platform

Places API (New) is implemented on the [service
infrastructure](https://cloud.google.com/service-infrastructure/docs/overview)

on Google Cloud. This implementation brings with it a more secure and trusted
platform with enhanced security options like
[OAuth](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/oauth-token). This standard API
design brings a level of consistency across the APIs that improve the efficiency
of development with Places API (New).

### Improved performance

Places API (New) provides improved performance, making it worthwhile to
replace apps that use the existing Places API.

### Simplified pricing

Pricing is simplified with Places API (New) so that you only pay for the
data you use. Simplified pricing is implemented using a [field
mask](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/choose-fields).

With Place Details (New), Nearby Search (New), and
Text Search (New) you use the field mask to control the list of fields to
return in the response. You are then only billed for the data requested. Using
field masking is a good design practice to ensure that you don't request
unnecessary data, which helps to avoid unnecessary processing time and billing
charges.

### Consistent response data for a place

With the legacy APIs, the Place Details (Legacy), Nearby Search (Legacy), and
Text Search (Legacy) APIs returned different response data for a place.
Places API (New) standardizes the response so these APIs all return the
same data for a place.

### Expanded place types

The API response can now contain a place's *primary type* . Every place can have
a single type value that is specified as the place's primary type, as listed in
[Table A](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/place-types.md.txt#table-a).

The new API also includes several new types. You can use these new types, and
the existing types, in a search with Nearby Search (New) and
Text Search (New). The new types are all included in [Table
A](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/place-types#table-a).

### Dynamic place data

Places API (New) supports dynamic response data, such as the availability
of an EV charging station or the latest fuel prices for a gas station. Use these
response fields to create dynamic user experiences.