Google Maps Platform Launch in India: FAQ

Overview

This FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions about migrating your existing billing account and our pay-as-you go pricing plan.

Google Maps Platform launched in India on November 18, 2019. Google Maps Platform services in India cannot be billed through the same billing account as Google Cloud Platform services. Customers who have not already created a new billing account capable of paying for Maps will need to follow the steps in the migration guide in order to continue using Google Maps Platform. Customers will see OVER_QUERY_LIMIT errors if they do not migrate their projects or service usage.

Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. will continue to be the service provider of Google Maps Platform.

Billing Migration FAQ

Pricing FAQ



How can I tell if my billing account is compatible with Maps?

Billing accounts billed in USD through Google Asia Pacific are compatible with Google Maps Platform services. Billing accounts billed in INR through Google Cloud India are not compatible with Google Maps Platform services. This information can be found on your billing account invoice.

Projects billed through incompatible billing accounts must be moved to a compatible billing account.

Why do I need to create a new billing account for Maps?

Google Maps Platform services cannot be billed through the same billing account as Google Cloud Platform services. In order to continue using Google Maps Platform, all customers with a billing account in INR will need to create a new billing account for Maps and then migrate their existing Maps projects under this new account.

Which APIs are required to be billed through a billing account for Maps?

Use of Google Maps Platform APIs must be billed through a new billing account for Maps.

By when do I need to create a new billing account for Maps?

Enforcement dates will vary by billing account. Customers will be enforced as early as August 31, 2022. To check on when your billing account will be enforced, please refer to communications sent in May 2022 to billing administrators and project owners.

If you don’t create a billing account and move your projects using Google Maps Platform services by your account's enforcement date, your use of those services will start to fail. Google Cloud Platform usage will not be impacted if no action is taken.

How do I create a new billing account for Maps?

To create a new billing account:

  1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Open the left-side menu and select Billing.
  3. Select the name of your existing billing account near the top of the page, and then select Manage billing accounts.
  4. Select Create Account.
  5. Enter the name of the billing account.
  6. Choose which business the billing account will pay for (in this case Google Maps Platform).
  7. Select Submit and enable billing.

By default, the person who creates the billing account is a billing administrator for the account. Also, note that Google Maps Platform usage is billed in USD.

I created a new billing account for Maps. How do I migrate my Maps projects to this new account?

To move an existing project to a new billing account, you must be an owner on the project and a billing Admin or Project Manager on the destination billing account.

To change the billing account:

  1. Go to the Cloud Console.
  2. Open the left-side menu and select Billing.
  3. If you have more than one billing account, select either the billing account linked to the current project (Go to linked billing account) or select a different billing account (Manage Billing Accounts) and choose the billing account (INR) where the project is currently attached.
  4. From the left-side menu, select Account Management at the bottom of the list.
  5. Select the ellipsis under Actions for the project, then select Disable Billing to remove the project from this billing account.
  6. Once the project has been removed from the billing account, select the Billing Account dropdown at the top of the page and select Manage Billing Account.
  7. Go to My Projects. Select the ellipsis under Actions for the project, then select Change Billing and choose the desired billing account for the project.
  8. Select Set account.

I cannot move all projects (i.e. if they no longer have ownership). What should I do?

Please contact support.

The new billing account is not in my current organization. How do I fix this?

To migrate the new billing accounts into your existing organization:

  1. Go to the Cloud Console.
  2. Open the left-side menu and select Billing.
  3. At the top of the page, select Organization, and then select No organization.
  4. Select the name of the new billing account.
  5. To move the billing account into the organization, select Change Organization.

Will my billing export settings be migrated to the new account?

No. If you’d like to set up billing export on the new account, you should first create a new BigQuery dataset or Google Cloud Storage bucket to export the data to, then visit the Billing export tab for the new billing account and set up billing export there. See these instructions.

Is there a way to migrate the budgets of my existing billing account to my new billing account for Maps?

No. You will need to recreate the existing budgets and alerts in the new destination billing account.

To find the existing budgets and alerts:

  1. Go to the Cloud Console.
  2. Open the left-side menu and select Billing.
  3. In the left-side menu, select Budgets & alerts.

Is there a way to migrate the IAM roles of my existing billing account to my new billing account for Maps?

There is no easy way to migrate IAM roles to a new billing account. You will need to manually add them to the new account. To move the IAM roles, you need to recreate the existing roles in the new destination billing account.

To find the existing IAM roles:

  1. Go to the Cloud Console.
  2. Open the left-side menu and select Billing.
  3. Expand the billing account list near the top of the page and select Manage billing accounts.
  4. On the Manage Billing Accounts page, expand the Show active accounts only list.
  5. Select Show all accounts, then choose the old billing account to view its details.
  6. When viewing the old billing account, the Info Panel on the right-side of the page shows the current list of IAM roles. Recreate the same list of roles in the new billing account using Add members.

Will I be able to retain my billing history?

No, your billing history will always be separate for each billing account.

Will I be able to pay in INR after migration?

Google Maps Platform usage is billed in USD. If your billing account is in INR, you will need to create a new billing account. See these instructions.

What happens to my existing billing account?

If your old billing account was only used for Maps usage, you should close the billing account once all your projects are migrated over. See these instructions.

When does billing start on the new billing account?

Charges will start accruing on the new account as soon as a project attached to it starts using Google Maps Platform services.

I created a new billing account for Maps, but I have some problems!

Please contact support.


Pricing FAQ

How has pricing changed?

A pay-as-you-go pricing plan went into effect for Maps, Routes, and Places in 2018 and became available in India in 2019. This plan gives you more flexibility and control over how you use our APIs: You can use as much or as little as you need and only pay for what you use each month. For more information on what’s different, you can review the API-specific billing differences and Google Maps Platform Billing.

Can I still use Google Maps Platform at no charge?

Yes. Customers who have a valid billing account enabled get $200 usage every month, at no charge. Based on the millions of users using our APIs today, most of them can continue to use Google Maps Platform at no charge within this tier.

Which products can I use with the $200 monthly no-charge tier?

Maps, Routes, Places, and Environment. The credit does not apply to our Ridesharing or Asset Tracking industry solutions.

What is the pricing after I exceed the $200 monthly no-charge credit?

You only pay for what you use. You can review rates and access your spending any time in your Google Cloud Platform Console, where you can also set daily quotas to protect against unexpected increases. You can also set budget alerts to receive email notifications when charges reach a preset threshold determined by you.

I received quota-limit errors on my Google Maps Platform projects. What does it mean?

Please contact support.

When do I need an Enterprise account?

Businesses with high-volume usage who are looking for volume pricing discounts, enterprise-grade customer support, and/or offline contracts should contact us about setting up an Enterprise account.

Will nonprofit organizations or other organizations who currently have Google grants continue to receive Google Maps Platform grants?

Absolutely. We’re expanding Google Maps Platform availability for Google public programs that support nonprofit, startup, crisis response, and news media organizations. Existing Google for Nonprofit users who are currently receiving Google Maps Platform grants will transition to Google Maps Platform credits. Learn how to apply for Google Maps Platform credits.