Google does charge for its Places API, but every account gets a free amount each month, and most sites never go past it. Google asks for billing details when you set up your key, so it can charge you if you do.
With Places API (New), two things count toward the free amount:
- Suggestions. Each time the suggestion list updates as someone types, that’s one autocomplete request. Google counts up to the first 12 in one address search, and the rest of that search is free. You get 10,000 free autocomplete requests a month.
- Picking an address. When someone picks a suggestion, the plugin asks Google for that address’s details once. You get 10,000 free address lookups a month.
The legacy Places API also includes 10,000 free autocomplete requests a month.
Google’s pricing page has the current prices past the free amount. To keep an eye on your usage, open APIs & Services in Google Cloud, or set a budget alert under Billing so you hear from Google before you’re charged.
Before March 2025, Google gave every account a $200 monthly credit instead. That was replaced by the free monthly amounts above.