Google Maps

[Jachym]

Hi guys,
I assume most of you received an email from Google about changes in the Google Maps API. My understanding of these changes is that Google will only allow further use of the Maps API if you provide them with your card details and in case you go over the limit, will charge you.
Unfortunately Im not willing to give my debit card details to Google so there will be no further support of Google Maps. This will affect dozens of blocks, plugins and main pages, including the setup page (it will not affect all maps, some plugins/blocks use Leaflet maps, which will work fine). This is the second time they changed the terms since I began Meteotemplate, but last time it only required changes in the code.
What this means is that if you are willing to give your billing details to Google, you can use it further, assuming you accept the fact that there is a risk some bot will visit your page and exhaust your monthly quota and you will be charged by google. Or the maps will not work on your page - which is what is probably going to happen in the DEMO.
I can dedicate my time to Meteotemplate, but Im not willing to sponsor it, The domain, hosting etc. is already an expense, but at least I know exactly how much and how often.
I am of course not happy about this, but as you can imagine, this was a change I could not anticipate.

[Johnny]

Hi Jachym,

Yes, I received this email from Google last night, I had a feeling it was connected to the template - but wasn't too sure. Anyway, like you I'm not giving Google my card details either, I'll just have to wait and see exactly what fails to work when they implement this. Looks like it's going to be different for each one of us depending on what blocks or plugins we use.

Doubtless next they will start charging for analytics as well at some point.

[magical46]

Hi I just posted this comment on the blog, I'm thinking the same way as the previous comments:-

Hi, like you I am not prepared to give my card details to google, maybe if it was just a reasonable annual FIXED fee I may consider it, but the way this is being done any of us could end up with large bills. Obviously this is going to be pretty devastating for many blocks and plugins. How long before they start charging for analytics etc? is this the thin end of the wedge.
They must be short of revenue !!! I don’t think so
Phil

[Jolumarali]

Hi Jachym
If my app or website suddenly gets popular, do my cards stop working?
Web Services API
If you use the Web Services APIs, we allow 2,500 free requests per day, calculated by adding your client-side queries (via Google Maps JavaScript API services) and your server-side queries. If you go over the free quota, you can access a quota charged for 100,000 requests per day, provided you opt for automatic billing.

Web API
If you use the Google Maps APIs, Static Maps API or Street View Image API, we allow 25,000 free card shipments per day. If you go over the free quota, you can access a quota charged for using 100,000 card loads a day, provided you opt for automatic billing.

In some cases, quota exceptions may apply. Learn more.

If you go over the free daily quota and billing is not enabled, the API will stop working for the rest of the day.

now know if activation will become mandatory

José Luis

https://developers.google.com/maps/faq#usage_quotacalc

[Jachym]

This is the original license, which was not a problem.

Original license:
- free quota
- quota exhausted -> maps stop working

New license
- free quota (not sure if the quota is the same)
- quota exhausted -> Google will start charging you automatically

The difference is that with the upcoming license you will only be able to use the Maps if you give Google your credit/debit card details and they can automatically charge you.

I personally do not want to give Google my debit card details, I do not use Google Wallet, buy apps etc. I dont want that.

Not all your maps will stop working, some blocks/plugins use Leaflet maps, those will keep working. The ones that use Google Maps (including eg. the setup page) will only work if you enable the billing for Google. The DEMO will stop working because I will not enable it on my Google account.

[polbrieuc]

Very bad news indeed.
Although I am not 100% sure that Google Maps will stop working if you do not add a billing account.
They choose their wording carefully to make sure you create a billing account but I found this reference that says that if you don't add a billing account, problems would start after you exceed your free quota (which was already the case) :
https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/ ... g-changes/

Is a credit card or billing account required?
Even though your first $200 of monthly usage is free, all Google Cloud Platform services require a credit card and billing account, to cover any amount you spend over this free credit. If you are billed, we'll credit your account for the first $200 of monthly usage. If you choose not to add a billing account, there is a risk that if your usage exceeds $200 in a given month, your Maps API implementation will be degraded or other API requests will return an error. If your estimated usage will be above $200 a month and you don't have a credit or debit card to set up a billing account, a local Google Maps Partner may be able to help.

In any case, I am not giving my credit card to Google. So it will be wait and see. Too bad because my traffic alert block is using Google Directions and is (was) one of the key features for my visitors.

[lobito]

One short Note about the fear to provide pay information to google. If you operate an website based on php you must monitoring it. PHP is potentially insecure all times. And with an monitoring solution you will see the hitrate and you can trigger an alarm on any threshold value..... so that you never pay to google.
btw nobody uses here an android mobile with mobile wallet or playshop? Google knows more from you as you expect.

[Jachym]

Google knows a lot, but it does not know my card details and that is something I will not provide to Google and it doesnt know it.

[lobito]

@Jachym take a prepaid CC from benzinka

[Jachym]

I dont want to give Google any details and dont have time to create a card just for this purpose. This will not affect you. Whoever is ok with providing card details with google will be fine 100%.

[andyk1]

Hi guys,
I assume most of you received an email from Google about changes in the Google Maps API. My understanding of these changes is that Google will only allow further use of the Maps API if you provide them with your card details and in case you go over the limit, will charge you.

Not sure why but I've never received this email from google even after 3-4 weeks. I believe I am using the same blocks and plugin's as everyone else. Wonder if I will not fall under the new terms... yet.

Andy

[Jachym]

Everyone will, maybe you provided a different email address, or it ended in spam

[andyk1]

Checked my spam when I read the post. Have talked to others and some have also not received it yet. Am guessing it's coming sooner or later...

As far as I can tell everything is still working as designed so far.

[polbrieuc]

Bad news this morning : it finally happened.
Google had reduced my quota for daily calls to 0.
My requests to Maps and to the Direction API (that I use in a custom block to display traffic alerts) were returning an error.
I check in the developer console and effectively, as I was lacking billing information, it had limited all my services.
I know I initially said that I would not subscribe to any Google paying service and would not give them any credit card info but...
The app I am trying to developp (check it out, it is awesome )uses Google Maps to display the position of the site and my Meteotemplate site uses Google Directions to display traffic alerts (a feature my visitor particularly like, expecially now that they also get a notification through the app).
So I surrendered, praying that I will be able to manage my quotas to avoid any bad surprise.
"The don't be evil" Google slogan is definitely dead.
As for letting Google have my credit card information, I saw that they already had one (old, expired, but still... ). Google does not forgive and does not forget...

[andyk1]

Hello polbrieuc!

Your app looks awesome. I hope you release it in the US also. I'm not sure what you meant in but your site worked perfectly on my desktop screen. I can see you put a lot of time and effort and just want to say.... Good Job.

Looking at my site and others I see google maps are still working but we know months ago this was coming. I, like you am very reluctant to give "G" my CC info but just maybe will have to unless we can get Bing maps working.

Andy

[polbrieuc]

Hello polbrieuc!

Your app looks awesome. I hope you release it in the US also. I'm not sure what you meant in your some buy your site worked perfectly on my desktop screen. I can see you put a lot of time and effort and just want to say.... Good Job.

Looking at my site and others I see google maps are still working but we know months ago this was coming. I, like you am very reluctant to give "G" my CC info but just maybe will have to unless we can get Bing maps working.

Andy

Thanks Andy.
The app is not linked to any geography in particular so it should work in the US as anywhere else.
The current language for the interface is English only, I plan to start translations to other languages only when I have a stable version.
In the Settings (icon in the top right corner) / Sites section, you can choose the site you want to use from the list of available sites.
Currently, the list is limited to those sites who volunteered to beta test. Let me know if you want to have your site included (if so, do not forget to install the plugin).

As for Google, I will continue to look for alternatives but for now, I'll spend the free credit they give you when you add a billing account...