Official Google APIs
Places API (New), Business Profile API, pricing, field masks
Places API (New) — Overview & Pricing
Places API (New)
The current-generation API replacing the legacy Places API. Uses a mandatory field mask in every request — omitting it returns an error. Billing is determined by the highest-tier field requested.
Three-Tier SKU Billing
| Tier | What's Included | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Place ID, name, address, location, types, business status | Lowest |
| Pro | Phone, website, opening hours, price level, photos | Medium |
| Enterprise | Reviews, ratings, userRatingCount, editorial summary, atmosphere data | Highest (~$17-35/1K requests) |
Subscription Plans
| Plan | Cost | Calls | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | Variable | Unlimited | Baseline |
| Starter | $100/mo | 50K | Moderate |
| Pro | $1,200/mo | 250K | Up to $5,000 vs PAYG |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Negotiated |
Key API Operations
- Place Details — full data for a known place_id
- Text Search — search by query string (e.g., "restaurants in Berlin")
- Nearby Search — search within a radius of coordinates
- Autocomplete — predictive place suggestions
- Place Photos — retrieve photos by reference
Rate Limits
Enforced per API method per project (unlike legacy API which aggregated all methods). Default ~600 requests/minute; increases require contacting Google support.
Free Tier Status (2026)
Warning: The previously documented "$200 monthly credit" and "10,000 free calls" claims were both refuted during adversarial verification. Verify directly at mapsplatform.google.com/pricing.
Data Fields (50+)
Name, formatted address, address components, phone, international phone, website, opening hours (regular + secondary), business status, price level, rating, user rating count, reviews (text/author/rating/time/language — max 5 per place), photos, types, coordinates, viewport, place ID, URL, UTC offset, plus 20+ boolean amenities (delivery, dineIn, takeout, outdoorSeating, liveMusic, allowsDogs, etc.).
New-Only Fields (Not in Legacy API)
regularSecondaryOpeningHours, paymentOptions, parkingOptions, subDestinations, fuelOptions, evChargeOptions, shortFormattedAddress, primaryType, primaryTypeDisplayName
Sources
Google Business Profile API
Google Business Profile API
Access all reviews (not limited to 5) — but only for locations you own or manage. Requires OAuth2 authentication.
Key Endpoints
| Endpoint | Purpose |
|---|---|
accounts.locations.reviews.list | All reviews for one location |
accounts.locations.batchGetReviews | Batch review extraction across locations |
Returns: reviewId, starRating, comment text, creation/update timestamps. Free for business owners.
Google Takeout Alternative
Business owners can download all reviews from their GBP as JSON via Google Takeout (free, official).