Understanding Google API Costs for Your Zepio Store

Zepio uses Google Maps APIs in multiple places to enhance location accuracy, delivery tracking, and customer experience. Here’s a breakdown of where these APIs are used and what that means for your billing.

Where Google APIs are Used in Zepio

1. Customer Address Selection (Mandatory)

   • Shows map to pinpoint the exact delivery address
   • Automatically fills in address, latitude & longitude
   • Uses: Maps JavaScript API, Geocoding API

2. Address Search Autocomplete (Mandatory)

   • Lets users search their city, apartment, or area
   • Uses: Places API

3. Live Order Tracking on Map (Optional)

   • Displays real-time location of delivery staff and customer
   • Uses: Maps JavaScript API, Realtime updates via Firebase

4. Live Directions & ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) (Optional)

   • Shows route and approx delivery time
   • Uses: Directions API

5. Distance Calculation for Delivery Charges (Optional)

   • Calculates distance between warehouse and customer
   • Uses: Distance Matrix API

How Much Do These APIs Cost?

Google Maps Platform offers $200 of free usage every month on your account. This covers thousands of API calls, enough for most small and mid-sized businesses.

✅ Zepio users with up to 10,000 orders/month typically don’t pay anything and stay within the free limit.

Also, Zepio has implemented API throttling and caching to optimize usage and help you stay within the free tier.

Check Google Maps pricing here: https://mapsplatform.google.com/pricing/

How Long Does the Free Tier Last?

• The $200 free credit renews automatically every month
• No need to apply or renew. It's available by default when you add billing to your Google Cloud account

How to Avoid Charges

• Set a monthly budget cap (e.g., $195) in your Google Cloud Billing to stop usage before you exceed the free limit
• If you hit your cap, APIs may stop working temporarily until the next billing cycle
• You can also switch API keys from the Zepio dashboard if you use multiple Google Cloud accounts

How to Set Up Google Maps API on Zepio

Follow our detailed guide with video here: 👉 How to Set Up Google Maps for Your Store