Google Local Services Ads: Charges, Disputes and Credits
Google LSA charges per lead, not per click. Knowing what counts as a lead, and what you can dispute, is how you keep your real cost down. Here are the current rules, with sources.
How you're charged
- From October 1, 2026, a missed call during business hours is a charged lead if the customer stays on the line more than 20 seconds.
- If your phone system requires a key press to route calls, the 20-second timer starts after the key press. No key press, no charge.
- The 20-second rule applies only to unanswered calls. Answered calls are judged on the conversation.
- Follow-up calls or messages from the same phone number or email within 15 days of a charged lead are not charged again. After 15 days with no activity, a new contact is a new lead.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en ↗
What qualifies for a dispute
- Job seekers.
- Solicitation.
- Wrong number.
- Not a live human, or a pre-recorded call.
- Location not served: the customer stated a location not on your profile and you declined.
- Service not offered: the customer asked for a service not on your profile and you declined.
- Looking for a store or parts.
- Duplicate lead for the same job within 15 days.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en ↗
Automated credits
- Google uses machine-learning models to credit low-quality leads automatically.
- Credits are usually applied within 30 days.
- The original charge still shows on your invoice, so check for the credit separately.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/15100654?hl=en ↗
Deadlines
- You have 30 days to dispute a charge.
- Disputes are available in the US and Canada only and are at Google's discretion.
- Dispute decisions are final.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en ↗
What doesn't qualify
- Google no longer supports automated credits for "job type not serviced" and "geo not serviced" leads.
- Call recordings and lead credits aren't available for US health care verticals or tax specialists.
- From October 1, 2026, a missed business-hours call where the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds counts as a valid lead.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/15100654?hl=en ↗
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en ↗
Practical checklist
- Answer calls during business hours. Missed calls can now cost you.
- Keep the services and locations on your profile accurate. Disputes for location or service mismatch depend on what your profile says.
- Review every lead and file disputes well inside the 30-day window.
- Check invoices for automated credits, since the original charge stays listed.
- Track how many leads you can actually book. In an August 2026 review of about 100 contractors, AdGenius graded 43% of LSA conversions unbookable, and 58% of the bookable ones still weren't booked.
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en ↗
Source: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/15100654?hl=en ↗
Source: https://adgenius.com/research/google-local-services-ads-cost-benchmark/ ↗
Last checked: 2026-10-18