Google Charges Advertisers for Unanswered Calls Starting October 1

Google will start charging Local Services Ads advertisers for business-hours calls that go unanswered starting October 1, 2026. The change affects small businesses in industries like plumbing, electrical work, and roofing, which pay Google per lead.

The new policy has two parts: missed calls during business hours will be charged as valid leads if a user stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, and subsequent calls between the business and the same person will also be charged. However, an initial call that does not qualify as a charged lead will only result in one charge for follow-up calls made within 15 days.

An online calculator developed by University of Illinois engineering student Mahir Patel estimates that this new policy could add up to $230.40 per month to a business's Google invoice, depending on their current call volume and answer rate. However, this figure includes calls that may have already been billable under the previous definition.

Google has not explained how voicemail, disputes, or spam calls will be handled under the new policy, leaving advertisers with uncertainty about what to expect from October 1 forward.