Last verified 2026-11-02 against Google's help page.
Since October 1, 2026, Google can charge for a missed Local Services Ads call during your business hours if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. The source is Google's How leads work page, read on 2026-11-02. Google does not publish a separate price for a missed-call lead, so this page states none.
If a charged lead is a call nobody picked up, the sections below cover what counts, where owners get surprised, and how to check the charge. What Sameday does with the call is on the Google Local Services integration page.
What counts as a lead now
Five rules from Google's help page answer most "why was I charged?" questions. Quotes are from that page as of 2026-11-02.
Five rules owners need from Google's help page
| Rule | What Google's page says |
|---|---|
| Missed call | "You missed a phone call during your business hours and the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds." |
| Business hours | "Business hours" are the hours you set in your Google Business Profile. If an ad schedule differs, unanswered calls are charged only during the active ad schedule and within those business hours. |
| Key-press menu | "The 20 second-timer will start once customers press the key." You are not charged if the customer does not press a key to get routed. Further key presses do not start that timer over. |
| Voicemail | A voicemail or automated greeting during business hours is treated as a connected call. It is charged if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, whether or not they leave a message. |
| Same customer within 15 days | "Once a lead is charged, any follow-up calls or messages with that customer are not charged again, provided there is interaction within 15 days and the contact comes from the same phone number or email address. If 15 days pass with no activity, a new call or message from that customer creates a new lead and will be charged if it meets valid lead criteria." |
An answered call is a valid lead too: "You answer a phone call or you call the customer back and speak with the customer." Google also lists a text or email, and a booking request in the United States and Canada. The Sameday section below is about phone calls.
What an LSA lead costs, and what's new
There is no published Google Local Services Ads cost per lead, and no separate missed-call price. "Lead prices may vary depending on your location, the job type, the type of lead, or your bidding mode." This page states no dollar figure.
What changed on October 1, 2026 is which events can be a lead. A missed call during business hours, with the caller on the line for more than 20 seconds, can be charged. If another write-up describes a different repeat-charge rule, use the 15-day quote in the table.
Where owners get surprised
The charge that feels wrong is usually voicemail, a phone tree, or hours that do not match who picks up. Voicemail during business hours is a connected call if the caller stays more than 20 seconds. A hang-up before any key press is not charged. The timer starts at the first key press. If someone at the business answers, even after 20 seconds of ringing, Google does not charge on ring time.
Does this call get the missed-call treatment?
| What happened | Google's rule, as of 2026-11-02 |
|---|---|
| Missed during business hours, caller stays more than 20 seconds | Can be a valid lead |
| Caller hangs up on a key-press menu before pressing a key | Not charged |
| Voicemail or automated greeting, caller stays more than 20 seconds | Treated as a connected call and charged |
| Same number or email, with interaction, inside 15 days | Not charged again |
| Someone at the business answers, even after 20 seconds of ringing | Not charged on ring time. Evaluated as an answered call. |
How to check what you were charged
A Google LSA dispute starts in the leads inbox. Google's page is the source for each step.
- Open the Leads page in Google Ads and find the lead.
- Read Charge Status. Google marks it Charged, Not charged, In review, or Credited.
- Use the Billing menu in the leads inbox for the amount charged. Local Services billing is managed in Google Ads.
- If you believe the lead is poor quality, use the Feedback Survey on that lead. Google says it may also occasionally credit leads you report.
- Google assesses lead quality over 30 days. A poor-quality, duplicate, or invalid lead can be credited automatically. Automatic credits are not available for accounts in the EEA.
Lead credits are not available for health care verticals, tax specialists, or advertisers in EMEA. Google also withholds them for health care and tax accounts in the United States, and for every vertical in Europe. A survey is not a guaranteed credit.
Why answering matters beyond the bill
A Local Services lead is billed whether you book the job or miss the call. Answering is how you turn a charged lead into a conversation and, when it fits, a job on the board. That path is the Google Local Services integration.
How to answer LSA calls
- Set Google Business Profile hours to the hours someone actually answers. Unanswered calls inside those hours, and inside an active ad schedule, are the missed-call case.
- Answer the call. Voicemail or a long automated greeting is treated as connected once the caller stays past 20 seconds.
- If you use a key-press menu, the timer starts at the first key press. A hang-up before that press is not charged.
- Call back a short miss and speak with the customer. Google lists that as a valid lead. You are charged once, on the first call that qualifies as a valid lead.
Keep the number customers already have. Port it into Sameday's phone system, or forward calls to it. You set transfer rules by intent, keyword, job value, or time of day, and the caller can reach a person with the summary already gathered.
Where Sameday fits
Sameday answers calls 24/7, including after hours and during spikes. On a Local Services call it qualifies the job against your playbook and can book it during the call into ServiceTitan (Certified ServiceTitan app), Housecall Pro, Jobber, Service Fusion, FieldRoutes, or FieldPulse. That path is the Google Local Services integration. Google Ads calls use the same answering path on a different Google product.
When a lead does not connect, Sameday follows up by text and by call. Missed-call leads called back within a minute. Speed to lead is the callback path. Missed-call text back is the text path. Campaigns place calls and texts from your own numbers, with quiet hours and opt-outs respected. Campaigns reach contacts who have given the consent required by law.
Across Sameday customers and channels, Sameday has answered 4M+ calls with AI in the trades, with a 92% booking rate in most channels. Results vary by business. See HVAC dispatcher vs. call center vs. AI CSR.
Calls, texts, and bookings are logged for review. Anything sensitive waits for your approval. Launch starts at $449/mo with 500 minutes. Scale starts at $789/mo with 1,000 minutes. Enterprise is custom. Overage is billed at your plan's per-minute or per-message rate.
Two weeks, zero missed LSA calls
We just had our 2nd week in a row of zero missed Google Local Services calls. This is pretty cool to see since implementing Sameday.
Results vary by business.
Book a demo to hear Sameday on your line. See pricing for Launch, Scale, and Enterprise.
FAQ
Does Google charge for missed Local Services Ads calls?
Yes. Since October 1, 2026, Google can charge you when you miss a phone call during your business hours and the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. That wording is from Google's How leads work page, read on 2026-11-02.
How long does a call have to be for Google to charge?
For a missed call during business hours, the caller has to stay on the line for more than 20 seconds. If a menu asks the caller to press a key, the 20-second timer starts once the customer presses the key. If someone at the business answers, even after 20 seconds of ringing, Google does not charge based on ring time.
Does voicemail count as a missed call?
Google treats a voicemail or an automated greeting during business hours as a connected call. It is charged if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, whether or not they leave a message.
Am I charged twice if the same customer calls again?
No. Once a lead is charged, follow-up calls or messages are not charged again within 15 days if there is interaction and the contact is the same phone number or email address. After 15 days with no activity, a new call or message can be a new lead. Google's full sentence is in the table above.
What are my business hours for LSA?
Business hours are the hours you set in your Google Business Profile. If an ad schedule differs from those hours, unanswered calls are charged only when they fall inside both the active ad schedule and your business hours.
Can I dispute a lead?
Use the Feedback Survey on that lead from the Leads page. Charge Status can show Charged, Not charged, In review, or Credited. Google reassesses lead quality over 30 days and credits poor-quality, duplicate, or invalid leads automatically, except for accounts in the EEA. Lead credits are not available for health care verticals, tax specialists, or advertisers in EMEA. Google says it may also occasionally credit leads you report. A survey is not a guaranteed credit.
Why does answering LSA calls matter if the lead is already charged?
A charged lead is still only a phone call until someone speaks with the customer and books the job. Sameday answers the call, qualifies it, and can book it into your field-service software during the call.
Does Sameday answer Google Local Services calls?
Yes. Sameday answers calls 24/7, including after hours and during spikes, qualifies the job against your playbook, and can book it into your field-service software during the call.