Google Is Changing How Local Services Ads Call Leads Get Charged

On October 1, 2026, Google is updating its Local Services Ads (LSA) lead charge policy. The change affects two things:

1. How missed calls get charged

2. Whether follow-up calls can be charged

What's different and what to do about it.

• Missed calls now use a 20-second threshold: LSA used to run on a 30-second threshold before Google moved to a review-based approach for charged calls. Starting October 1, a missed call during business hours can be charged if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. If your phone system requires callers to press a key to reach a department, the 20-second timer doesn't start until they press that key. If a caller never selects an option, the call won't be charged.

• Follow-up calls can now be charged: Under the current policy, repeat calls from the same customer within a 15-day window count as one lead. Starting October 1, if the first call from a customer wasn't charged, a follow-up call can be charged if it meets Google's valid lead criteria. This doesn't mean every repeat call becomes billable. It only applies when the first call didn't qualify as a charged lead.

• Google is also adding spam protections: Google says it's introducing safeguards to limit robocalls and address spam call abuse. Details on how those safeguards work haven't been released yet.

What this means for your business

Responsiveness now carries more weight. A missed call that runs past 20 seconds can become a charged lead, so how fast your team answers and how your phone system routes calls both matter more than they did under the old policy.

What you can do now

1. Check how your phone system handles routing. If you use a press-key-to-route system, make sure callers have a clear, simple reason to press a key. A call where no key is pressed isn't charged, but you don't want that setup causing callers to hang up before reaching you either.

2. Watch your call answer times. Under this policy, faster response times matter more than they used to.

We're continuing to review the details of this change and will share more guidance as Google releases it, ahead of the October 1 effective date. If you're a Scorpion client, we're already looking at how this affects your account and will let you know if anything on your end needs to change. If you have questions in the meantime, reach out to your account manager.

If you're not a Scorpion client and want help navigating this change, reach out to our team and we'll walk you through what it means for your business.