Google Guaranteed is now Google Verified: what changed for your business
The short answer
Google has replaced its Local Services Ads badges with one Google Verified badge, and it’s ending the Money Back Guarantee: reimbursement requests only apply to services booked before December 7, 2025. Existing verified advertisers get the new badge automatically. Google says ranking isn’t affected. You still pay per lead, and that can include a missed call.
Plenty of pages still explain Google Guaranteed as if nothing changed. Google now has a single badge for Local Services Ads, and its money-back guarantee is over. Here’s what its own help pages say.
Updated November 5, 2026. We make CoveDesk, a phone answering service, and we don’t sell ads. What this page says about Google comes from Google’s own pages, linked below.
What changed
| Question | What Google says |
|---|---|
| The badge | A single Google Verified badge for all advertisers |
| If you already advertise | No action needed, if you’ve completed verification. You get the new badge automatically |
| If you’re new | Complete Local Services screening and verification to get it |
| Ranking | Local Services Ads ranking won’t be affected by this change |
| Money Back Guarantee | Being discontinued. Requests only for services booked before December 7, 2025, within 30 days of completion |
If your marketing still says “Google Guaranteed” or promises Google’s money back, it’s worth updating.
What you pay for
Google says you only pay for valid leads. Its lead page (opens in a new tab) counts these:
- Calls you answer
- Missed calls, when the caller stays on the line for over 20 seconds during your business hours
- Text messages, emails and voicemails
- Booking requests, in the US and Canada
That second line is easy to miss. Your business hours come from your Google Business Profile, so a call you don’t pick up during those hours can still cost you. Set accurate hours, and have a plan for who answers.
Prices change with your location, the job, the kind of lead and your bidding mode. Your monthly limit comes from your average weekly budget. Google says it reassesses charged leads over 30 days, and credits poor-quality, duplicate or invalid leads automatically. A follow-up from the same customer within 15 days isn’t charged again.
Who can advertise
Google lists categories including home, business, health, learning, care, wellness and beauty, with electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofing and locksmiths as home examples. It says it verifies your business, including checks on your registration and identity. Requirements differ by category and place, so check Google’s own page (opens in a new tab) for yours.
Google Business Profile audit
Score your Google profile on 15 points and see what to fix first.
Google review link generator
Make the link that opens straight to your Google review box, with a QR code to print.
Missed call calculator
See what the calls you don’t answer may be worth in a month and a year, from your own numbers.
Common questions
Does Google Guaranteed still exist?
What’s the difference between Google Guaranteed and Google Screened?
Do I need to do anything to get the Google Verified badge?
Do I pay for missed calls on Local Services Ads?
How much does Google Local Services Ads cost?
Can I get a credit for a bad lead?
Sources
What this page says about other companies comes from their own websites, read on November 5, 2026:
- Google Verified badge: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/16498018?hl=en (opens in a new tab)
- How leads work: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en (opens in a new tab)
- Local Services Ads: https://business.google.com/us/ad-solutions/local-service-ads/ (opens in a new tab)
Prices and terms change, so check each company’s website before you buy. Company names are the trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their services; none of them is affiliated with or endorses CoveDesk. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
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