Google Guaranteed Badge: What It Is, What It Costs and How to Get It

Quick answer: Google Guaranteed was the green check mark badge on Google's Local Services Ads. In October 2025 Google replaced it, along with Google Screened, with a single Google Verified badge, and the money-back guarantee was discontinued. You get the badge by signing up for Local Services Ads and passing Google's checks. There's no fee for the badge itself: you pay per lead.

Many articles about Google Guaranteed are now out of date. This guide covers what changed, how pricing works, the steps to get verified, and what to do if Local Services Ads aren't available where you work.

What is Google Guaranteed (and what is it called now)?

Google Guaranteed was a trust badge for local service businesses such as plumbers, electricians, cleaners and roofers. It appeared on Local Services Ads (LSA), the ads at the very top of Google search results that show a business name, rating, badge and a call or message button. Customers who booked through the ad were also covered by a money-back guarantee.

There were a few related badges: Google Guaranteed for home services, Google Screened for professional services like lawyers and financial planners, and License Verified by Google for some licensed trades.

In August 2025 Google announced that from October it would unify all of them. Google Verified replaces Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, License Verified by Google and the Money Back Guarantee. The new badge shows together with the specific checks a business has passed, so customers can see what was verified.

If you had already completed verification, Google says no action is needed: you get the new badge automatically and your ads keep running. Google also says the change doesn't affect ad ranking.

Is the Google money-back guarantee still available?

No. Google's help page About Google Verified badge says Google is discontinuing the Money Back Guarantee. Customers can only request a reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before 7 December 2025, within 30 days of the service being completed.

So if an old blog post or a competitor's website promises "backed by Google's money-back guarantee", that no longer applies to new jobs. Don't use it in your own marketing.

Where are Local Services Ads available?

At the time of writing (October 2026), Google's Getting started with Local Services Ads page lists these countries:

• United States and Canada

• United Kingdom and Ireland

• Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands are not on the list, so businesses there can't currently get the badge. See the section on what to do instead, further down.

Eligible categories also differ by country. In the US, home services include plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers, general contractors, handymen, house cleaning, landscaping, locksmiths, pest control, painters, movers and more, plus categories for health, legal, beauty, auto and care businesses. Note that Google currently says the badge is unavailable for the auto, beauty and dining categories, even where they can run Local Services Ads.

How much does Google Guaranteed cost?

Google doesn't sell the badge. You earn it by passing verification for Local Services Ads, and you pay for the leads the ads bring in. Some older articles quote a flat monthly fee; that isn't how Google describes pricing today.

According to Google's help page on charges:

• You pay per valid lead (a call, message or booking through the ad), not per click.

• You set an average weekly budget. Your monthly maximum is roughly that budget times the average weeks in a month. Once you hit it, your ad stops showing until next month unless you raise the budget.

• Lead prices vary by location, job type, lead type and bidding mode. Message leads are usually priced lower than phone leads.

• You choose a bidding mode: let Google maximise leads for your budget, or set a maximum per lead.

• Invalid or low-quality leads aren't charged when Google first assesses them, and background checks are free.

Google doesn't publish a fixed lead price, because an emergency plumbing lead in a big city won't cost the same as a window cleaning lead in a small town. Its Local Services Ads page has a budget calculator to estimate costs for your area.

Important for European advertisers: Google can automatically credit back charged leads it later judges low quality, but these automatic credits are not available in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), or for health care and tax specialists.

How to get Google Guaranteed (Google Verified): step by step

1. Check eligibility. On Google's Local Services Ads page, enter your country, category and postcode or ZIP code.

2. Create your profile. Add your business name, job types, service area and hours. Only pick job types you want, because you pay for those leads.

3. Connect your Google Business Profile. Google notes it can take up to 24 hours for this to show as complete in your dashboard.

4. Set your budget and bidding mode. You can change them at any time.

5. Complete screening and verification (see below).

6. Set up billing. Ads can't go live without it.

7. Go live and manage leads. Answer calls, reply to messages, mark jobs as booked and flag bad leads.

What Google checks

The checks depend on your category and country. Google's screening and verification page describes:

• Background checks: identity and criminal history checks for business owners and every worker who carries out core services for customers. Office staff who don't serve customers are exempt. If you're denied, you wait 30 days to reapply, and 180 days after a second denial.

• Licence checks: where your trade needs a state, provincial or national licence, Google checks it.

• Insurance checks: for some businesses in the US, Canada and EMEA. Your certificate must be valid for at least 14 days after you submit it, show the policy number and match the business name you advertise under.

• Business registration: in the US Google typically uses a D-U-N-S number, which can take up to 30 days to get, so apply early. In Europe and Canada you prove registration with documents, a registration number or another accepted method.

• Reviews: depending on your category, there may be review requirements before your ad goes live.

Google re-checks advertisers from time to time. If you don't complete a requested re-check, you can lose the badge or have your ads paused, so keep insurance and licences current.

Google also offers pre-badge ads: after the preliminary checks, your ad can show while you finish the rest, but below fully verified providers. They aren't available for garage door services, health care or locksmiths.

How Local Services Ads rank

Paying more doesn't guarantee the top spot. Google says ranking depends on your bid and on how likely you are to turn a search into a lead, which includes:

• Responsiveness: missed calls can count against you.

• Relevance: how well your services match the job, location and time of the search.

• Contact options: turning on message and booking leads can help.

• Profile quality: your rating, number of reviews, response time, photos and verification checks.

The two things you control most are answering fast and getting a steady flow of genuine reviews.

Local Services Ads vs Google Ads vs your Google Maps listing

Google describes standard Google Ads as customisable pay-per-click ads open to any business, and Local Services Ads as pay-per-lead listings for verified local providers. Your Maps ranking is separate again: Google says you can't pay for a better local ranking. Many businesses use all three.

Is it worth it? Pros and cons

Pros

• You pay for contacts, not clicks.

• Top-of-page visibility for searches like "plumber near me".

• A visible trust signal showing which checks you've passed.

• Little setup work: no keywords, ad copy or landing pages.

Cons

• Limited availability: certain countries and categories only, and no Nordic countries at the time of writing.

• Less control: no keywords, no ad text, no traffic to your own website.

• Lead quality varies, and Europe has no automatic credits for bad leads.

• You must answer fast, which is hard if you're on a job all day.

• Paperwork and re-checks for every field worker, licence and insurance policy.

• You're renting visibility. When you stop paying, leads stop. Your website, profile and reviews keep working.

LSA usually suits businesses in a supported country and category that can answer the phone in working hours and take on new jobs quickly.

If Local Services Ads aren't available in your country

If you're in the Nordics, the Netherlands or anywhere else not on Google's list, or your category isn't supported, combine three things.

1. Google Ads search campaigns

• Target only the towns and postcodes you serve.

• Bid on high-intent searches like "emergency electrician" or "roof repair quote", with negative keywords for jobs and DIY searches.

• Add a call button and run ads in the hours you can answer.

• Send clicks to a fast, mobile-friendly page for that exact service.

• Track calls and form submissions so you know what a lead really costs.

2. A strong Google Business Profile

Your free profile is what shows on Google Maps. Choose the right primary category, list every service, keep hours accurate and add real photos of your work. See how to rank higher on Google Maps.

3. Reviews

Without a badge, reviews do the trust-building. Ask every customer and reply to every review. See how to get more Google reviews for scripts that stay within Google's rules.

Whichever route you take, speed matters. A paid lead you don't answer is wasted money.

How WebScaling can help

WebScaling is a web agency for small businesses in Morocco and around the world. We start with your website and the 5-service pack: a website that turns visitors into calls and messages, your Google Business Profile and reviews, SEO, visibility in AI answers (GEO) and a client dashboard. When your business is ready, we add premium services such as Google & Meta Ads, AI agents, automations and dashboards.

Book a free call: you get a clear plan and a fixed quote, with no hidden fees.

FAQ

Is Google Guaranteed still a thing?

Not under that name. In October 2025 Google replaced Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified by Google with one Google Verified badge. Already-verified businesses got it automatically.

How much does Google Guaranteed cost?

There's no fee for the badge. You get it through Local Services Ads, where you set a weekly budget and pay per valid lead. Google doesn't publish a fixed lead price; it varies by location, job type, lead type and bidding mode.

What's the difference between Google Guaranteed and Google Screened?

Google Guaranteed was mainly for home services and came with a money-back guarantee. Google Screened was for professional services. Both are now Google Verified, and the money-back guarantee has ended.

Is Google Guaranteed available in Europe?

Local Services Ads run in the UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, plus the US and Canada. At the time of writing, the Nordic countries and the Netherlands aren't included.

Can I get the badge without running ads?

No. The badge comes through Local Services Ads. To appear on Google Maps for free, focus on your Google Business Profile and reviews.