If you've run into an issue where your Google Map is no longer appearing on your home or contact page, or if the map is overlaid with a message that states "For development purposes only" (as shown below), read on to discover the reason and possible solutions.

Google has recently changed their requirements for publishing Google Maps on websites.  You must now create a billing account with Google to use an API key, as it is no longer free to offer this functionality.  The good news is, Google provides a monthly credit when creating the billing account which is generally enough to cover the costs of displaying the map on most websites on a monthly basis.  So for most users, the service is still free.  Shopify has provided instructions for setting up the billing account and obtaining an API key.  

Larger websites with heavier traffic may run into the issue shown above, where you have exceeded the quota for your Google Maps API and will see a message similar to this in their console:

It directs users to https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/usage-and-billing for more information.  In this case, you must decide whether continued use of the map is worth paying for.  Fees vary, and you can find out more information about pricing at the link provided above.  

If you do not wish to pay for this service, you may also simply disable the Google Map in your theme settings.  To do this, simply go to Online Store > Themes > ShowTime or Galleria > Customize Theme.  If you have a map on the home page, simply locate this section, click on it, and remove it.  If you have a map on your contact page, navigate to this page in the settings editor and you'll see the settings for the contact page.  Uncheck the box that says "Enable Google map" as shown below.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused, but unfortunately, the situation is outside of our control.