FOUR LEAD STATUSES, AND WHY YOUR LOCAL SERVICES ADS BILL ISN'T FINAL ON DAY ONE.
Google expanded its Local Services Ads help page on how leads work. Each lead's charge status now reads Charged, Not charged, In review or Credited, and Google says it assesses lead quality over a 30-day period, crediting poor-quality, duplicate or invalid leads automatically. That means this month's lead count is not final until the review window closes. Here is how to read the statuses and judge your results fairly.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: wait for the 30-day review window before judging a month, then compare charged leads with booked jobs, not with the first number you saw.
THE FOUR STATUSES IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 8, 2026 that Google's help page now lists four lead charge statuses: Charged, Not charged, In review and Credited.2 Google's page shows them in a Charge Status column on your leads.1 In practical terms:
- Charged: you paid for this lead.
- Not charged: the contact appears in your list but did not cost you, for example a repeat contact.
- In review: Google is still assessing the lead. Treat it as not final.
- Credited: you were charged, then Google returned the cost.
THE 30-DAY REVIEW WINDOW
Google says it continuously assesses lead quality over a 30-day period, and if a lead is found to be poor quality, duplicate or invalid, a credit is applied automatically.1 So a lead charged early in the month can turn into a credit weeks later.
Google also says follow-up calls or messages are generally not charged again if there is interaction within 15 days and the contact comes from the same phone number or email address.1 A customer who calls three times about one job should cost you one lead, not three. If you think a lead was wrongly charged, Google says you can share feedback using the survey on the Leads page.1
HOW TO READ YOUR MONTH
- Wait. Judge a month only after its leads have had time to clear review.
- Count by status. Note how many leads ended Charged, Not charged and Credited.
- Match to jobs. For each charged lead, mark whether it became a quote and a booked job.
- Give feedback. Use the Leads page survey for leads that were clearly not real customers.
- Compare like with like. Compare cost per booked job month to month, not raw lead counts.
Missed calls matter here too: Google can charge an unanswered call during business hours. Our post on missed-call charges explains the 20-second rule, and our Local Services Ads guide covers the full setup.
WHAT CHANGES FOR MULTI-LOCATION AND ENTERPRISE OPERATORS
When several branches run Local Services Ads, the review window affects budgeting and reporting:
- Close the month late. Report final lead cost per branch after the review window, and label earlier figures as provisional.
- One lead log. Export leads from every account into one sheet with branch, status, and booked or not.
- Watch credit patterns. A branch with many credits may be attracting the wrong searches or listing the wrong service area.
- Connect to your CRM. Matching leads to booked jobs is far easier when every call and message lands in the same system.
Local Services Ads are also moving into Google Ads campaigns. Our post on the move to Performance Max covers that change, and our mid-size and enterprise page explains how we support larger teams.
FAQ
What lead statuses does Local Services Ads show?
Each lead's charge status reads Charged, Not charged, In review or Credited.
How long can Google review a Local Services Ads lead?
Google says it assesses lead quality over a 30-day period and automatically credits leads it finds to be poor quality, duplicate or invalid.
Am I charged twice when the same customer calls again?
Google says follow-up calls or messages are generally not charged again if there is interaction within 15 days and the contact comes from the same phone number or email address.
How do I dispute a Local Services Ads lead?
Google says you can share feedback on individual leads using the survey on the Leads page.
When should I judge whether Local Services Ads are working?
After the review window closes. Then compare charged leads with booked jobs and look at cost per booked job, not lead counts.
SOURCES
- Local Services Help, How leads work.
- Search Engine Roundtable, Google Local Service Ads Expands How Leads Work Information (October 8, 2026).
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
KEEP READING
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