Google credits Local Services Ads leads it judges invalid, duplicate or low quality, and it does most of that automatically: it reassesses charged leads over 30 days and usually applies the credit within that window. A real customer who hired you, got the job done and then left a bad review isn't on that list. And Google says manual lead disputes are no longer supported.
It's a common belief that if a Google lead leaves a bad review after genuine service, Google will reimburse the lead once you send proof of the work. Google's lead credit pages don't support that.
Where the idea came from
It came up on a mentoring call with a roofing company getting its first Local Services Ads campaign live. We were walking through the reviews tab, telling the team to reply to every review, good or bad, when we got to a common belief: that a bad review gets the lead reimbursed.
The closest thing Google offered was the Google Guarantee's money back guarantee, and that paid eligible consumers, not advertisers. Google has since replaced its advertiser badges with a single Google Verified badge and discontinued the Money Back Guarantee: consumers had to request reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before December 7, 2025.
What does earn a credit
- Leads filtered before you pay. Google assesses each lead at first contact and doesn't charge leads it judges invalid or low quality. Spam, solicitation, wrong numbers and repeat callers within 15 days are treated as invalid.
- Automatic credits after the fact. Charged leads are reassessed over 30 days, and poor quality, duplicate or invalid ones are credited to your account balance. The original charge still shows on your invoice.
- The Rate this lead survey. Select the lead on the Leads page and complete the survey. Google says this starts an automated evaluation that can result in a credit, and that it occasionally credits leads reported as poor quality. It also trains the models that choose your leads.
Track it in the Charge Status column on the Leads page: Charged, Not charged, In review or Credited. If your account has moved to a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals, the same column sits under Goals, then Conversions, then Leads in Google Ads.
What doesn't
- Wrong job or wrong area. Google no longer credits job type not serviced or geo not serviced leads. Fix the job types and service areas instead; our piece on how LSA matches job types covers it.
- Some verticals and regions. Lead credits aren't available for health care verticals or tax specialists, and Google excludes advertisers in parts of Europe (its pages say EMEA in one place and the EEA in another), so check the page for your country.
- A customer you served. If the person was a real prospect who contacted you, booked and got the work, the lead met Google's definition of a valid lead, whatever they later wrote.
Two rules keep you from paying twice. Follow-up calls or messages from the same number or email within 15 days aren't charged again. A missed call during business hours is charged only if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, and with a phone menu the timer starts after the first key press.
For the review itself, reply to it. Reviews are managed in Google Business Profile, star ratings and review count affect how you rank, and Google lets you report a review that's inaccurate or inappropriate under its Maps content policies. More in what Local Services Ads ranking really uses.
The takeaways
- Google credits invalid, duplicate and low-quality LSA leads, mostly automatically, usually within 30 days.
- Manual disputes are gone. Use the Rate this lead survey for leads you think were invalid or poor quality.
- A genuine customer's bad review doesn't qualify. Answer the review instead.
- No credits for job type or geo not serviced leads, health care, tax specialists, or advertisers in parts of Europe.
- The Money Back Guarantee paid consumers, not advertisers, and Google has discontinued it.
Common questions
Can I dispute a Local Services Ads lead?
Not manually anymore. Google says manual lead disputes are no longer supported. Invalid leads are detected and credited automatically, and if you think a lead was invalid or poor quality, select it on the Leads page and complete the Rate this lead survey, which Google says starts an automated evaluation that can result in a credit.
Does Google refund a Local Services Ads lead if the customer leaves a bad review?
Not according to Google's lead credit pages. Credits are for leads Google judges poor quality, duplicate or invalid. A genuine customer who received your service and then posted a negative review isn't listed as a credit reason. Reviews are managed in Google Business Profile, where you can reply, and you can report a review that's inaccurate or inappropriate.
How long do Local Services Ads lead credits take?
Google says it continuously assesses lead quality over a 30-day period, and in most cases credits are applied to your account balance within 30 days. The original lead charge still appears on your invoice. The Charge Status column on the Leads page shows Charged, Not charged, In review or Credited.
Which Local Services Ads leads can't be credited?
Google no longer credits job type not serviced or geo not serviced leads, so fix your job types and service areas instead. Lead credits aren't available for health care verticals or tax specialists. Google also excludes advertisers in parts of Europe, though its pages word the region differently (EMEA on the Local Services pages, EEA countries on the pay-per-lead pages).
Does the Google Guarantee still reimburse customers?
No. Google has replaced its badges with a single Google Verified badge and discontinued the Money Back Guarantee that came with the Google Guarantee badge. Eligible consumers had to request reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before December 7, 2025. That reimbursement went to consumers, not to advertisers.