We connect your apps to the Google Maps Platform for anything that happens at an address or on the move. We have used Google Maps in our own client projects, including a food-delivery app.
Customers expect to type a few letters and pick their address, see how far away a store is, and watch their order approach on a map. For the business, accurate addresses and distances mean correct delivery charges, fewer failed deliveries and a clear view of where riders or field staff are.
What we build with it
- Live delivery and rider tracking
- Address search and autocomplete
- Distance and delivery-fee calculation
- Store and branch locators
How it works
- As a customer types an address, suggestions come from Google, and the chosen address is saved with its map coordinates.
- The system calculates the road distance from the nearest store or warehouse, and applies your delivery-fee rules.
- Once an order is out for delivery, the rider's app sends its location at short intervals to your system.
- The customer's app shows the rider moving on the map, with an estimated arrival time.
Data exchanged
- Search text and selected addresses
- Map coordinates of customers, stores and riders
- Distances and travel-time estimates
What is needed to set it up
- A Google Cloud project with the Maps APIs enabled
- A billing account linked to that project
- API keys restricted to your apps and websites
Good to know
- Google bills Maps usage per request to your own billing account, at rates set by Google, so we design screens to avoid unnecessary requests.
- API keys must be restricted to your apps and domains, otherwise others could use them at your cost.
- Tracking a rider's location while the app is in the background needs clear permission from the rider, and app stores ask you to explain why.
