What address autocomplete really costs: session vs per-request pricing
19 July 2026 · updated 18 Sept 2026 · 5 min read
One address search can involve several autocomplete calls. The number depends on typing, debouncing and the integration, so compare the billing model and expected usage alongside the headline rate. WattleAddr’s plans bill per completed address session.
The keystroke problem
For an illustrative search that makes ten autocomplete requests, a provider charging each request records ten units; a provider charging the completed session records one session unit. That does not mean the bill is ten times higher: unit prices, free allowances, abandoned-search rules and any separate details-call charges also matter. Measure your own request counts.
Session-based billing
The other model, popularised by Google Places, is the session token. You generate a token when the user starts typing, send it with every keystroke, and send it again on the final retrieve. The whole session counts as one billable lookup, no matter how many keystrokes it took.
WattleAddr works this way. Autocomplete is never billed on its own; the one retrieve (or verify) that completes the session is the single lookup you pay for. Without the token, each retrieve bills on its own, so always send one.
What that means for the bill
- Free: 5,000 lookups a month, no card.
- Starter: $53.90/mo incl. GST for 50,000 lookups, then $2.75 per 1,000.
- Growth: $163.90/mo incl. GST for 250,000 lookups, then $1.65 per 1,000.
A “lookup” is a completed session, meaning one finished address. It is not a keystroke or a raw request. At Growth volumes that works out under a dollar per thousand completed addresses, served from Australian infrastructure. Prices are in AUD and include GST, which is itemised separately on every invoice.
The question to ask any provider
Before comparing headline rates, ask what a “request” or “lookup” means. Estimate successful and abandoned searches, requests per search and any details calls, then apply each provider’s current included allowance and rates. A session label alone does not mean two providers charge for the same events.