Lead charges are non-refundable. The only way to remove a charge from your invoice is to file a successful lead dispute.
Approved disputes give you a credit toward future leads — never a cash refund. You can file a dispute within 7 days of receiving a lead if any of the criteria below apply.
Before you dispute: check these things first
Sometimes what looks like an unwanted charge isn't a charge at all. Before submitting a dispute, please check:
Was this a Pay-Per-Lead lead, or a lead from your own website form, or organic search?
Only leads delivered through the Pay-Per-Lead Program appear on your MLA invoice. Leads from your own website form, referrals, or organic sources are not billed by us, so there's nothing to dispute for those.
How to file a lead dispute
You have 7 calendar days from the date you received a lead to file a dispute. Disputes submitted after 7 days are waived.
You can file a dispute in one of two ways:
Email [email protected]
Submit the dispute form directly in your CRM account
In your dispute, identify the specific lead and the reason it should be considered non-billable, referencing the criteria in the sections below.
How to submit multiple disputes at once
If you have several leads to dispute in a single billing period, please submit them together in one email to [email protected]. Use the following format:
Lead ID | Date Received | Reason for Dispute | Notes [lead ID] | [date] | [reason] | [optional context]
Where to find the Lead ID
The Lead ID is included in the lead notification email you received, and is also visible in the CRM on the contact record. To copy it cleanly, use the copy icon inside the lead detail view rather than manually selecting the text.
Reason for Dispute
Reference one of the non-billable criteria listed further down in this article. Examples: "Out of service area," "Trade mismatch," "Duplicate within 30 days," "Bad contact info."
How disputes are reviewed
Review time: We review each dispute within 5 business days.
Outcome: If approved, the lead charge is removed from your current or next invoice, or credited toward future lead charges if the lead was already invoiced and paid. Credits are not redeemable for cash.
Dispute ceiling: Approved disputes may not exceed 25% of your total lead charges in a single billing period. Anything above that ceiling is reviewed case-by-case at My Local Ads' sole discretion.
Final decisions: My Local Ads determines whether a lead is billable or non-billable based on the criteria in the Terms of Service. Determinations are final and binding.
Bad-faith disputes: Repeated frivolous or bad-faith disputes may result in suspension or termination of your Pay-Per-Lead participation.
What happens after you submit
Once we receive your dispute submission, we review each lead within 5 business days. You'll receive a response with a lead-by-lead breakdown showing:
Which leads were approved as non-billable (credit applied)
Which leads remain billable (with a short explanation)
Any leads that were already excluded from your invoice (e.g. capped surplus)
Credits are applied to your current or next invoice — they are not cash refunds.
General billability criteria (all lead types)
A lead is non-billable if any of the following apply:
The consumer's location is outside your designated service area.
The inquiry is for a trade other than your designated trade. Different service types within the same trade — like roof repair vs. roof replacement for a roofer — are all billable.
The required contact information is incomplete, invalid, disconnected, or non-working.
The submission is a solicitation, spam, or unrelated to your services.
The lead is a duplicate of a lead we delivered to you in the past 30 days.
In addition to these general criteria, each lead category has its own extra requirements below.
Category 1 — In-Person Inspection Booked Leads
A Category 1 lead is billable only if all of the following are true:
The consumer has a working phone number (the line is not disconnected).
The consumer's email address is working (does not bounce and has no MX or DNS issues).
The contact information includes the consumer's first and last name.
The lead includes a date and time at which the consumer has agreed to meet in person for an inspection.
Category 2 — Form Fill Inquiry Leads
A Category 2 lead is billable only if all of the following are true:
The consumer has a working phone number (the line is not disconnected).
The consumer's email address is working (does not bounce and has no MX or DNS issues).
The contact information includes the consumer's first and last name.
Category 3 — Phone Call Leads
Important: Phone Call Leads can be billable even if you did not answer the call. Consumer intent and advertising cost are incurred at the moment the consumer initiates the call. Missing a call does not remove your obligation to pay for a qualifying Phone Call Lead.
A Category 3 lead is billable only if all of the following are true:
The consumer initiated a phone call to a number provisioned by My Local Ads for the campaign, in response to an MLA-managed advertisement.
The call was at least 30 seconds in duration.
The consumer has a working phone number (the line is not disconnected).
The call was recorded by My Local Ads where applicable law permits.
Google Local Service Ads (GLSA)
The billing process for Google Local Service Ads (GLSA) leads is handled entirely by Google, not by My Local Ads. Google invoices you for GLSA leads directly, Google alone determines whether a GLSA lead qualifies for a credit, and Google alone processes any credit.
My Local Ads is not responsible for GLSA lead disputes, GLSA lead credits, GLSA billing amounts, or any other matter between you and Google related to GLSA leads. The Pay-Per-Lead billability criteria above do not apply to GLSA leads. My Local Ads cannot file, escalate, or resolve GLSA lead disputes on your behalf.
For reference, Google will credit a GLSA lead only if Google determines that one of the following applies:
Solicitation: the call was from a wrong number, the caller was trying to sell you a product or service, or the caller was seeking employment at your business.
Spam: the call was pre-recorded or otherwise not from a live human.
Location not served: the customer communicated their location, the location wasn't listed on your Google profile, and you declined the job.
Service not offered: the customer's service type wasn't listed on your Google profile and you declined the job, or the caller was looking for a physical store or a product rather than a service.
To request a credit for a GLSA lead, sign in to your Google Local Service Ads dashboard or contact Google support directly.