2022
Hi @AntonS the original email you used to activate this perk explained that it was a limited time offer. The drive storage program ended a long time ago. I will merge this post to the announcement.
The main reward is helping other people with your reviews, edits and photos in the same way that you are helped by the same from other people. Being a Local Guide is an altruistic undertaking. Of course it strengthens the data held by Google and makes Maps a better product but that is still an advantage for the people who use the product.
When the program was smaller there were different perks to those that have been available lately. The growth of Local Guides has been meteoric going from a few hundred in the beginning to over 50 million active LG today. As you can imagine that number of people changes how perks can be managed because a welcome token like a T Shirt that perhaps costs $20 becomes a massive cost and undertaking when multiplied out by so many people. This means the perks have moved onto things that are electronic in nature (e.g. Google Play streaming Music was recently available) and are done with partners who offer things for LG's such as travel discounts which have also recently been offered.
Make sure that in your Local Guides notifications that you have emails turned on visit https://maps.google.com/localguides/home/settings and tick the "Perks box"
Regards Paul
