Do you need to pay upload of Street View buissnises to Google as a Trusted photographer?

[saledub]

Do you need to pay upload of Street View Bussiness to Google as a Trusted photographer?

I going to get my badge as Trusted photographer and my concerns are if I need to pay to google any money when I will do photography for the third party (restaurants, small businesses etc. )

Thank you, 

Sasha

[WetCoastCanuck · Accepted solution]

Hi @saledub No you don't need to pay Google.. however you have to be clear you are not an agent of Google too.

[PaulPavlinovich]

Hi @saledub I'll add a bit more information to what was well said by @WetCoastCanuck . Have a look at both Google My Business and Street View Trusted photographer to get more information. Note you need to keep your business and Local Guides separate to stay within the rules.

Regards Paul

[saledub]

Thank you @WetCoastCanuck and @PaulPavlinovich! 

[davidcox]

@PaulPavlinovich So to qualify for trusted Photographer it should be done under a separate and different google login?

[Coffeeman]

No .. No you do not

[WetCoastCanuck]

@davidcox no you can use the same account. Streetview Trusted program is actually a separate program from Local Guides. For whatever reason, Google has decided to stick it in this forum. It is actually confusing but it is what it is. You can use the same login for both programs.. just don't cross pollinate e.g. advertising your service on Local Guide.

[PaulPavlinovich]

@WetCoastCanuck I've seen the opposite advice given by a Googler that the SVT person must have a separate account if they are going to be an LG. However, don't do anything @davidcox just yet - let me confirm on the moderator board what the real answer is and get back to this group.

[PaulPavlinovich]

Hi everyone, I've had a really quick answer back. 

The actual rule is "Organizations, brands, and businesses are not eligible for the Program. If you offer services for hire (such as marketing yourself as a Street View trusted provider), you are not allowed to bundle such services with your Local Guide membership."

The translation I got was providing that you keep your SVT seperate from LG and don't appear to be bundling LG activities like reviews, edits,etc. alongside your SVT business in such a way that people would get confused then you're ok with the same account.

Regards

Paul

[LucioV]

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@PaulPavlinovich wrote:

@WetCoastCanuck I've seen the opposite advice given by a Googler that the SVT person must have a separate account if they are going to be an LG. However, don't do anything @davidcox just yet - let me confirm on the moderator board what the real answer is and get back to this group.

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I'm working this way. I unlinked my activity as Local Guide from the SVT photography not for this guideline, but because i was starting a new business, so this came naturally.

I'm Lucio Virzì LG and Lucio Virzì for Goomedia as SVT photographer, so when i post spheres and virtual tours as Lucio Virzì LG I'm doing no paid job. And when i act as Lucio Virzì Goomedia i don't post reviews (well, maybe one or two, I don't remember) and I don't post here in connect, although also this account is a LG account (actually LVL5).

It's not easy to understand how to work at best, and the rules are not so clear on this side; anyway we were told not to use our LG account to sell products (i.e. professional paid photography on maps or paid reviews) and not to use our SVT account to obtain more exposure here in connect.

So i tend to post professional virtual tours only in SVT board, and not in general discussion.

But is not forbidden to use only one account, as long as you follow the two guidelines i wrote above.