Apple Opens Ads on Maps to US, Canada Businesses With 15% Credit Offer
More than one billion searches for local businesses take place on Apple Maps every month, and Apple says half of them lead to a user action such as a call or a request for directions. Starting August 14, 2026, businesses in the United States and Canada can turn those searches into paid placements through the newly opened Ads on Maps platform, uploading photos, adding promotional messages and setting budgets with no required minimum spend. Businesses with five or fewer locations buy directly through Apple Business's automated tools, while larger businesses and existing Apple Ads advertisers manage campaigns through the Apple Ads platform, which adds APIs for programmatic reporting. Advertisers who pay by credit card before October 11, 2026 receive a 15% credit toward the following month's spend, capped at $1,000 per month for the first year. Apple's policy, published July 14, 2026, bars home-services categories such as plumbing, electrical and HVAC, along with alcohol, gambling, dating and medical services, from buying ads on some or all placements.
Local ad budgets that now flow mostly to Google Maps and Yelp gain a lower-cost entry point on Apple's platform, since the credit offer requires no minimum spend and caps reimbursement at $1,000 a month through the first year. Apple Maps' navigation app already captures about 25% of active US navigation users monthly, and with Gen Z and millennials making up 57% of that audience, agencies planning local and multi-location campaigns get a new high-intent inventory source to test alongside search and social. Advertisers with more than five locations gain programmatic control through the Apple Ads API, letting performance teams pull reports and adjust budgets the way they already do on other platforms. Home-services businesses stay locked out of the format entirely, so agencies serving plumbing, HVAC, roofing or pest-control clients need to keep those budgets elsewhere.