Multimap Implementation Guidelines / Software Development Kit (SDK) - Transactions
Multimap Implementation Guidelines / Software Development Kit (SDK) - Transactions
Every time a visitor to your website uses your Multimap service to show a map, find an address or calculate a route, Multimap records each action as one or more transactions, depending on the type of request.
If you have subscribed to any of Multimap's Business Services, Multimap charges you according to your website's usage of its data and provides regular traffic reports that show the number of transactions that each of your Multimap services has incurred.
Unless you have made separate arrangements with your Multimap account manager, the cost (in transactions) of each type of request is shown on this page.
Most Multimap services require you to make payment in advance, on a renewable basis: for contractual details, please contact your Multimap account manager. All transactions have the same price (i.e., routing transactions are the same price as mapping transactions).
The Multimap API interprets actions and requests in terms of transactions, as follows:
| Transaction Type | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial / Hybrid / Bird's Eye image request | As per Microsoft's Bing Maps terms | This imagery is drawn from Microsoft's Bing Maps store of photographs and is billed accordingly. |
| Map request (any map type) | 1 transaction | A map view comprises a number of map tiles, each of which measures 256 pixels wide by 256 pixels high.
One transaction is equal to the delivery of eight tiles, so an unusually large or small map might incur more or less than one transaction per map view,
depending on the number of constituent tiles. The number (and cost) of transactions remains the same, regardless of the map type or map provider that the user chooses. |
| Geocoding request | 1 transaction | A geocoding transaction applies to each request for a single address or location. |
| Routing request | 1.5 transactions | Each journey between any two points counts as a separate routing request;
a route that contains two stages, (i.e., that contains one intermediate 'via' point)
counts as two routing requests or three transactions. A routing request does not include a route overview map. |
| Search request (spatial) | 1 transaction | This search category involves combining a search of your own store data that you have uploaded via Multimap's Client Zone with Local Information, weather details, driving distance or searching along a route. |
If you have a Multimap API service, these rules and this pricing structure do not apply to Local Information requests or overlays, to weather details or to non-spatial searching of your own store data (as described in the table above).
Transactions are cumulative. This example shows a typical use case of an implementation of the Multimap API:
| Step No. | Description | Transaction Type | Current Transaction Value | Cumulative Transaction Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | User enters an address in a text input box on a web page and clicks Find address. A list of several possible results is returned. | Geocoding request | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | User selects the correct address and clicks Show on Map. A map of the selected location is returned. | Map request | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | User zooms in. One or more new map tiles are returned at a new zoom factor. | Map request | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | User pans the map. One or more new map tiles are returned. | Map request | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | User clicks on a Show local weather link to show the current weather conditions for the selected location, as well as a five-day forecast. | - | - | 4 |
| 6 | User clicks on a Show local information link to show Local Information for the selected location. | - | - | 4 |
| 7 | User clicks on a Directions to here link to open a new text input box. | - | - | 4 |
| 8 | User enters an address on a map and clicks Find address. A single result is returned. | Geocoding request | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Multimap API calculates the route. | Routing request | 1.5 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Multimap API shows the route on an overview map. | Map request | 1 | 7.5 |
| 11 | User clicks on the first step of the start point of the route. A map of that step is returned. | Map request | 1 | 8.5 |
This section applies to older ('non-API') Multimap products that do not utilize the Multimap API:
|
Multimap's non-API services interpret actions and requests as follows:
| Transaction Type | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial / Hybrid image request | 1 transaction | The number of transactions (and cost) remains the same, regardless of the size of the map or image or the map type and map provider of any hybrid map: hybrid maps cost the same as aerial photographs. |
| Map request (any map type) | 1 transaction | A simple map request searches for a map of a location by:
|
| Map navigation request | 1 transaction | Each instance of panning or zooming a map generates a new transaction. |
| More complex map requests | 2 transactions (usually, unless several steps are logically required to help the user resolve the address) | A map request for a non-unique or incomplete address or town incurs an additional transaction
as the Multimap service presents its disambiguation page. For example, a user entering "Birmingham" receives a list of several possible results across the United States and the United Kingdom and must select the correct location. |
| Geocoding / Reverse Geocoding request | 1 transaction | A geocoding transaction applies to each request for a single address or location; a reverse geocoding transaction applies to a request where an address is generated from a set of coordinates. |
| Routing request | 1 transaction without a map, 2 transactions with a map |
Each journey between any two points counts as a separate routing request. A routing request does not necessarily include a route overview map. |
| Search request (spatial) | 1 transaction | This 'spatial' search category involves combining a search of your own store data that you have uploaded via Multimap's Client Zone with Points of Interest (POI), weather details, driving distance or searching along a route. |
| Weather request | 1 transaction | Each search for national or local weather details counts as a separate weather request.
Each weather request includes the current weather conditions and a five-day forecast. A national weather request includes a country overview map. |
If you have a Multimap non-API service, these rules and this pricing structure do not apply to Points of Interest (POI) requests or overlays, or to non-spatial searching of your own store data (as described in the table above).
Transactions are cumulative. This example shows a typical use case of a user visiting the website of a customer who has combined elements of Multimap's XML Storefinder, XML Travel Directions and HTML Weather services:
| Step No. | Description | Transaction Type | Current Transaction Value | Cumulative Transaction Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | User enters an address in a text input box on a web page and clicks Find address. A list of several possible results is returned. | Geocoding request | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | User selects the correct address and clicks Show on Map. A map of the selected location is returned. | Map request | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | User zooms in. A new map tile is returned at a new map scale. | Map request | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | User pans the map. A new map tile is returned. | Map request | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | User clicks on a Show local weather link to show the current weather conditions for the selected location, as well as a five-day forecast. | Weather request | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | User clicks on a Directions to here link to open a new text input box. | - | - | 5 |
| 7 | User enters an address on a map and clicks Find address. A single result is returned. | Geocoding request | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Multimap calculates the route. | Routing request | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Multimap shows the route on an overview map. | Map request | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | User clicks on the first step of the start point of the route. A map of that step is returned. | Map request | 1 | 9 |
For general account enquiries or further services, please contact the Multimap Sales team:
| London, Great Britain | +44 (0)20 7632 7800 |
| email: | sales@multimap.com |