Why Does a Map API Cost Up to ¥50,000 per Year?

We developed a tutoring mini‑program that needed location services. Initially we integrated Tencent's map API for reverse‑geocoding, which the provider later quoted at ¥50,000 per year. The client balked, comparing it to the ¥20,000 spent on other features.

Investigation showed that Baidu and Gaode (Amap) also charge ¥50,000 annually for the same capability. The client still refused to pay.

We explored cost‑sharing among three separate systems, which would reduce the expense to about ¥17,000 per year, but the client remained unconvinced.

Searching on Xianyu (a second‑hand marketplace) we found a resale of an official map API for ¥2,300 per year, offering a daily quota of 10,000 requests. This was a considerably cheaper alternative.

Finally, we offered a second solution: a free custom implementation that loads province‑city data from a local SQL table, eliminating the need for any external map or positioning service. The SQL file for the region data is shown in the first image, and the UI for selecting provinces and cities is shown in the subsequent screenshots.

Both approaches are viable; the static‑data method has the drawback that new administrative regions cannot be updated automatically, though such updates are infrequent. The client accepted this solution.

In summary, map‑based reverse‑geocoding services from major providers (Tencent, Baidu, Gaode) are priced around ¥50,000 per year, which is prohibitive for many small businesses. When the cost is unsustainable, using a fixed province‑city dataset is a practical fallback.