Question

I’m researching ways to perform bulk geocoding through http request, and get the response back in JSON, XML, or anything pHp can handle on the server side.

The amount of address in a batch is in the hundreds. Each user of this mobile-web app will make one request (one batch) only if I can store the data on my own server once they’re returned.

To sum it up for people looking to do similar things:

1. Google Map’s term doesn’t let you make too many requests
2. Openstreetmap’s term doesn’t allow heavy querying either
3. Bing…
4. TinyGeocoder…Does anyone knows the usage limit and batch capability of this? (tinygeocoder.com)

I’ve come to Bing and see this under their terms:
(http://www.microsoft.com/maps/product/terms.html)

(c) Exceed a total of 24 batch geocoding or file uploads with a maximum of 200,000 records each, using the Bing Spatial Data Services API, within any 24 hour period.

Can someone who’s familiar with their API or geocoding in general tell me, Does that mean I can only make 24 requests in a day, each request not containing more than 200,000 records?

Terms like this will make the service useless for apps that make such requests based on who the user’s data.

I can invest in freemium service also, if anyone knows other provider?

Answer 1

Openstreetmap’s term doesn’t allow heavy querying either

You could use MapQuests version of Nominatim, it provides a free API to OpenStreetMaps Geo data without the usage limits.

http://devblog.mapquest.com/2011/11/17/no-preset-limit-on-free-map-api-transactions/