Google Places API - REQUEST_DENIED

What this is NOT

a) a "sensor=true_or_false" issue
b) a key is wrong issue (unless the key I got has limitations)
c) too many requests (since I only make one request)
d) cross domain (since I load the url from the browser location bar)

What I did

1. Signed up http://code.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html

2. Tried the example on that page in the location bar (I know about cross domain from script)

   works fine

3. Read the documentation

4. Pasted their example exchanging their key for mine

   returns

{
   "html_attributions" : [],
   "results" : [],
   "status" : "REQUEST_DENIED"
}

So far all entries failed due to wrong key or sensor=true_or_false

And for example the url in this one Google Places API jQuery.ajax() request fails with working URL

also gives me error when pasted into the browser.

What did I miss?

UPDATE

So I went to get some keys

Key for browser apps (with referers)
API key:    
AIzaSyCStj9m5LNTu9mCf6cQGDVAFKZC7Y?????
Referers:   
Any referer allowed
Activated on:   Jan 30, 2012 1:03 PM
Activated by:   me 

and tried again. Still does not work.

Solution 1:

This is actually (b): wrong key. Actually, you're using the wrong kind of key (from Sign Up for the Google Maps API which is only good for the JavaScript V2 API).

Please see Obtaining an API Key for how to get a new API key, of the new kind.

Edit: At the time this question arose, valid API keys that worked on Geocoding API did not work on Places API, but now seem to work fine. Looks like some issue on Google side.

Solution 2:

I just got a REQUEST_DENIED response when making an autocomplete request in a Ruby app. It turned out that I had not specifically switched on the Places API in my google api console.

Go to: https://console.developers.google.com and login. In the left menu go to "APIs & auth" -> "APIs" Then find the "Places API" option and click on the status to the right to toggle it to "on"

This fixed the problem immediately for me.