# How to set up Apple and Google developer accounts for your company (D-U-N-S, fees, testers)

> Enroll as an organization on both stores: get a free D-U-N-S number, pay Apple 99 USD a year and Google 25 USD once, then add your developer as a team member. Steps and timelines.

Published 2026-11-02 by ODEL.

To publish an app under your company's name, enroll in the Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console as an organization, not as a person. Both need a free D-U-N-S number for your company. Apple charges 99 USD per membership year and Google charges a one-time 25 USD fee ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/), [Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en)). Then invite your developer into both accounts with limited roles, so the app, the money and the store listing stay yours.

## Why the account should be yours, not your developer's

The developer account is where the app lives. Whoever owns it controls the app listing, reviews, revenue and updates. Apps published under an agency's account have to be transferred later, and if the agency closes, you can lose access. One company described on Apple's forums how its agency stopped operating, cancelled its enrollment and the apps disappeared from the App Store ([Apple Developer Forums](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/771922)).

There are review reasons too. Apple's guideline 4.2.6 rejects apps made from templates unless they are submitted by the provider of the app's content, and apps in regulated fields such as banking, healthcare and gambling must come from the legal entity offering the service ([App Review Guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/), [Apple, App Review](https://developer.apple.com/distribute/app-review/)). See [who owns your app code and developer accounts](/blog/who-owns-your-app-code-and-developer-accounts).

## Step 1: get a D-U-N-S number

A D-U-N-S number is a free nine-digit identifier from Dun & Bradstreet. Apple says to allow up to 5 business days, that paying to expedite does not shorten it for Apple enrollment, and to contact D&B if it takes more than two weeks ([Apple, D-U-N-S](https://developer.apple.com/support/D-U-N-S/)). Google also requires one for organization accounts and warns about third parties that charge for it ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13634885?hl=en)).

Before you request it, make sure the company name and address match your legal registration exactly. A mismatch can stall enrollment for days.

## Step 2: enroll in the Apple Developer Program as an organization

What Apple requires ([Apple, enrollment](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/)):

- A legal entity that can sign contracts. DBAs, trade names, fictitious business names and branches are not accepted.
- A D-U-N-S number (government entities are exempt).
- Legal authority to bind the company, held by the person enrolling.
- A work email on your company domain.
- A public, working company website.
- The fee: 99 USD per membership year, shown in local currency in some regions. Eligible nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can request a fee waiver.

Your organization name becomes the seller name on the App Store, so check spelling before you submit.

## Step 3: create a Google Play Console organization account

What Google requires:

- A one-time 25 USD registration fee, which is not refunded if your information cannot be verified ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en)).
- A D-U-N-S number for organization accounts. Some kinds of apps must use an organization account ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13634885?hl=en)).
- Identity verification, which may include government ID and a payment card in the legal name.

## The 12 testers for 14 days rule

If you open a personal Google Play account instead, and it was created after November 13, 2023, you must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row before you can apply for production access ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465?hl=en)). Personal accounts also have to verify access to a real Android device through the Play Console app ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en)).

For a business, this is one more reason to choose an organization account. If you do use a personal account, plan at least two extra weeks on Android and line up your testers before the build is ready.

## Step 4: invite your developer with the right access

Do not share your password. Both stores let you add team members:

- **App Store Connect:** add your developer as a user with a role that lets them upload builds and manage the app, but keep the Account Holder role and financial roles yourself.
- **Google Play Console:** invite your developer by email and grant permissions per app, again without admin or financial access.

Keep the signing keys and certificates in your accounts. On Android, use Play App Signing so Google holds the app signing key.

## Step 5: set up the money side

- **Apple:** accept the Paid Apps agreement and add bank and tax details before you can sell in-app purchases or subscriptions.
- **Google:** link a payments profile for payouts.
- **Commission:** Apple's Small Business Program lowers the commission to 15 percent for developers with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior year, and you have to apply ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/)). Google Play's service fees changed in 2026 for the US, UK, EEA, Australia and Japan, with auto-renewing subscriptions at 10 percent plus a 5 percent billing fee in those markets ([Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en)).

## Timeline at a glance

| Step | Typical wait | Source |
|---|---|---|
| D-U-N-S number | Up to 5 business days | [Apple](https://developer.apple.com/support/D-U-N-S/) |
| Apple organization enrollment | Varies; starts after D-U-N-S is visible to Apple | [Apple](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/) |
| Google identity verification | Varies | [Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en) |
| Google closed test (personal accounts only) | At least 14 days | [Google](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465?hl=en) |
| First App Review | 90 percent of submissions in under 48 hours | [Apple](https://developer.apple.com/distribute/app-review/) |

Start the accounts on the same day you hire a developer. They are often the slowest part of a launch, and you cannot do them later in an afternoon.

## Checklist

1. Company legally registered, name and address consistent everywhere.
2. Domain email and a live website.
3. D-U-N-S number requested and confirmed.
4. Apple organization enrollment paid.
5. Google Play organization account paid and verified.
6. Developer invited with limited roles on both.
7. Agreements, banking and tax set up on both.
8. Small Business Program application sent to Apple, if eligible.

## When ODEL fits, and when it does not

ODEL publishes every client app under the client's own developer accounts and walks you through each step above, including App Store Connect and Google Play setup, privacy forms and the first submission: see [App Store launch and ASO](/services/app-store-launch-and-aso). ODEL itself publishes apps from an LLC developer account, so the organization enrollment steps are familiar.

You probably do not need help if your company already has both accounts and someone in-house who has shipped an app before. For tax, legal entity or banking questions, ask an accountant or lawyer, not a developer.

Ready to launch on your own accounts? [Tell ODEL about the app](/services#start).