If you are registering your Apple and Google developer accounts as a business rather than as an individual, both stores require a D-U-N-S number for your legal entity. It is free, but it can take up to 30 days to obtain, so this is the very first thing to start — before you pay either store's fee.
You only need one D-U-N-S number. The same number works for both Apple and Google.
D-U-N-S stands for Data Universal Numbering System. It is a nine-digit identifier issued and managed by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) that uniquely identifies a business at a specific location.
Apple and Google both use it as an independent check that your business is a real, registered legal entity, and that the name and address you gave them match public business records. Learn more about the D-U-N-S number.
Apple — required to enroll as an organization. Not required if you enroll as an individual or sole proprietor. Government entities are exempt.
Google Play — required to create an organization account. Google states you cannot create one without it. Government organizations can request an exemption through support.
Personal / individual accounts — no D-U-N-S needed on either store.
A note on sole proprietors. If your business is a sole proprietorship or a single-person business with no separate legal registration, Apple's guidance is to enroll as an individual instead of trying to obtain a D-U-N-S number. Apple does not accept DBAs, trade names, fictitious business names, or branches as organizations — the entity must be something like a corporation, LLC, or limited partnership.
Many businesses already have a D-U-N-S number without knowing it — D&B assigns them automatically from public records, and one may have come with a business you purchased. Check before you apply.
Search for your company at dnb.com/duns-number/lookup.html.
Search using your exact legal entity name, not your brand or trading name.
There are two routes, and the difference in speed is significant.
Go to developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/. You will be asked to sign in with your Apple Account first.
Search for your organization. If it appears, you already have a number.
If it is not listed, you can submit your details through the same form to get a free D-U-N-S number from D&B.
Apple's stated timeline: up to 5 business days to receive the number, then up to 2 more business days for Apple to receive your data from D&B.
Even though this is Apple's form, the number you receive is a normal D-U-N-S number you can also give to Google.
Apply at dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html.
Free, but D&B states it can take up to 30 business days in most cases. Google also warns customers to allow up to 30 days.
D&B offers a paid expedited service, but Apple explicitly states that expediting will not shorten Apple's waiting period. We do not recommend paying for it.
Use a supported browser to avoid problems with the application form.
Gather these before you start, and have your business registration documents to hand in case a D&B representative contacts you to verify:
The legal name of your business, exactly as registered.
Your headquarters and mailing address. A separate D-U-N-S number is issued per physical location.
Your business phone number and work contact details.
The name of the owner, president, or CEO.
Your legal structure (LLC, corporation, partnership, and so on) and the year established.
Your primary industry and total number of full- and part-time employees.
This is where most enrollments get stuck. The two stores check your D-U-N-S record against different things:
Apple matches your D-U-N-S record against the legal entity name you enter during enrollment.
Google requires that the legal name and address in your Google payments profile match those in your Dun & Bradstreet profile.
So before you enroll anywhere, confirm that your D&B record shows your correct current legal name and address, and then use exactly that same name and address on both stores. Correcting a mismatch later means re-verification, and on Google it can mean creating a whole new payments profile.
"Your organization is not listed as a legal entity."
Apple shows this when your business exists in D&B's records but with a different legal status — often as a sole proprietorship — or when its legal status has not yet been verified. Email D&B through Apple's dedicated support link at support.dnb.com/?CUST=APPLEDEV with your complete business registration documents, which is what D&B needs to verify legal status.
You applied using a trading name or DBA.
Apple does not accept DBAs, fictitious business names, trade names, or branches. Reapply using the registered legal entity name. Your app's public display name does not have to match this — you can still market the app under your brand.
Your D&B record has an old address or an outdated business name.
Update it with D&B first, through the same Apple support link or via D-U-N-S Manager. Apple states it takes up to two business days for updated information to reach them. Only then re-run your enrollment.
You changed your D-U-N-S details after your Google account was verified.
Google will email the account owner to say your developer identity must be re-verified. Complete it promptly — unverified accounts risk having their apps removed from Google Play.
Your business is newly formed and D&B has no record of it.
This is normal. Submit through Apple's lookup form and have your incorporation or registration certificate ready, as D&B will likely ask for it.
It has been more than two weeks and nothing has happened.
Apple's guidance is to contact D&B directly at support.dnb.com/?CUST=APPLEDEV.
Once you have your number, keep your business details up to date with D&B — especially if you move offices or change your legal name. Both stores re-check these details, and a stale D&B record is a common cause of an app update being blocked long after launch. US-based private companies can review and request changes for free through D-U-N-S Manager.
Once your D-U-N-S number is issued, continue with How to Create an Apple Developer Account and How to Create a Google Developer Account. If you get stuck at any point, message us at [email protected].
