Apple and Google won't let anyone open your developer accounts on your behalf. Here are the three weeks of admin work explained in order - D-U-N-S, W-8BEN-E, contracts, verifications.
This guide is the three-week run we walk every client through. The logic is simple: the D-U-N-S is the critical path (5 to 14 days of waiting), everything else hangs off it. If you already have a D-U-N-S, the whole thing takes about a week. And whenever you're stuck, we'll unblock you over a call.
Use the business email from the pre-flight. Turn on two-factor authentication straight away (Apple requires it and will block you otherwise). Put your exact legal name in the first/last name fields - not an alias, not the company name.
appleid.apple.comA 9-digit identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet - the international equivalent of the French SIREN (or US EIN, UK Company Number). Check first whether your company already has one through Apple's lookup tool: many companies have one without knowing it.
The trap: legal name and postal address must match your registry document character for character. A comma, an accent (Schoelcher vs Schœlcher), a forgotten "SAS" = rejection. Copy it exactly.
developer.apple.com/enroll/ → D-U-N-S LookupOnce the D-U-N-S is validated, start enrolment as Organization (never Individual if you have a registered company). You'll be the Account Holder - the only person who can sign Apple's contracts. If you're the founder of a SAS, SASU or similar entity, you have that authority by default.
Apple then calls to verify your identity. The call happens in your business language (French for French companies, English for English companies), usually between 9am and 6pm. Have the phone number from your public website ready - they verify it matches. If you miss the call, they'll call back. Don't panic.
developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/Inside App Store Connect → Business → Agreements. Without this, you can't publish a paid app or sell in-app purchases.
Three sections to fill in: Bank Information (company IBAN + BIC/SWIFT - both are required, IBAN alone won't pass), Tax Forms (intra-EU VAT number + W-8BEN-E US tax form, see the dedicated section below), and signing the Paid Applications Agreement.
Go to Users and Access → + → invite the two emails below. Give us the Admin role and tick "Access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles". Without that checkbox we can't sign the builds.
Apple requires this form so they don't withhold 30% US tax on your App Store revenue. For a typical French company (SAS, SASU, SARL) selling apps, here are the right answers. For other EU non-financial companies, the same logic applies - adjust country, treaty article and tax ID accordingly.
The founder's name will then appear as seller on the App Store, not the company's. And you can't invite a team. Guaranteed rejection at review if the app is commercial.
"Rue Victor Schoelcher" vs "Rue Victor Schœlcher": as far as Apple is concerned, that's not the same company. Verify accents, punctuation, postcode and country exactly as on the registry extract.
Apple calls to verify your identity and looks for company name + phone on your public site. Linktree, Stan Store or a Notion page won't cut it - you need your own domain with a legal notice page.
The Account Holder must be a founder, director, or have written delegation. Apple may ask for proof. Registering an intern, a freelancer or a relative = immediate block.
The bank details you provide must match the exact legal name of the company. A founder's personal account, or a business account in another name, will be rejected when signing the Paid Apps Agreement.
That's a US status that doesn't apply to a typical French SAS, SASU or SARL (or most EU corporations). Tick Corporation. "Disregarded" gets the form pulled back and reprocessed by Apple.
The most common questions we get when opening an Apple Developer Program account.
Apple requires the Account Holder to be a person with legal authority to bind the company in their contracts. It's a commercial contract between your company and Apple, not between Figue and Apple. We can walk you through every step (video call, screen share), but you have to be the one who clicks "I agree".
Organization, no question. A SASU or EURL is a legal entity distinct from you, so you enrol in the company's name. Upsides: your brand shows on the App Store listing (not your personal name), you can invite a team, and the Apple invoice is in the company's name (deductible).
A sole-trader structure isn't a separate legal entity, so you must enrol as Individual. Consequence: your personal name shows as seller on the App Store. If you want your brand displayed instead, you'll need to incorporate first. Many independent founders create a SASU/SAS specifically when launching an app for this reason.
A 9-digit identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet, the US business credit agency. It's the international equivalent of the French SIREN. Apple and Google use it to verify that your company exists and that you're authorised to act on its behalf. Free, but it takes 5 to 14 days.
Apple requires its payment system for any in-app purchase of digital content consumed inside the app. The default rate is 30%, but 15% via the Small Business Program if your Apple revenue is under $1M/year (free enrolment, granted by default to new accounts). For subscriptions, the rate also drops to 15% after the user's first year of engagement. If the user buys their subscription on your website (outside the app) and uses it inside the app, that's allowed - it's the "reader app" model (Spotify, Netflix do this). We'll work out the right setup based on your business.
No. If you publish a commercial app under your company's name, you need an Organization account. The Individual account shows your personal name on the App Store listing, and you can't invite a team. Plan to start over.
Yes, it's a company expense. The developer account belongs to your company, so the Apple invoice is in your company's name and it's deductible. Renewable yearly - a credit card is enough, no wire transfer needed.
No. A single Apple Developer Organization account covers all your apps. You pay $99/year regardless of how many apps you publish. That's also why it's worth setting up properly from day one.
We accept the invitation, set up the build signing certificates, create the App Store listing (visuals, description, keywords for you to validate), upload the binary and submit to Apple review. You stay Account Holder - you validate the final submission and see everything live in App Store Connect.
Same idea as Apple: use the business email from the pre-flight. A standard Gmail (apps.yourcompany@gmail.com) is technically enough - no need for Google Workspace if you want to save the 6 €/month.
Turn on 2-step verification before starting the developer enrolment. It's required.
accounts.google.comIf you've already done Apple, you have it. Otherwise, same free process via Dun & Bradstreet. Google has required it for Organization accounts since 2023, and applies verification deadlines strictly - no exemption.
The trap: the name and address on your Google Payments profile must match the D-U-N-S profile exactly. If you already have a Google Payments tied to another address (e.g. through Google Ads), update it before going further.
dnb.com/duns-number/lookup.htmlPick Organization, never "Personal" for a commercial app. Personal accounts must run a closed test with 12 testers for 14 days before any publication - a nightmare for a launch.
Have ready: legal name, address, website verified through Google Search Console (next step), recent registry document (Kbis or Certificate of Incorporation), ID document of the signatory.
play.google.com/console/signupGoogle sends OTP codes to the contact email and phone - they must remain reachable at all times. The website must be verified in Search Console with the same Google account that owns the Play Console.
How to verify the site in Search Console: 4 methods available. The easiest is the HTML file uploaded to the site root (Webflow, Framer, WordPress all do this in 2 clicks). If you have multiple subdomains (api.x.com, www.x.com, app.x.com), prefer DNS verification (TXT record) - it covers every subdomain at once and survives site migrations. If your site is managed by a freelancer, get them to transfer ownership to you before starting.
Go to Users and permissions → Invite new users. Give us the Admin (all permissions) role at the account level.
Google invitations don't expire, but we have to accept with the right associated Google account.
Since November 2023, Personal accounts must have the app tested by 12 people for 14 days before publishing. Unmanageable for a commercial app. Pick Organization from the start.
Google requires a verified site, tied to the same Google account as the Play Console. If your site is managed by your agency or a freelancer with another Google, get ownership transferred before starting.
If someone has already created a Google Payments under your business email (for Google Ads, say), the address there is locked in. Update it to match the D-U-N-S and the registry document before kicking off the Play Console enrolment.
Google periodically sends re-verification requests (D-U-N-S, identity). Miss the deadline and your apps are unpublished - not suspended, unpublished. Keep an eye on the account inbox.
The most common questions we get when opening a Play Console.
Yes, since 2023, for all Organization accounts. Only government organisations and a few regions where Dun & Bradstreet doesn't operate can get an exemption, and you have to request it before creating the account. In France: no exception, D-U-N-S is mandatory.
Yes - unlike Apple, Google charges $25 once when the account is created, no annual fee. Google does take a commission on in-app transactions: 30% by default, 15% if your Google Play revenue is under $1M/year (program automatically applied). Subscriptions also drop to 15% from the first transaction. Logic aligned with Apple.
Yes, and that's exactly what you should do. The D-U-N-S is tied to your company, not a platform. If you've already gone through it for Apple, pull out the number and use it for Google. Just check the Dun & Bradstreet profile is up to date.
Without a D-U-N-S: 2 to 3 weeks total. With one already (e.g. because you've done Apple): 3 to 7 days. Google's identity verification is faster than Apple's, but the D-U-N-S dependency is the same.
No. The account is usable to configure the app and prepare builds, but no publication (not even public internal testing) is possible until identity verification is validated. That's why we push to start this process in parallel with development, not after.
Google unpublishes the app until you sort it out. Recoverable but slow (several days), and meanwhile users can't download it. Keep the account inbox monitored, and keep the registry document and D-U-N-S up to date when the company's address changes.
We accept, configure app signing (signing keys handled by Google Play App Signing), prepare the store listing (visuals, description, keywords), upload the Android bundle and submit to review. You keep full control: you see everything in the Play Console and you validate the production rollout.
