How to Publish an App on Google Play and the App Store: Developer Accounts, D-U-N-S and Costs (2026 Guide)

Why launch on both stores

Android leads in most Latin American markets, but iOS users carry real weight. In Colombia, for example, StatCounter reports that roughly 79% of mobile traffic came from Android devices and about 21% from iOS devices in September 2026. Launching on a single store leaves a meaningful share of your customers behind.

That's why we recommend building the app once, with cross-platform frameworks such as React Native or Flutter connected to the same backend, and shipping it to Google Play and the App Store from day one.

What a company needs to publish an app

Both accounts should be registered to the company as an organization account. That way, your legal entity appears as the developer or seller in the stores, and your company keeps control of its apps even if it changes vendors.

How much does it cost to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store?

Publishing an app costs a one-time USD 25 on Google Play and USD 99 per year on the App Store, plus applicable taxes. The D-U-N-S number is free: if someone charges you to get it, you're paying for a service you don't need.

Those fees are just the entry ticket. The real cost of an app lies in design, development, integrations and maintenance. To estimate that budget, see what drives the cost of custom software. If your app will charge users, also factor in the commission each store takes on sales and subscriptions.

Organization account or personal account?

If your business is legally registered, always choose an organization account. Personal accounts don't require a D-U-N-S number, but they come with hidden costs in time and credibility:

• Google Play requires personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 to verify a physical Android device and run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 consecutive days before publishing.
• On the App Store, the individual's name appears as the seller, not your brand.
• Google requires an organization account for financial, health, VPN (virtual private network) and government apps. If you're building a fintech product, there's no shortcut; our look at fintech in Colombia explains why these controls keep tightening.

How to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store: the full roadmap

You request the D-U-N-S number once and use it for both stores. Each account then moves forward on its own, and both end with an invitation to your development team.

Who should enroll? Whoever enrolls the company with Apple becomes the Account Holder and must have the legal authority to sign agreements: a legal representative, owner or founder, executive, senior project lead or an employee authorized by an executive. In practice, use the same person for both stores.

How long does it take? Apple estimates up to 5 business days to issue a D-U-N-S number and 2 more business days for it to show up in Apple's system. Google warns that requesting it directly from Dun & Bradstreet can take up to 30 days. Add the store verifications and the first app review, and one month is a realistic buffer.

Checklist: what to prepare before you start

Google says unsupported documents are the main reason verifications fail, and both stores require your details to match your D-U-N-S record. Gather the following before you open the first form:

Company details (spelled the same way everywhere)

• Exact legal name as registered, including the entity suffix (for example, S.A.S. in Colombia or LLC in the United States). Apple doesn't accept DBAs, trade names or branches.
• Tax ID and principal business address (in Colombia, the NIT, or Número de Identificación Tributaria).
• A company phone number listed in public records.
• A recent official business registration document (in Colombia, for example, the certificado de existencia y representación legal from the Chamber of Commerce). Check Google's list of accepted documents by country.

The person enrolling

• A legal representative or someone with authority to sign agreements on behalf of the company.
• A valid ID or passport photographed in color and in focus. Google doesn't accept photocopies or expired documents.
• A phone at hand to receive verification codes.

Email, website and payment

• An email address on the company domain (not Gmail or Hotmail), managed by the company rather than a single employee.
• Two sets of contact details for Google Play: a private one for Google to reach you and a public one (email and phone) that users will see.
• A live, public website on the same domain as the email. Apple doesn't accept social media profiles, thin pages or a registrar's parked page. If you don't have one yet, now is the time to build your company website.
• Access to Google Search Console for the site, or to whoever manages the domain, to verify it in Google Play.
• A Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit or debit card enabled for international purchases. Google doesn't accept prepaid cards, and the card types it accepts may vary by location.
• Optional: an iPhone, iPad or Mac if you prefer to enroll with Apple through the Apple Developer app.

Step 1: How to get a free D-U-N-S number

A D-U-N-S number is a free nine-digit identifier assigned by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) that both stores use to identify your company. The fastest published route is Apple's D-U-N-S lookup tool:

1. Create the company's Apple Account first (step 1 of the Apple section): the tool requires you to sign in.
2. Open the tool, choose your country and enter your legal name, headquarters address, mailing address and work contact details.
3. If your company already has a number, the tool will show it. Confirm that the legal name and address match your official registration; if they don't, ask D&B to correct them.
4. If no record appears, submit the free request from the same tool. A D&B representative may contact you for details (business type, number of employees) and registration documents.
5. Allow up to 5 business days to receive the number and 2 more business days for Apple to recognize it. If it takes more than two weeks, contact D&B.
6. Save the number: Google Play will ask for the same one.

Important: the process is free. Google warns that some third parties charge high fees to handle it. You can also request it directly from D&B, but that route can take up to 30 days.

Step 2: How to create a Google Play Console organization account

With your D-U-N-S number in hand, you can create the account in a single session. Google then reviews your documents and website before enabling publishing. These are the steps, based on Google's official Play Console guide:

1. Set up the Google Account. Create it with your company email (no Gmail needed) and turn on 2-Step Verification. This account will own the console.
2. Start the sign-up. Go to Play Console with that account and choose to create a developer account.
3. Choose “Organization” as the account type. It's the option for businesses and skips the 12-tester closed test and the Android device verification required for personal accounts.
4. Create an organization payments profile. Enter the legal name and address exactly as they appear in your D&B record, plus your D-U-N-S number. Google takes the account's legal name and address from here.
5. Complete your contact details. Each email and phone number is verified with a one-time code:
   • Developer name: what users will see; it can be your brand and you can change it later.
   • Organization phone number and website.
   • Contact name, email and phone for Google (private).
   • Developer email and phone (public on Google Play, along with your legal name and address).
6. Accept the Developer Distribution Agreement and pay USD 25 with Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Google may ask for an ID and a card in the account holder's name; if they aren't valid, the fee isn't refunded.
7. Complete the verifications shown on your Play Console home page:
   • Identity: your official business registration document and a color photo of the representative's valid ID. Details must match the payments profile exactly.
   • Website: add it to Google Search Console and send the website verification request from Play Console. If the same Google Account manages Search Console, approval is automatic.
   • Phone numbers: these unlock once the two verifications above are complete.
8. Wait for approval. Google won't let you submit apps until the account is verified. Keep an eye on your contact email and Play Console messages in case they request more documents.

What Android developer verification changes

Android developer verification is the program Android uses to check that apps on certified devices come from a verified developer. It opened to all developers in March 2026 and has applied since September 30, 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand: there, Android checks that apps installed from participating stores (Google Play, Galaxy Store, HONOR, OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi GetApps and Palm Store) on certified devices running Android 7 or later come from a verified developer. Google will extend verification to all apps on certified devices worldwide in 2027; elsewhere, including the United States and Colombia, that install-time check isn't active yet.

What already applies worldwide is a Google Play requirement: under the Play Console Requirements, every app must have its package name registered in Play Console, and Google set September 30, 2026 as the deadline to register any remaining apps to avoid their global removal from Google Play. The good news is that Play Console identity verification already meets the developer verification requirement, new apps are registered when you create them in Play Console, and Google has automatically registered almost all existing apps (those that use Play App Signing). Check your Play Console Home page to confirm that all of yours show as registered, and if you also distribute a version outside the store (for example, an APK for your field sales team), register it there too. For special cases, Android provides an advanced flow to install apps from unverified developers and limited distribution accounts for apps installed on up to 20 devices.

Step 3: How to enroll your company in the Apple Developer Program

With Apple, payment comes last: you submit your details, Apple verifies the company and, once approved, emails you to sign the agreement and pay. Here's the flow, based on Apple's enrollment process:

1. Create the company's Apple Account at account.apple.com with your company email. Use the legal first and last name of the future Account Holder (not the company name or a nickname) and turn on two-factor authentication.
2. Choose where to enroll:
   • In the Apple Developer app, on an iPhone or iPad with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode, or on a Mac with Apple silicon. You use the same device from start to finish and take a photo of your ID. Enrollment in the app isn't available in every region; if you don't see it, use the web.
   • On the web: developer.apple.com/programs/enroll, “Start your enrollment”.
3. Select “Company/Organization” and enter your company details:
   • Legal name exactly as it appears in your D-U-N-S record. This is the seller name shown on the App Store.
   • D-U-N-S number, headquarters address and phone number, and website.
   • Confirmation that you have signing authority, plus a contact who can verify it.
4. Respond to verification. Apple reviews your information, may contact your verification contact and may ask for notarized company documents.
5. Sign the agreement and pay. The Account Holder receives an email to accept the Apple Developer Program License Agreement and pay USD 99 plus applicable taxes. On the web, use a card that can be charged in US dollars; in the app, add the company card to the device's Apple Account.
6. Confirm your membership. If the confirmation email doesn't arrive within 24 hours of payment, contact Apple with your Enrollment ID. From then on, you can sign in to App Store Connect.

Renewing your Apple membership

Membership is annual. If you enrolled through the app, it renews automatically. If you enrolled on the web, automatic renewal is only offered in some countries; in Colombia, for instance, you renew manually starting 30 days before expiration. Set a reminder: if your membership lapses, your apps are no longer available for download.

Step 4: How to give your development team access without sharing passwords

The accounts stay in your company's name and your vendor works with its own invited user. Nobody shares passwords or verification codes, and you can revoke access at any time.

In Google Play Console

1. Sign in with the owner account and open “Users and permissions”.
2. Enter the email your vendor provides and, optionally, an access expiration date.
3. Select “Admin (all permissions)” or, to limit access, grant only publishing permissions: view app information, create and edit drafts, release to production and testing tracks, manage testers, manage the store listing and manage policy declarations.
4. Click “Invite user”. Invitations expire after 30 days if not accepted.

Even with admin permissions, only the owner account can view and edit the console's payments settings. Source: Play Console Help, add users.

In App Store Connect

1. Sign in with the Account Holder's Apple Account and open “Users and Access”.
2. Click “+” and enter the first name, last name and email your vendor provides.
3. Assign the App Manager role and enable access to “Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles” and “Create Apps”. The simplest alternative is the Admin role.
4. Click “Invite”. Invitations expire after 3 days and can be resent.

Tasks you can't delegate. Only the Account Holder can sign agreements, renew the membership, request App Store Connect API (application programming interface) access and approve banking changes. A good vendor will flag these steps well in advance.

This setup works the same whether you outsource the full project or add mobile developers to your own team through a dedicated IT staff augmentation service: each person signs in with their own user and the permissions you define.

Step 5: Submit your app for review without rejections

Once the accounts are approved, your app goes into review. On its App Review page, Apple says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours, and that over 40% of unresolved issues relate to guideline 2.1, which covers app completeness. Google doesn't publish an average and notes that certain developer accounts can face longer reviews, so plan for up to seven days.

To pass review the first time, have these ready before you submit:

• A complete app: no crashes, placeholder screens, filler text or broken links. That's what guideline 2.1 of the App Store Review Guidelines requires.
• A demo username and password so the reviewer can access features behind a login.
• A public privacy policy that matches the data your app collects and the privacy laws where you operate (in Colombia, Law 1581 of 2012).
• Each store's forms: the Data safety section and content rating on Google Play, and privacy labels on the App Store.
• A polished store listing: name, description, screenshots, icon and category, written with the keywords your marketing team wants to rank for.

If your app will charge users: extra setup

If your app is free and sells nothing inside it, skip this step. If it charges for downloads, in-app purchases or subscriptions, each store requires additional setup that only the account owner can complete:

• Google Play: in Play Console, go to Manage account > Play apps settings > Monetization settings > Payments profile, create your merchant payments profile and add the company's bank account. Google verifies it with a small test deposit or bank documents, which can take up to 5 days.
• Apple: in App Store Connect, under Business, the Account Holder signs the Paid Apps Agreement and enters banking and tax information. Once accepted, it can't be undone, and without it you can't publish paid apps or in-app purchases. Learn more about signing and updating agreements.

For the tax treatment of this revenue, consult your accountant; this guide isn't tax advice.

Common mistakes that delay publishing

Almost all of them can be avoided before you start:

Best practices after your accounts are live

• Set a reminder 30 days before your Apple membership expires.
• Keep your legal name, address and contacts up to date with D&B and both stores. If Google finds discrepancies, it sets a deadline to fix them and restricts the account if you don't.
• Check your contact email and phone regularly: Google may email or call to confirm the account is still active.
• If your legal representative changes, transfer the Account Holder role in Apple and keep at least two company admins in Play Console.

Case study: Educapital's Android app, published on Google Play without rejections

Educapital is a Colombian edtech and fintech company that works with schools. Over 12 months, DataLab built its SaaS (software as a service) transaction core, with issuing, payments and portfolio risk modules. We also built its Android app and published it on Google Play without a single rejection.

Today the platform serves more than 50 schools, processes more than 80,000 successful transactions a month and helped the company raise more than USD 5 million in investment. For a financial product, a rejection-free launch isn't a detail: every rejection pushes back the launch date.

The lesson is simple: store setup goes into the project timeline from week one, not as an afterthought at the end of development. See more in our software development case studies.

Want an expert team to build your app and guide its launch?

Store accounts are the final stretch. Before that come architecture, design, development, testing and security. DataLab offers two ways to get there:

• Nearshore custom software development: we build your platform and your iOS and Android apps with React Native or Flutter on a shared backend, and we guide you through publishing on Google Play and the App Store, with the accounts registered to your company. We work with Scrum under an ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system, in US-friendly time zones from our team in Colombia.
• IT staff augmentation (dedicated service): if you already have a tech lead, we add mobile, back-end, QA (quality assurance) or UX/UI (user experience and user interface) talent to your team, without adding them to your payroll. To compare models, read what staff augmentation is and when it makes sense.

Still just an idea? Start with product discovery or validate fast with an AI MVP (minimum viable product), and design the key flows with our UX/UI design team.

After launch: getting downloads

A published app doesn't download itself. Measure usage from day one with marketing and product analytics, and accelerate installs with performance marketing campaigns that drive traffic to each store listing.

Planning an app launch? Tell us what you want to build and when you need to be live in the stores, and we'll send you a proposal with scope, phases and timeline: get a quote for your app.