The short answer
Yes, if you enrol as an Organization, which is the right choice for a business. Apple uses the D-U-N-S number, a nine-digit identifier from Dun & Bradstreet, to confirm your company legally exists, and it's free for Apple enrolment. Individual accounts don't need one. Allow up to 5 business days to get it.
The number itself is the quick part. What takes time is Apple verifying your company afterwards, which is usually the longest wait in getting an app onto the App Store. So it's worth understanding the whole process before you start.
What is a D-U-N-S number?
A D-U-N-S number is a nine-digit business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Apple uses it to confirm that the company enrolling in the Apple Developer Program legally exists.
Three things to know before you apply:
- It's free for Apple enrolment.
- Allow up to 5 business days to receive it.
- Your company may already have one. Check before applying, because duplicates cause delays.
Organization or Individual: which should you choose?
Apple offers two enrolment types, and only one of them needs a D-U-N-S number.
| Organization | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Seller name on the App Store | Your company name | Your personal legal name |
| Needs a D-U-N-S number | Yes | No |
| Can invite team members | Yes | No |
| Approval time | 1–2 weeks | Often same day |
Individual looks like the shortcut, but it costs a business two things. Your App Store listing shows your own name as the seller, which looks wrong for a company. And an Individual account can't have team members, so anyone who builds or maintains the app for you would need your personal Apple ID password. Organization avoids both.
Why should the account be in your company's name?
If an agency or developer builds your app, it can be tempting to publish it under their account instead. For white-label apps, where the same app is rebranded for many businesses, that's a real risk. Apple's App Review guideline 4.3 ("Spam") rejects lots of near-identical apps published by one developer, and guideline 4.2.6 rejects template-built apps that aren't submitted by the business whose content they show. Publishing each business's app under its own account is the accepted way to build them.
It also means you own the app. If you ever stop working with your developer, the app, its reviews and its users stay with you. You invite your developer in, and you can remove them at any time.
How do you get a D-U-N-S number for Apple?
Start at developer.apple.com/enroll. Apple links to the D-U-N-S lookup during enrolment, so you can look up an existing number or apply for a new one from there.
What causes most rejections?
Your company name, address and phone number must match your official registration exactly. A mismatch is the most common cause of rejection, and it doesn't take much: an abbreviated street name, or a trading name instead of the registered one, is enough. Copy the details from your company registration, not from your website or letterhead.
Make sure someone answers the phone
Apple may phone the number registered against your D-U-N-S to verify you. It's a real call from a real person, and if nobody answers, enrolment stalls until Apple reaches you. Make sure that number reaches someone who knows the enrolment is happening.
What happens once you have the number?
With the D-U-N-S number in hand, the enrolment itself is short:
- Go to developer.apple.com/programs/enroll.
- Sign in with an Apple ID that belongs to your company, not a personal one. Create a fresh one on a shared address such as
apps@yourcompany.comif you need to. It becomes your Account Holder, and moving that later is painful. - Turn on two-factor authentication. Apple requires it.
- Choose Organization and supply your D-U-N-S number, legal entity name and address.
- Confirm you're authorised to sign for the company.
- Pay the $99 annual fee.
Apple then verifies your company by hand, which takes one to two weeks. Once you've submitted, it's entirely a waiting game.
How long does it all take?
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| D-U-N-S number, if you don't already have one | Up to 5 business days |
| Apple verifying an Organization | 1–2 weeks |
| Apple reviewing the app itself, later on | Usually 24–48 hours |
Start on day one. Apple's verification is the only step that can hold up a launch, and nothing else depends on it, so your website, Google Play and the rest of the setup can be finished while you wait. For our clients, the app is usually live two to four weeks from order, and Apple verifying the company is the longest part of that.
Do you need the same D-U-N-S number for Google Play?
Yes, if you register on Google Play as an organisation, which is what we recommend. Google's organisation signup needs a D-U-N-S number, the same one Apple asks for, so if you've started your Apple enrolment you already have it.
It's worth doing. Personal Google Play accounts created after 13 November 2023 can't publish their first app until they've run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 continuous days. Enrolling as an organisation normally avoids that rule. Google charges $25 once, with no annual fee, and usually approves an account within a day or two.
Key facts
- A D-U-N-S number is a nine-digit business identifier from Dun & Bradstreet.
- Apple requires one for Organization enrolment; Individual accounts don't need one.
- It's free for Apple enrolment; allow up to 5 business days to receive it.
- Apple takes 1–2 weeks to verify an Organization; Individual approval is often same day.
- The Apple Developer Program costs $99 per year.
- Your company name, address and phone number must match your official registration exactly.
- Google Play's organisation signup uses the same D-U-N-S number, and a Play account costs $25 once.
Our Apple account guide covers enrolment and what to do once you're approved, and the Google Play guide covers the organisation signup. Opening the accounts is setup only you can do; our team does the rest, from rebranding and building the app to taking it through App Store and Google Play review, for $1,499 for iPhone + Android or $999 for one platform, paid once. See pricing.