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An app published on the App Store or Google Play belongs, as far as the stores are concerned, to the account that published it. That account carries the name shown as seller, receives the reviews, collects the revenue and accepts the agreements. If it is your provider’s account, they hold all of that, even if you paid for the development. Publishing under your own developer account settles the question from the start, for a few formalities and a little lead time.
In short
The account that publishes an app holds its listing, reviews, users and revenue.
A company opens an organisation account with Apple and with Google, using a D-U-N-S number.
Your provider works under your account with access you grant, and can withdraw.
Open the accounts on the first day of development: an installable web version can run while the paperwork goes through.
What the publishing account holds
At Apple, the rule is written on the developer programme enrolment page: for an organisation account, the organisation’s name is displayed as the seller of its apps on the App Store; for an individual account, it is the person’s name. Whoever opens the account becomes its Account Holder. According to Apple’s page on roles, that person renews the membership, accepts legal agreements on behalf of the organisation, adds the first admins and approves banking changes.
At Google, the first account registered in Play Console is its owner, with full access: the Play Console help explains that the owner invites and removes other users and manages their permissions.
Under your own account
Your company is shown as the seller
Revenue and sales reports come to you
You decide who has access, and you can change provider without republishing
Under your provider’s account
Their name is shown as the seller of your app
Revenue goes through them
Leaving requires a transfer, with its conditions and what it leaves behind
What a transfer does not recover
An app can be transferred from one account to another, but not without losses. Apple keeps the reviews, ratings and app identifier, according to its app transfer documentation. However, pre-transfer sales history stays with the previous holder, beta testing must be switched off before the transfer, and some features (the Apple Pay merchant ID, Game Center configuration) have to be rebuilt on the new account.
At Google, the Play Console help on transfers says that users, download statistics, ratings and reviews follow the app. Earnings reports and orders placed before the transfer stay on the original account, and tester groups must be recreated.
Key takeaway
A transfer is a repair, not a strategy. Publishing under your account from the start means never having to negotiate with your provider to get back what you paid for.
What it takes to open the accounts
At Apple
- A legal entity. Apple does not accept trade names or branches: the company itself signs.
- A D-U-N-S number, the Dun & Bradstreet business identifier, which Apple uses to verify the organisation’s identity, legal entity status and address.
- An Apple Account with two-factor authentication turned on, ideally on a company email address.
- 99 USD per membership year, a price that may vary by region, according to the same enrolment page.
At Google
- An organisation account, which Google recommends for commercial or professional activity, according to its help on account types.
- A D-U-N-S number, mandatory for this account type; Google notes that applying to Dun & Bradstreet costs nothing.
- 25 USD one time, according to the Play Console help on the registration fee.
An organisation account has another advantage at Google: it is exempt from the closed test required of personal accounts.
at least must take part in a closed test before production
of continuous opt-in are required from those testers
personal accounts created after this date are affected
For a business, recruiting twelve testers for two weeks before being allowed to publish adds delay to the schedule. An organisation account avoids that step, and it is the right account type for a company anyway.
Why start early
The D-U-N-S number, then the organisation’s verification by Apple and Google, take time you do not control. This paperwork can start on the first day of development, in parallel.
From the field
Challenge Us ran in the browser during the paperwork
Challenge Us, a group-challenge app we built, has been running in the browser since 2 September 2026. Its iOS and Android versions are in preparation, and our company’s developer accounts are planned for November 2026, once the D-U-N-S number is obtained. An installable web version gave it real users throughout: that is the order described in our PWA or native app comparison.
On Android, a new step is being added. Google has announced developer verification for apps installed on certified Android devices, including outside Google Play: according to its developer verification page, it has applied since 30 September 2026 to users in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, before a global expansion planned for 2027. An existing Play Console account is registered automatically. One more reason for the verified identity behind your app to be your company’s.
Working with a provider under your account
Your account does not stop your provider from working, quite the opposite. Apple and Google both provide roles: you invite your provider with the rights they need (preparing builds, managing listings, handling review), for a specific app or the whole account, and you remove that access when the engagement ends.
- Request the D-U-N-S number.
In the company’s exact legal name, as it appears on its official documents.
- Open both accounts.
With a company email address, not an employee’s or the provider’s.
- Invite the provider.
With a role limited to what they need to do, app by app if necessary.
- Write ownership into the contract.
The code, the database, the accounts and the signing keys remain yours.
That last point matters as much as the accounts themselves. An app lives on updates, and each one is signed and published from the account: that is what drives the maintenance budget once the app is live. If you plan to sell subscriptions, the publishing account is also the one that receives store payouts, as we explain in subscription app: in-app purchase or Stripe.
When you can do without
Not every project needs the stores. An internal app can be distributed through a simple link, or through the private channels Apple and Google reserve for organisations, as explained in our article on apps for field teams. And a first version tested on a clickable prototype or in the browser needs no developer account at all. But as soon as a store release is planned, even six months out, opening the accounts early only costs the membership fees.
Accounts, review and store fees are part of what makes the price of an app vary. Our app development service publishes your app under your account, listings and screenshots included, and helps you open it.
Frequently asked questions
Can my provider publish the app under their account to get started?
They can, but you will then have to transfer the app, with its conditions: sales history left with them, beta testing to switch off, some features to reconfigure. If publishing has to wait for your account to open, an installable web version can serve your first users in the meantime.
How much do developer accounts cost?
In October 2026, 99 USD per membership year at Apple, a price that may vary by region, and 25 USD one time at Google. The D-U-N-S number costs nothing to request. These fees are paid by the account holder, which means by your company, and they belong in the running costs of the app.
What is a D-U-N-S number, and why request it early?
It is a business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet, which Apple and Google use to verify an organisation’s identity. Obtaining it, then each store’s verification, takes time you do not control: request it as soon as the project is decided, in parallel with the first development work.
Can we publish under a personal account?
It is possible, but your personal name will be shown as the seller at Apple, and Google requires recent personal accounts to run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers before production. For a business app, the organisation account is the right choice.
Sources
- Apple Developer Program, enrolment page (new tab)developer.apple.com
- Apple Developer, roles and access (new tab)developer.apple.com
- Play Console Help, users and permissions (new tab)support.google.com
- App Store Connect, app transfer overview (new tab)developer.apple.com
- Play Console Help, transfer apps (new tab)support.google.com
- Play Console Help, choosing an account type (new tab)support.google.com
- Play Console Help, registration fee (new tab)support.google.com
- Android Developers, developer verification (new tab)developer.android.com
Jim · founder of Brain Plus AI
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