{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"entry_sha256":"aced15387f23b762603e1e837e5b143d29aaabbdb64c63fa89d359c5110e840e","entry":{"id":"google/play-console-org","name":"Google Play Console organisation developer account","vendor":"Google","summary":"Register a Google Play developer account as an organisation (US$25 one-off), with a D-U-N-S number, verified organisation documents, verified contact channels and a verified website, so the company can publish Android apps on Google Play.","aliases":["google-play-developer","play-console","google-play-org"],"category":"devtools","group":"B","homepage":"https://play.google.com/console/about/","docs":["https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435","https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13628312","https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10841920"],"status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","sources":[{"id":"signup","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en","title":"Play Console Help – Get started with Play Console (sign up)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"US$25 one-time fee; accepted card types, no prepaid cards; must be 18+; accept the Developer Distribution Agreement; choose personal or organisation; government ID and card in legal name may be needed and fee not refunded if information is invalid; testing requirement applies to personal accounts created after 13 Nov 2023; new personal accounts verify an Android device","kind":"official"},{"id":"required-info","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13628312","title":"Play Console Help – Required information to create a Play Console developer account","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Organisations need a D-U-N-S number (no account without one); D-U-N-S can take about 30 days; payment method verification up to 5 days; organisation name/address come from the Google Payments profile; organisation phone, website, contact name; contact and developer email/phone verified by one-time password; contact email must not be generic or personal; legal name, address, developer email and phone shown publicly; alternative onboarding only for organisations that cannot get a D-U-N-S","kind":"official"},{"id":"verify-identity","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10841920?hl=en","title":"Play Console Help – Verify your developer identity information","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Organisation accounts provide a D-U-N-S number, an official government identity document and an official organisation document; documents must exactly match the payment profile; must verify before submitting apps; unverifiable accounts may have presence and apps removed","kind":"official"},{"id":"website-verify","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13205715?hl=en","title":"Play Console Help – Verify your website","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Website ownership verified through Search Console; request sent from Account details; automatic approval when the same Google account owns the Search Console property; otherwise the owner must approve; social media profile URLs cannot be verified","kind":"official"},{"id":"testing-req","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465","title":"Play Console Help – App testing requirements for new personal developer accounts","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Personal accounts created after 13 Nov 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days before production access; page does not mention organisation accounts","kind":"official"},{"id":"android-dev-verification","url":"https://support.google.com/android-developer-console/answer/16561738?hl=en","title":"Android Developer Console Help – Understanding Android developer verification","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Verified developers must register apps for certified Android devices; goes live 30 Sep 2026 in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, global from 2027; organisations need a D-U-N-S number (free, up to 28 days); full distribution account US$25; free limited distribution account for up to 20 devices","kind":"official"},{"id":"terminations","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/2491922?hl=en","title":"Play Console Help – Understanding Google Play developer account terminations","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"On termination, related developer accounts are also terminated and new accounts are terminated without refund; one appeal per termination","kind":"official"},{"id":"enforcement","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9899234?hl=en","title":"Play Console Help – Enforcement process","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Suspensions are strikes; repeated or serious violations terminate individual and related accounts","kind":"official"},{"id":"inactive","url":"https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/11605267","title":"Play Console Help – Inactive developer accounts","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Accounts over a year old that never submitted an app, or with few installs, unverified contact details and no Console use for 180 days, are closed after 60/30/7-day notices; fee not refunded; closed accounts cannot be reactivated","kind":"official"},{"id":"publisher-api","url":"https://developers.google.com/android-publisher/getting_started","title":"Google Play Developer API – Getting started","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"API access via a Cloud project and service account invited in Play Console Users and permissions; linking the developer account to a Cloud project is no longer required","kind":"official"},{"id":"android-blog-2023","url":"https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2023/07/boosting-trust-and-transparency-in-google-play.html","title":"Android Developers Blog – Boosting trust and transparency in Google Play (July 2023)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"D-U-N-S requirement for new organisation accounts; obtaining a D-U-N-S can take up to 30 days","kind":"official"},{"id":"vendor-guide-uscreen","url":"https://help.uscreen.tv/en/articles/10289341-google-developer-account-verify-identity-and-organization-by-uploading-documents","title":"Uscreen Help – Google developer account – verify identity and organisation by uploading documents","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"People report Google contacts them within several days with the verification result; name and address mismatches are a common cause of rejection","kind":"community"}],"allowed_domains":["play.google.com","search.google.com","dnb.com"],"account_model":{"summary":"A Google Account (ideally a company-controlled one, not a staff member's personal Gmail) becomes the owner of a Play Console developer account of type \"Organisation\". The organisation's legal name and address come from a linked Google Payments profile, which must match the D-U-N-S record and the uploaded documents exactly. Other people and service accounts are invited later through Users and permissions.","accounts":[{"name":"Google Account (account owner)","kind":"personal","owned_by":"the company (use a company-controlled login)","required":true,"note":"Must be 18+. Only the owner can complete some verification tasks [to verify]."},{"name":"Google Payments profile (organisation)","kind":"billing","owned_by":"the company","parent":"Google Account (account owner)","required":true,"note":"Supplies the legal name and address that must match all documents."},{"name":"Play Console developer account (Organisation)","kind":"developer","owned_by":"the company","parent":"Google Account (account owner)","required":true},{"name":"Google Search Console property for the company website","kind":"other","owned_by":"the company","required":true,"note":"Same Google account as the Play Console owner gives instant website approval."},{"name":"Google Cloud project with a service account","kind":"project","owned_by":"the company","required":false,"note":"Only needed to automate publishing via the Google Play Developer API."}],"notes":["The type (personal vs organisation) is chosen at sign-up; choose organisation for a company. [to verify whether it can be changed later]","Google shows the legal name, legal address, developer email and developer phone publicly on Google Play for organisation accounts."]},"prerequisites":[{"entry":"apple/duns-number","note":"The same Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number Apple uses; Google requires one for organisation accounts."},{"need":"A company website on a domain you control, registered in Google Search Console"},{"need":"A non-generic, non-personal company contact email and a company phone number"}],"identity_requires":["legal_name","duns_number","registered_address","website","phone","domain_email","contact_name"],"have_ready":[{"kind":"duns_number","description":"The organisation's D-U-N-S number, with D&B record matching the legal name and address exactly","why":"Google will not create an organisation account without one; getting one can take about 30 days.","needed_for":["create-account"],"auto_check":"none","source":"required-info"},{"kind":"payment_card","description":"Credit or debit card (not prepaid) for the US$25 one-off fee, ideally in the organisation's or legal name","needed_for":["create-account"],"auto_check":"none","source":"signup"},{"kind":"government_id","description":"Official government identity document for the person verifying","needed_for":["verify-identity"],"auto_check":"none","source":"verify-identity"},{"kind":"company_documents","description":"Official organisation document (e.g. certificate of incorporation) matching the payments profile name and address","needed_for":["verify-identity"],"auto_check":"none","source":"verify-identity"},{"kind":"live_website","description":"Organisation website (not a social media profile) that you can verify in Search Console","needed_for":["verify-website"],"auto_check":"website_live","source":"website-verify"},{"kind":"domain_email","description":"Contact email that is neither generic nor personal, plus a developer email shown on Google Play","needed_for":["verify-contacts"],"auto_check":"domain_email_mx","source":"required-info"},{"kind":"phone_for_2fa","description":"Contact phone and developer phone that can receive one-time passwords and stay working for the life of the account","needed_for":["verify-contacts"],"auto_check":"none","source":"required-info"},{"kind":"bank_account","description":"Official bank document, only if Google cannot issue a deposit challenge to verify the payment method","needed_for":["verify-payment"],"auto_check":"none","source":"required-info"}],"steps":[{"id":"duns","title":"Get or confirm the D-U-N-S number","summary":"Look up whether the organisation already has a D-U-N-S number and that its legal name and address are right. If not, request one free from Dun & Bradstreet. Do not pay third-party services for it.","route":"guided","depends_on":[],"gate":"third_party_review","url":"https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"About 30 days to obtain a D-U-N-S number (Android developer verification page says up to 28 days).","source":"required-info"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Several D-U-N-S numbers exist for the organisation","fix":"Use the one whose legal entity name and address match the payments profile and company documents.","source":"required-info"},{"hiccup":"The organisation cannot get a D-U-N-S number","fix":"Request Google's alternative onboarding method, answering every question in full; incomplete requests are not considered.","source":"required-info"}]},{"id":"create-account","title":"Create the organisation developer account and pay US$25","summary":"Signed in with the company Google Account, start Play Console sign-up, choose \"Organisation\", enter the D-U-N-S number and organisation details, accept the Developer Distribution Agreement and pay the fee. You accept the terms and pay yourself.","route":"guided","depends_on":["duns"],"gate":"human_payment","url":"https://play.google.com/console/signup","preflight":["legal_name_matches_documents","mfa_enabled"],"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Card declined or not accepted","fix":"Use a Mastercard, Visa, American Express or (outside the US) Visa Electron credit or debit card; prepaid cards are not accepted.","source":"signup"}]},{"id":"verify-terms","title":"Accept the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement","summary":"Read and accept the agreement during sign-up. You must accept it yourself.","route":"guided","depends_on":["duns"],"gate":"human_terms","url":"https://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement.html","sources":["signup"]},{"id":"verify-payment","title":"Verify the payment method","summary":"Complete Google's payment method verification (normally a deposit challenge; otherwise upload a bank document).","route":"guided","depends_on":["create-account"],"gate":"human_payment","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Payment method verification can take up to 5 days.","source":"required-info"}}},{"id":"verify-contacts","title":"Verify contact and developer email and phone","summary":"Enter the one-time passwords Google sends to the contact email, contact phone, developer email and developer phone.","route":"guided","depends_on":["create-account"],"gate":"2fa","url":"https://play.google.com/console/developers","recovery":[{"hiccup":"Rejected or flagged contact email","fix":"Use a role or person address on the company domain that is not a generic inbox or personal webmail [to verify exact wording of Google's rule].","source":"required-info"}]},{"id":"verify-identity","title":"Verify the organisation and the person","summary":"In Play Console, complete the verification task: confirm the D-U-N-S details and upload an official government ID and an official organisation document. You upload documents yourself.","route":"guided","depends_on":["create-account","verify-payment"],"gate":"human_identity","url":"https://play.google.com/console/developers","lead_time":{"reported":{"text":"People report Google replies with a result within several days of submitting documents.","source":"vendor-guide-uscreen"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Verification fails because documents do not match","fix":"Make the payments profile legal name and address match the documents exactly (including suffix such as Ltd vs Limited); the profile can be updated during the verification task.","source":"verify-identity"},{"hiccup":"Google cannot verify the information","fix":"Respond before the deadline; unverified developer presence and apps may be removed and cannot be republished until verification completes.","source":"verify-identity"}]},{"id":"verify-website","title":"Verify the organisation website","summary":"Register the website in Search Console with the same Google account if possible, then send the website verification request from Play Console Account details.","route":"guided","depends_on":["create-account"],"gate":"human_submit","url":"https://search.google.com/search-console","preflight":["website_live"],"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Website verification request is stuck or denied","fix":"Check the URL, make sure the Search Console owner approves the request (or use the same Google account for both), and resend from Account details.","source":"website-verify"},{"hiccup":"Website is a social media profile","fix":"Social media profile URLs cannot be verified; use a website on a domain you own.","source":"website-verify"}]},{"id":"testing-track","title":"Check whether a closed test is required before production","summary":"Personal accounts created after 13 Nov 2023 must run a closed test with 12+ testers for 14 consecutive days before production access. Google's page only names personal accounts; check Play Console for any requirement on your organisation account [to verify].","route":"guided","depends_on":["verify-identity"],"gate":"none","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"For personal accounts, at least 14 consecutive days of closed testing with 12+ opted-in testers.","source":"testing-req"}},"optional":true},{"id":"android-verification","title":"Register apps for Android developer verification","summary":"From September 2026 (Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand first; global from 2027) apps on certified Android devices must be registered by a verified developer. Check that your apps show as registered [to verify how Play Console accounts are handled].","route":"guided","depends_on":["verify-identity"],"gate":"none","optional":true,"sources":["android-dev-verification"]},{"id":"api-access","title":"Optional – give a service account access for automated publishing","summary":"Create a service account in a Google Cloud project, enable the Google Play Android Developer API, and invite the service account email in Play Console Users and permissions with only the permissions needed.","route":"guided","depends_on":["verify-identity"],"gate":"human_submit","url":"https://play.google.com/console/users-and-permissions","optional":true,"sources":["publisher-api"]}],"outputs":[{"name":"GOOGLE_PLAY_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON","description":"Path to the service account key file used by publishing tools (only if you chose the API step; prefer keyless auth where your CI supports it)","secret":true,"example_format":"./secrets/play-service-account.json","from_step":"api-access"}],"terms_notes":[{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"red","title":"A termination takes every related account with it","text":"If Google terminates a developer account, related developer accounts are terminated too, and any new account you open is terminated without refund. Only one appeal per termination. Never open a second account to get around a suspension.","source":"terminations"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"red","title":"Strikes add up","text":"App suspensions count as strikes; repeated or serious violations (malware, fraud, harmful apps) terminate the account and related accounts.","source":"enforcement"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"amber","title":"The fee is not refunded if your details are invalid","text":"If the ID or card information is found invalid, the US$25 registration fee is not refunded.","source":"signup"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"amber","title":"Inactive accounts are closed for good","text":"Accounts that never submit an app within a year, or that have few installs, unverified contact details and no Console use for 180 days, are closed after warning emails. Closed accounts cannot be reactivated and the fee is not refunded.","source":"inactive"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"yellow","title":"Your company details become public","text":"Google shows the organisation's legal name, legal address, developer email and developer phone on Google Play.","source":"required-info"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"yellow","title":"Free D-U-N-S","text":"Dun & Bradstreet issues D-U-N-S numbers free; third-party services may charge high fees for the same thing.","source":"required-info"}],"renewals":[{"what":"Keep the four verified contact channels working and use Play Console to avoid inactivity closure","every":"180 days","every_days":180,"source":"inactive"}],"pricing_notes":{"costs":"US$25 one-time registration fee (card, not prepaid).","notes":"D-U-N-S numbers are free from Dun & Bradstreet.","source":"signup"},"stripe_projects":false,"api_provisioning":{"available":"partial","notes":"No API creates or verifies developer accounts. Once the account exists, the Google Play Developer API (service account invited in Users and permissions) can manage listings, releases and purchases.","docs":["https://developers.google.com/android-publisher/getting_started"],"source":"publisher-api"},"detect":{"packages":["fastlane","gradle-play-publisher"]}}}