Why the app should be published under your name
On the App Store and Google Play, the name under the app is the account that published it. If a developer publishes your app on their own account, their name appears, and moving the app later is slow. Publishing on your own accounts means the app, its reviews and its downloads belong to your business, whoever builds it.
What you need before you start
- A registered company, such as a limited company, with your legal name and address.
- A D-U-N-S number for that company. It is a free business identifier from Dun & Bradstreet that Apple and Google use to check organisations. Many UK companies already have one; if not, it can be requested for free and can take a few days.
- A website on your own domain, and an e-mail address on that domain.
- A privacy policy on your website, explaining what the app collects and why.
- Someone with authority to accept the store agreements on behalf of the company.
The steps, in order
| Step | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| D-U-N-S number | Look it up or request it for your company | Same day if it exists, a few days if requested |
| Apple Developer Program | Enrol as an organisation and pay the annual fee | A few days after the D-U-N-S number is confirmed |
| Google Play Console | Create an organisation account, pay the one-off fee and verify your identity | A few days |
| Build | The app is designed, built and tested on your phone | Usually 4 to 8 weeks, in parallel with the accounts |
| Store listings | Name, icon, screenshots, description, privacy details and support links | A day, prepared during the build |
| Review | Apple and Google check the app before it goes live | Usually one to a few days |
If you register on Google Play as an individual rather than an organisation, new accounts must first run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days. Registering as an organisation avoids that delay.
What the stores check
- That the app works: no crashes, no empty screens, and a test account for the reviewers if sign-in is needed.
- Privacy: what data the app collects, declared in Apple’s privacy details and Google’s data safety form, and matching your privacy policy.
- Account deletion: users who can create an account in the app must be able to delete it from the app.
- Payments: digital content sold in the app uses Apple’s and Google’s in-app purchase; services and goods used in person do not.
Payments: what the stores take and what they do not
Apple and Google only take a commission on digital content sold inside the app, such as online classes or premium features. Gym memberships, class bookings, appointments, deposits and food orders are paid through your own payment provider, by card or Apple Pay, with no store commission. That is why a business app can take payments for in-person services without losing a share to the stores.
After launch
Each year Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android, and apps need small updates to keep working and to stay listed. Plan for updates, hosting and support from the start; at LOMY this is part of the £290 monthly plan. See how much an app costs in the UK for the full picture.
Questions
They can, but their name then appears under your app and moving it later takes time. It is better to publish on your own accounts and give the developer access.
No. You create the accounts and accept the agreements; your developer handles the build, the listings and the review.
It is a unique number for your company from Dun & Bradstreet, used by Apple and Google to check that an organisation is real. Requesting one for an app developer account is free.
For a first version, usually 5 to 9 weeks in total: the accounts are set up in the first days, the build takes 4 to 8 weeks, and the store review takes one to a few days.
Want to see it for your business?
A 15-minute call is enough to see what an app of your own would do for you, and what it would cost.