To get started you will need:
A Google Account for your organization, connected to you, the person setting it up
A Google Play Console developer account requires payment for a one-time $25 fee for the creation of the account
Photo of your valid driver's license/government-issued photo ID for ID verification, once the account is created:
The photo needs to be clear and legible
NOT cropped, do not remove the background
Once the console account is created, you will invite Subsplash to manage the publication of your app.
Follow these step-by-step guides below to create and set up your Google Play Console. Read and follow every step, as skipping ahead can cause issues when our team attempts to publish or update your app later.
This process should only take 20 minutes. If you hit any snags or get confused, reach out to your Onboarding Specialist or our Support team if your app is already live.
Creating a Google Account for Your Organization
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If your organization does not yet have a Google Account (Gmail, Calendar, Google Docs, etc.), then you will need to create one so that you can proceed to the first step in setting up your Google Play Developer account. Note that this account cannot be changed, so we highly recommend creating or using an account that is generic and tied to your organization (i.e. churchnameapps@gmail.com).
2. If you are using a pre-existing Google Account, you can simply sign in and move on to the section labeled "Find your DUNS Number." For those creating a brand new Google Account, you will select Create Account and fill out the following forms:
3. Lastly, you'll be prompted to agree to Google's Privacy and Terms. Select I agree and you're all done!
Should you have any difficulty with your Google Account, we recommend utilizing Google's support page.
Find your DUNS Number
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Check to see if you already have a DUNS number
A lot of organizations already have a DUNS number without knowing it. To check and see if you already have a DUNS number, please use the DUNS Number Lookup.
When you go to the link above to search for your DUNS number, we recommend starting by just searching for your Business Name, State, & Country. This will help you cast a wide net in case your address or phone number has changed.
If you do already have a DUNS number, please confirm that the address, name of the organization, and phone number that are associated with the DUNS number are all correct. When you sign up for Developer accounts, you must enter the information exactly how it is shown with your DUNS number.
Information required to Request/Update a DUNS number
If you need to update any information for your DUNS number (for example, if the address is no longer correct) or you need to create a new DUNS number because you don’t have one, please follow the instructions below.
You will need at least two legal documents to complete this process. The documents must match the Correct Legal Business Name at the Current Physical Address. (See examples of accepted documents below)
Examples of Accepted Documents
Create New DUNS
Secretary of State Articles of Incorporation
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Confirmation Letter
Employer Identification Number (EIN) Confirmation Letter
DBA / Assumed Name Certificate Filing
Lease Agreement
Utility Bill
Do Not Include personal information such as Driver’s License, Passport, Social Security, Banking Statements, etc.
Update or Correct DUNS
Business Name Update:
Secretary of State Articles of Incorporation
Registration Amendment Document
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Confirmation Letter
Employer Identification Number (EIN) Confirmation Letter
DBA / Assumed Name Certificate Filing
Merger / Acquisition Agreement
Purchase Order Representing Asset / Liability Exchange
Address Update:
Utility Bill
Lease Agreement
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Confirmation Letter
Employer Identification Number (EIN) Confirmation Letter
Invoice from a third party showing current Business Name and Address
Ownership Update:
Probate document authorizing ownership of the business
Operating Agreement
Merger / Acquisition Agreement
Partnership Agreement
Purchase Agreement
Requesting a new DUNS number/Update existing DUNS number
Once you have the necessary documentation, fill out the DUNS Request Form, and upload your documents to either create a new DUNS number or update your existing DUNS number.
Please use this form above, rather than the main DUNS website, since this form is built specifically for Developer Account customers.
Enter your email address on the first screen that appears
Select “Developer Program”
Select “Create New DUNS” or “Update or Correct DUNS” depending on your situation
Running into Legal Entity Error?
A very common issue that clients experience when enrolling in the Apple Developer program is a Legal Entity error. This error is caused by a bug with Dun and Bradstreet and Apple’s databases that prevents Apple from validating the DUNS number. If you run into this error, you may see a screen such as the one below:
The good news is that this is a common issue and easy to resolve. Simply navigate to the following form: https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=APPLEDEV
Enter your email address
Select “Developer Program”
Select “Error Message”
Fill out the information on that form (you can disregard Request ID)
At least two forms of accepted legal documentation
For description, copy and paste the following text:
“I am trying to enroll in the Apple Developer program however when I enter my Legal Entity Name and DUNS number, I am receiving an error that my organization could not be verified as a legal entity. I have confirmed that my DUNS number and Legal Entity Name are both entered correctly. Please advise”.
From here, D&B will reach out in a few days to resolve this issue and provide a timeframe for when you can continue your Apple Developer account enrollment
If you run into any issues or receive error messages concerning the DUNS number at any time:
If you are new to Subsplash and in the Onboarding process, schedule a call with your dedicated Onboarding Specialist.
Contact Dun & Bradstreet or call them directly at (866) 584-0283
Register
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Follow along with this video:
1. Open an incognito or private browser tab. Trust us, this will ensure a smooth signup process.
To do this: Right-click your web browser's icon at the bottom of your screen and select "New Incognito Window" or "New Private Window" to open an incognito or private web browser window.
2. Using the Incognito/Private browsing tab you just opened, navigate to: play.google.com/console
3. Once the page loads, click on the blue rectangle button in the upper right-hand corner:
4. After clicking the blue Google Play Console button, a new browser tab will open. On this new browser tab, you should see the Google login screen.
The email you use to log in must be connected to you and your devices for 2-step verification.
Now, go ahead and log in using the correct Gmail or Google Workplace credentials.
If you don't have a Google account to use, no worries, you can learn how to create one in the above section.
If you are prompted with the message "We are sorry, but you do not have access to this service" upon logging in, check with your organization's Google Workplace admin to make sure you are granted access to the "Google Play Console"
5. Once logged in, If 2-step verification is not activated for this Google account, you will be prompted to Turn on 2-step verification. Complete the steps as asked to get a 2-step setup (This process is a little bit different for everyone.)
6. Return to the "Play Console" tab in your incognito/private browser window, then refresh that tab and continue your account setup.
7. Now we can create your Google Play Console account, under the "An organization or business" section, click the Get Started button.
8. Fill out the following pages Google presents:
Complete all required fields
Read all of the notes next to these fields
Google will be asking for specific bits of information to verify you and your organization
Do not enter any test/example or fake information on this form
9. Set up a Google Payments Account
Create or Select Payment Profile
Create new payments profile
Enter your DUNS number (How do I find my DUNS number)
Confirm Organization Identity
10. Agree to Google Play Console Terms and conditions
11. Complete the account setup by paying the one-time $25 fee for the Google Play Console account.
Once your payment is complete, continue to your new Google Play Console account!
Order Number
When you complete payment for your registration you will receive an email with the subject line Google: Thank You. Located in this email is your Order Number (also referred to as an Order Number or Transaction ID). Try going to your inbox and searching for "Google: Thank You".
Alternatively, you can log into your developer account email at https://pay.google.com, and search for the $25 payment.
If you've had your Google Play Developer account for a long time, your Order ID may not match the current standard format we have shown in this example:
PDS.1234-5678-9012-3456
In most cases, the Legacy Order Number format should work without issue. The only one that can be problematic would be in this format:
01234567890123456789.token.0123456789012345
If your Order Number is in this format, simply remove everything before "token". For the example above, that would be. This should resolve any issues when submitting to the Google Play Store:
token.0123456789012345
Verify your ID
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Once you have completed the Account registration, follow the steps to complete your Google ID verification:
1. Front and center, you will see a prompt in a rectangular panel towards the top of the screen with the words "Verify ID" in blue text.
2. Click the blue text to begin ID verification.
3. Complete the form and upload of your government-issued photo identification. Here's an example of a good photo of your ID:
The information you enter in the form must exactly match the information listed on your legal documentation
If your government-issued ID has an outdated address, USE the outdated address on the ID for this verification. Otherwise, Google will not verify your organization or identification.
If Google is not able to verify your information, please contact Subsplash so that we can assist you. Google only allows a certain number of attempts.
4. Google may require additional verification of your Organization in the form of:
IRS Verification Letter or W-9 Form
Siimilar to the personal ID form you filled out, complete the organization form in the same manner. The information must match the uploaded document, even if the address is out-of-date.
Invite Subsplash
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To publish and manage your app on your behalf, you will need to invite Subsplash as an admin to your Google Play developer account.
From the menu list on the left-hand side of the Console, select Users and permissions
On the right-hand side of the page, click Invite New Users
On the Invite user screen:
In the email address field, add: Googleplaydev@subsplash.com
Click the Account permissions tab, and check the Admin box
Click the blue Invite user button in the lower right corner of the page
Click the blue button on the following prompt to ‘Invite user.’
As soon as our team accepts your invitation, you'll receive an email from Google.
API Setup
1. Open an incognito window and navigate to: https://console.cloud.google.com and then log in with your Google Play developer credentials.
2. Click "Select a project"
3. Select No Organization and select your organization from the dropdown menu. If your organization doesn't show in this list, click No organization in the dropdown menu and continue as normal.
Then create a new project in the top-right. You can name your project "Subsplash".
4. Click on "Service Accounts" in the left-hand menu
If you receive a notice saying you do not have permission to edit on this page it is likely a permission issue in your Google workspace. Navigate to the 2:00 minute mark in the setup video for a guide on how to fix this issue.
5. Click the BLUE text '+ CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT' at the top of the screen
6. Once the new page loads, type the Service Account Name: Google Play Subsplash, Click Create and Continue
7. Click the Select a Role box, and type in the filter field: service account admin, then scroll down the list to find and select 'service account admin'
8. Click the Done button
9. After the page reloads, Navigate to the column titled "Actions". Click the three black dots below "Actions" and from the drop-down menu, select Manage Keys.
10. Next, click the Add key button and select create new key from the drop-down menu.
11. Ensure that the file type JSON is selected, then click Create. This will download a small file to your computer you'll need to upload to the Dashboard later.
12. Hover over the highlighted link in the Email column and click "Copy"
13. Open a new tab and navigate to play.google.com/console and login again with your Google play credentials if needed. Then scroll down to the to "Users and permissions" menu. Click "Invite User"
14. Paste the email address you copied in step 13 into the Email Address box. Select Account Permissions and check the Admin box, then click "Invite User" > "Send Invite"
15. Then navigate back to the Service Accounts browser tab and click the hamburger menu in the top right > APIs & Services.
Then click Enable APIs and Services
Scroll down to the Mobile section and click "Google Play Android Developer API."
Then click Enable on the next screen.
Fill Out the Dashboard
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Here's a video on how to fill out your Subsplash Dashboard:
Once you have completed these steps be sure to fill out the required fields in the Dashboard with your Google Play account information.