Free
Token calculator

How to get a free D-U-N-S number for Apple and Google Play

A D-U-N-S number is free from Dun & Bradstreet. Apple says allow about 7 business days before you can enroll; Google says the number can take up to 30 days.

By · Updated

You get a D-U-N-S number free from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), and you need one only if you publish apps as a company or other organization: Apple and Google Play both require it for organization developer accounts, and neither requires it for individuals. Timing depends on the route. Apple says to allow up to 5 business days for the number when you request it through Apple’s lookup, plus up to 2 business days for Apple to receive it; D&B’s own site says normal processing can take up to 30 business days. Both rules were on the companies’ pages as of October 28, 2026.

This guide is built from Apple’s developer account help pages, Google’s Play Console help center and Dun & Bradstreet’s D-U-N-S pages, all read on October 28, 2026. We haven’t gone through either enrollment ourselves; where a company doesn’t publish something, such as D&B’s expedite fee, we say so rather than guess. Nothing here is legal or tax advice on how to structure a business.

What is a D-U-N-S number, and why do Apple and Google ask for it?

Apple describes it as “a unique nine-digit number that identifies business entities on a location-specific basis,” assigned and maintained by Dun & Bradstreet. Google’s Play Console help uses nearly the same words: “a unique nine-digit identifier that is widely used to verify businesses.”

Both app stores use it for the same job: checking that the organization signing their developer agreement really exists and is what it says it is.

  • Apple says your D-U-N-S number “will be used to check the identity and legal entity status of your organization” when you join the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
  • Google says it uses “this mandatory requirement to verify your organization’s identity.” Google also keeps checking after you sign up: the legal name and address in your Google payments profile must match your D&B profile, and if they drift apart, Google says it can restrict the account, “which would remove all of your apps from Google Play.”

D&B says the number itself “does not contain any information related to a company’s stability or credit scores,” though it is linked to the company’s business credit file.

Do you need a D-U-N-S number to publish an app?

Only for an organization account. Here is what each store requires, as of October 28, 2026:

Account type Apple Developer Program Google Play Console
Individual or personal No D-U-N-S number. Your legal name is shown as the seller No D-U-N-S number. Your legal name and country are shown on Google Play
Sole proprietor or single-person business Must enroll as an individual. Apple says sole proprietors “must join as an individual” Not addressed separately; choose personal or organization by use
Company, LLC, partnership, nonprofit D-U-N-S number required, registered to the legal entity D-U-N-S number required
Educational institution D-U-N-S number required Not addressed separately
Government organization Optional Not required for “known government organizations or agencies”; contact support
Fee $99 per membership year (Enterprise Program $299) US$25 one-time registration fee

Apple won’t accept a trade name. Apple’s help says your business “must be recognized as a legal entity (such as a corporation, limited partnership, or limited liability company),” and that “DBAs, fictitious businesses, trade names, and branches are not accepted.” If D&B lists your business as a sole proprietorship, Apple tells you to enroll as an individual.

Google requires an organization account for some app types. Google says you must choose an organization account if you offer financial products and services (including banking, loans, stock trading and crypto wallets or exchanges), health apps such as medical apps, or government apps. Those developers can’t avoid the D-U-N-S step.

How do you get a free D-U-N-S number, step by step?

D&B says plainly: “There is no charge to receive a D-U-N-S Number.” Google’s help repeats it three times on one page, with a warning: “Applying for a D-U-N-S number through Dun & Bradstreet is a completely free process. Be aware of third-party services that may attempt to charge high administrative fees for this free registration.”

1. Check whether you already have one

Both Apple and D&B say to look first, because D&B may have assigned your company a number already. Google adds that “many organizations already have a D-U-N-S number as part of doing business.” D&B’s free lookup tool asks for your company’s address or phone number. If it can’t find you, D&B says one of two things is likely: the address or phone in your D&B profile no longer matches what you entered (common after a move), or you don’t have a number yet.

Large companies can have several numbers. D&B assigns them “at an individual branch level,” and Google warns that you must use the one that carries the organization details you want tied to your developer account.

2. Choose your request path

There are two free ways in, and they come with different stated timelines:

  • Through Apple. Apple’s D-U-N-S help page links to its own organization lookup. Apple says you’ll be asked for your legal entity name, headquarters address, mailing address and work contact details, and if your company isn’t listed, “you’ll have the option to submit your information to Dun & Bradstreet for a free D-U-N-S Number.” Apple’s lookup requires signing in with an Apple Account.
  • Directly with D&B. D&B’s “Get a D-U-N-S Number” page offers separate paths for a U.S.-based business, a Canada-based business and an international business. D&B lists the information you may need: the legal name of the business, its address (a separate number for each location), the name of the owner, president or CEO, the legal structure, the year the business was created, the primary industry, and the total number of full- and part-time employees.

If the number is for Apple, Apple’s route has the shorter published timeline (see the next section). If it’s for Google Play, or for anything else, use D&B’s page; Google links to “the official Dun & Bradstreet website.”

3. Say no to the paid expedite option unless you need it

D&B says that “during the checkout process, you will be asked whether you want to expedite your D-U-N-S Number request. This is not required.” D&B doesn’t print the expedite price on the pages we read; it calls it “a small fee.” Apple adds a caveat for its own route: “Expediting your D-U-N-S Number creation process will not shorten this waiting period.”

4. Have your documents ready for D&B’s check

Apple warns that “a D&B representative may contact you directly for more information (such as your business type or number of employees). Please have your business registration documents ready.” D&B says the same: “You may be contacted by a representative of Dun & Bradstreet to validate your information.” Your number arrives by email from D&B.

5. Make your D&B profile match everything else

Use the exact legal name and address that you’ll enter at Apple or in your Google payments profile. Google’s rule is explicit: “the legal name and address in your Google payments profile [must] match those in your Dun & Bradstreet profile.” D&B says you can view and request updates to your company’s information for free.

How long does it take to get a D-U-N-S number?

This is where the official sources differ, so here is each one in its own words:

Source What it says about timing
D&B, standard request “Normal processing can take up to 30 business days”
D&B, paid expedite “within eight business days” after you submit the online form
Apple, request through Apple’s lookup “allow up to 5 business days to receive your number from D&B”; email D&B if it takes “longer than two weeks”
Apple, after you have the number “allow up to 2 business days for Apple to receive your information from D&B”
Apple, after updating your D&B profile “up to two business days for D&B to provide updated information to Apple”
Google Play “This process can take up to 30 days so you should plan ahead”

Google’s warning is firm: “You will not be able to create a developer account for an organization without one,” and Google says it “will not accommodate any exemptions or provide extensions” for organizations that fail to provide a D-U-N-S number. So for Google Play, get the number before you start registering.

Worked example: how long until you can submit?

Take a new LLC that wants to publish on both stores. These are the longest waits each company states, not averages, and they don’t include each store’s own app review.

Apple, requesting through Apple’s lookup:

  • D-U-N-S number: up to 5 business days
  • Apple receiving it from D&B: up to 2 business days
  • 5 + 2 = up to 7 business days before you can enroll as an organization

After that, Apple verifies your enrollment information and, for organizations, emails you the next steps before you can pay. Apple doesn’t publish how long that verification takes. It does say that if you haven’t received a membership confirmation within 24 hours of your purchase, you should contact support.

Google Play, requesting directly from D&B:

  • Standard D&B processing: up to 30 business days. Thirty business days is six working weeks (30 ÷ 5 = 6), about 42 calendar days with weekends.
  • With D&B’s paid expedite: up to 8 business days, which is about a week and a half.

Either way, the D&B step can be the slowest part of opening an organization account.

What else do you need besides the D-U-N-S number?

The number gets you through one check. Each store asks for more.

Apple, for organizations:

  • Legal binding authority. The person enrolling becomes the Account Holder and “must have the legal authority to bind your organization to legal agreements”: an owner or founder, executive, senior project lead, or an employee given that authority by a senior employee. If you’re not the owner or founder, Apple asks for a reference who can confirm your authority.
  • A work email on your domain. Apple says “your work email address needs to be associated with your organization’s domain name.”
  • A real website. Apple requires a website that is “publicly available and functional,” on a domain associated with your organization. It won’t accept “links to social media webpages or websites that contain minimal content or display a message from a domain registrar.”
  • Possibly notarized documents. Apple says you “may be asked for business documents that are notarized.”
  • Two-factor authentication on the Apple Account you enroll with, and legal first and last names in that account.

That website and email rule catches new companies. A parked domain won’t pass. If you don’t have a site yet, our guides to the cheapest website builder with a custom domain and free business email cover low-cost ways to get both.

Google Play, for organizations:

  • A Google payments profile with the organization’s legal name and address, matching D&B.
  • A contact email and phone number for Google, plus a developer email and developer phone number that are shown publicly on Google Play. All four are verified by one-time passcode.
  • An organization phone number “that a user might be expected to find when looking up your organization on the web or a public registry, like Dun & Bradstreet.”
  • Google says the contact email for an organization account “should not be generic or a personal email address.”
  • Google also says you may be asked for a valid government ID and a credit card, both under your legal name, and that if this information is found invalid, “your registration fee will not be refunded.”

Personal or organization account: what changes on Google Play?

Skipping the D-U-N-S step by choosing a personal Google Play account has a cost of its own. Google says personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 “must run a closed test for their app with a minimum of 12 testers who have been opted in continuously for at least 14 days” before they can apply for production access. Google says review of that application “usually takes seven days or less, but can occasionally take longer.” Personal account owners must also verify access to an Android device using the Play Console mobile app.

Google lists the testing rule under personal accounts only; its account-type page says personal and organization accounts “have access to the same core functionality” and can both earn money.

So the trade-off for a new developer looks like this:

Personal account Organization account
D-U-N-S number Not needed Required (up to 30 days, per Google)
Before the first public release Closed test: 12 testers for 14 days, then a production access review (usually 7 days or less) No closed-test rule on the pages we read
Shown on Google Play Legal name, country, developer email; full address if you monetize Legal name, legal address, developer email and phone
Required for finance, health and government apps No, these must use organization accounts Yes

For a solo developer with no company, the personal route is the only one available. For a business that already exists, the D-U-N-S wait and the 14-day testing window are similar lengths, but only the D-U-N-S request can start before your app is ready. Google’s broader developer verification rules are also expanding; see our update on Android developer verification.

What does it all cost?

The D-U-N-S number is free from D&B, and D&B says there is “never a requirement that you purchase any product or services to obtain, use, or maintain” it, and that the number “will never expire or change even if your business closes or is purchased by another company.” What you pay is the store fees:

  • Apple Developer Program: 99 USD per membership year. Apple says prices may vary by region and are listed in local currency during enrollment.
  • Apple Developer Enterprise Program: 299 USD a year.
  • Google Play: US$25, one time.

Example, both stores, three years: $99 × 3 = $297 for Apple, plus $25 once for Google = $322. Add D&B’s expedite fee only if you choose it; D&B doesn’t print the price on its public pages.

Apple waives its fee for some organizations, and they need a D-U-N-S number too. Apple says nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can request a fee waiver if they are not an individual or single-person business, haven’t signed the Paid Applications Agreement, and don’t sell digital goods or services through their apps. The Account Holder must confirm eligibility at each annual renewal.

For the rest of what an app costs to build and ship, see how much it costs to make an app and, if you don’t own a Mac, building an iPhone app without a Mac.

What to watch for

  • Paid “D-U-N-S services.” Google warns about third parties that “charge high administrative fees for this free registration.” Request the number from D&B, or through Apple’s lookup.
  • The expedite upsell. It’s optional. Apple says it doesn’t shorten the wait on Apple’s route.
  • Name and address mismatches. Google can restrict an organization account, removing its apps, if the payments profile stops matching D&B. Apple says updates to your D&B profile take up to two business days to reach Apple.
  • Moving offices. D&B numbers are tied to a location, and D&B says a changed address or phone number is a common reason a lookup fails. Update D&B before you update Apple or Google.
  • “Your organization is not listed as a legal entity.” Apple says this message means D&B lists your business with a different legal status, such as a sole proprietorship, or hasn’t verified it. Fix the status with D&B using your registration documents, or enroll as an individual.
  • Switching from individual to organization later. Apple’s help says to contact it if you need to convert an individual account to an organization account. Plan the seller name early; it is what customers see on the App Store.

Which route should you choose?

  • A solo developer or hobbyist with no company: enroll as an individual with Apple and open a personal Google Play account. You don’t need a D-U-N-S number. On Google Play, line up 12 testers for the 14-day closed test.
  • A sole proprietor who wants a brand name on the App Store: Apple says sole proprietors must enroll as individuals, so your legal name will show as the seller. A brand name as the seller needs a legal entity, which is a decision to make with your own advisers.
  • An LLC or corporation shipping on both stores: look up your number first. If you have none, request it through Apple’s lookup if Apple is first, or from D&B directly, and do it before you register with Google. Make sure your domain has a working website and email; see the iOS app builders hub for the tools.
  • A finance, health or government app: Google requires an organization account, so the D-U-N-S number is mandatory unless you’re a known government body.
  • A nonprofit or school: get the D-U-N-S number, then request Apple’s fee waiver during enrollment if you meet its conditions.
  • On a deadline: D&B’s paid expedite promises up to 8 business days instead of up to 30, but on Apple’s route Apple says it won’t help.

Sources