DUNS Number for Google Play Console: Get Your Organisation Account Verified

By PDS Team

Google Play requires a DUNS number for every organisation developer account. You can’t create one without a valid number. Apply for free on the Dun & Bradstreet website, which can take up to 30 days. Then enter the number in Play Console and make sure your Google payments profile shows the same legal name and address as your D&B profile.

This guide explains when Google Play needs a DUNS number, how to get one, how organisation verification works, and how to avoid the name and address mismatches that put developer accounts at risk.

Do you need a DUNS number for Google Play Console?

You need one for an organisation account, but not for a personal account.

Google uses the DUNS number to verify your organisation’s identity. Only government organisations, or organisations that truly cannot obtain a number, can ask Play support about an alternative. Google says it does not give exemptions or extensions for a missing DUNS number.

How do you get a DUNS number for Google Play?

Check whether your business already has a number, and if not, apply for free through Dun & Bradstreet.

1. Search first. Many organisations already have a DUNS number. Large organisations may have several, one per location. Use the one whose legal name and address you want linked to Google Play.
2. Apply for free. In India, use the “Get a D-U-N-S Number” form on dnb.co.in and choose “Google Developer” as the reason.
3. Keep documents ready. D&B may ask for your PAN, GST certificate, incorporation certificate, address proof and authorised signatory details.
4. Allow up to 30 days. Google says a new application can take up to 30 days, so apply before you need to publish.

Google warns about third-party services that charge high fees for this free registration. Our full guide on how to get a DUNS number in India covers the D&B process in detail.

How do you verify a Google Play organisation account?

Link a payments profile, enter your DUNS number, verify your contact details and upload documents that prove your business and your identity.

1. Choose “Organisation” as the account type. Use this only for a formal business entity. Google says the account type can’t be changed once verification is complete.
2. Link a Google payments profile. It must represent your real organisation, with the same legal name and address as your D&B profile.
3. Enter your DUNS number and confirm the business details Google shows.
4. Verify contacts by one-time password. This covers the contact email and phone, and the public developer email and phone. Google says the contact email should not be a generic or personal address.
5. Upload documents. Upload a business registration document and an identity document for the account owner or an authorised representative. Accepted documents vary by country and are listed in Play Console.
6. Verify your website. Google may ask you to confirm website ownership through Google Search Console. Social media profile URLs can’t be used.
7. Pay the registration fee. Google Play charges a one-time US$25 registration fee.

Monetising developers also verify a bank account for their merchant account. Google says review can take a few days after you upload documents.

Need a website that passes verification, or Search Console set up for it? Our website design and development and technical SEO teams can help.

Why must your D&B and payments profile details match?

Google checks that the legal name and address on your Google payments profile match your D&B profile, and a mismatch can lead to your apps being removed.

If the details stop matching, Play Console shows a warning that your organisation name or address is no longer verified. Google’s organisation verification guide gives developers 28 days to fix inconsistencies, or the account and its apps are removed from Google Play. To change details later, update your D&B profile first, then use “Update organisation details” on the Account details page.

If D&B marks your business as out of business, contact D&B to reinstate the profile. If D&B issues a new DUNS number, ask Google Play support to help migrate your account.

What mistakes cause Google Play verification to fail?

Mismatched names, unclear documents and unanswered verification calls cause most failures.

• The organisation name on your document doesn’t match the D&B profile, for example using a parent or subsidiary name.
• Blurry, expired, cropped or edited documents. Google says altered documents can lead to removal of all apps.
• The authorised representative’s name on the form doesn’t match their ID.
• The address isn’t entered exactly as it appears on the document.
• Missing the phone OTP. If your office line uses an IVR menu, try the SMS option or route the call so it can be answered.
• Starting late. ID uploads have a limited number of attempts, and the DUNS number itself can take a month.

Do you need a DUNS number for Android apps outside Google Play?

Google’s newer Android developer verification also asks organisations for a DUNS number, even for apps distributed outside Google Play.

The Android Developer Console help page lists a DUNS number, organisation name, address and website among the details organisations must provide. If you distribute APKs directly or through other stores, plan for the same D&B check. Our Android app development process guide explains where this fits in a launch plan.

Publishing on iPhone too? See our guide to getting a DUNS number for an Apple Developer account. The same DUNS number works for both stores.

Google Play DUNS Number FAQs