Verification

Since 2023 Google requires every developer to verify their identity — legal name, address, phone and email, plus a D-U-N-S number for organisations — before they can publish. Personal accounts created after November 2023 must also complete the 12-tester / 14-day closed test. Verification can take a few days; if it is incomplete, publishing is blocked and the account can eventually be closed.

No — you can publish as an individual/personal developer or as an organisation. A personal account needs identity verification (name, address, phone); an organisation account additionally needs a D-U-N-S number and shows the company name as the developer. Choose organisation only if you want the business name on the listing; the account type cannot be changed after creation.

A D-U-N-S number is required only for organisation (company) accounts, not for personal/individual developer accounts. Indian companies can request a free D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, which can take up to 30 days. If you are an individual developer, you skip D-U-N-S entirely and verify with your personal identity instead.

Personal Google Play developer accounts created after November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers who stay opted in for 14 continuous days before the app can go to production. The rule is Google’s way of vetting new individual developers and is the single biggest reason a new account cannot launch instantly. Organisation accounts and seasoned accounts are exempt, which is why many developers publish through an established, verified account to skip the wait.

Buying an account is far riskier than publishing through one. A sold account still carries the seller’s verified identity, and because Google now requires ID verification tied to a real person, an account whose owner-of-record is someone else is one verification prompt away from being frozen — taking every app on it down with it. Marketplace accounts also often arrive with a hidden strike history. If you need Play access without your own verification, publishing on an established, verified account and transferring the app out leaves you with a clean account in your own name.

No — an “aged” account is the most dangerous thing to buy, because age is exactly what makes it attractive to resellers who sell the same account more than once. You inherit its invisible history: past strikes, prior rejections, and the original owner’s identity documents on file. Google can request re-verification at any time, and the moment the ID does not match the person operating the account, it is terminated permanently and every listing on it disappears together.