Launching Your Mobile App: Your Apple Developer Account
HOST
Alright, so you’re ready to launch your mobile app on Apple’s App Store.
And, if you’ve already seen our lesson on launching your app in the Google Play Store with Tapcart — then you know that about 52% of people in the US, Europe, the UK and Australia use Android devices and around 48% are using iOS. . So, by launching on both platforms, you’ll be maximizing your potential to reach all these people.
The things we cover in this lesson will allow you to host a mobile app in the App Store with Tapcart.
To do this, we’ll go over two steps that allow you to create something called an Apple Developer Account. Once you have that set up, you’ll be able to launch your iOS app.
So, to do this, we want to enroll in the Apple Developer Program.
And, there’s one thing to note here, before jumping in.
To create an Apple Developer account there’s an annual fee of ninety-nine dollars — this is a recurring payment that keeps your app active in the App Store.
Another thing is you’ll need to sign in with an Apple ID and have two factor authentication enabled with the Apple ID you are using.
If you’re not sure if you have an Apple ID, you can create one for free by going here. And if you're unsure if you have two factor authentication set up, we’ve linked an article in our video description notes to walk you through this as well.
Both of these steps are pretty simple to do, so; pause this video, go ahead and create your ID; set up your two factor authentication, and I’ll be waiting here.
When you’re all set, come back, unpause me and we’ll move forward with completing your enrollment.
(pauses for a moment to relax while looking directly into the camera before continuing with the following line.)
Alright. So, if you did that, then you should have everything you need to create your Apple Developer account.
Now, you’re going to enroll in the program. So, you'll head over to this site..
Sign in with your Apple ID..
‘Join the Apple Developer Program’ and select ‘Enroll’..
Then, you’ll enter your personal information, as listed on your government-issued ID..
Select ‘Continue’..
And from here, you’ll choose your legal entity type.
When selecting your entity type, you want to confirm you are enrolling as a ‘Company/Organization’ — not an ‘Individual/Sole Proprietor’.
Once ‘Company/Organization’ is selected, we can see a list of requirements to do this.
For example, a DUNS number — remember this? We’ve previously covered how to request this.
Legal entity status; legal binding authority, and; a website. So, as long as your business has these four things, you’re able to enroll as an organization.
So, click ‘Continue’.
And, next enter your ‘Legal Entity Name’ exactly as it’s listed within the DUNS records. This section is case sensitive and accounts for punctuation, spacing, etc.
And, let me stop for a second to tell you something very important.
your registered business name that is entered within this field, will be your Apple Developer name — forever.
Meaning, this is the name that will display on your App Listing in the App Store and be associated with your iOS app.
Once submitting the info on this page, the only way to change this name is to let your Implementation Specialist know that you want to update this before we submit your app to the app store — more of that in an upcoming lesson.
For now, simply note that this name will be unchangeable once your app is submitted to the app store.
If you have any further questions on the best name to choose, reach out to us and we’ll guide you in the right direction.
(Asks the following question rhetorically.)
Now, where were we?
Your DUNS Number — add this in and fill in the characters shown in the security image below..
We’ll select ‘Continue’ to move forward..
If you receive an error message and are unable to continue, that most likely means your business license is filed as an individual/sole proprietor. Or, you need an updated DUNS Number. If either of these are the case, reach out to your Implementation Specialist or contact our support team before moving forward, and we’ll be able to help!
If you're able to move forward, great! Confirm all your information listed is correct.
And complete the final required fields: your website url, contact phone number, and your business email.
Important note here: your business email can not be a gmail account.
Now, once that’s all filled in — you can skip over the Tax ID.
Confirm all your information listed is correct, then submit! You’ll see your enrollment is pending!
And, there you go. You should hear back from them in 1-2 business days by phone or email to verify the enrollment.
If for any reason you miss the call from Apple, simply contact Apple Developer Support, and they’ll be able to help you out.
Once your enrollment is verified as a ‘Company/Organization’, you can expect a follow-up email to submit the enrollment fee of ninety-nine dollars.
And finally, head back to your Apple Developer dashboard to complete your billing information, to make that enrollment fee payment, and you’re good to go.
And, that’s it; you now know how to enroll as an ‘Organization’ in the Apple Developer Program and are ready to connect Tapcart to your account to host a mobile app in the App Store.
