Audience: client (retailer). This is a step of the new client app onboarding.Prerequisite: the new client app setup questionnaire has been completed with the Integration Lead.
Account ownership
Developer accounts on Apple and Google are owned by the client organization.Lobyco operates within those accounts with granted access — creating app records, managing store listings, generating release credentials, and publishing releases — but ownership remains with the client.
Setup steps
1
Enroll in the Apple Developer Program
Enroll as an organization, not an individual.Enrollment requires a named work email (a specific person’s address, such as
name@yourcompany.com, not a shared alias — Apple does not accept shared mailboxes at enrollment) and a D‑U‑N‑S number for the legal entity.D‑U‑N‑S lookup or registration can take several business days if the organization is not already registered.
- Apple enrollment: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/
2
Create a Google Play Console developer account
Create an organization developer account linked to a real Google Account with MFA enabled.Google runs an organization verification process (company website, phone/email verification, and in some regions a D‑U‑N‑S number or equivalent business registration) before the account can publish apps.
Expect this to take a few business days.
- Google Play setup: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435
- Organization verification details: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/10788890
3
Complete Trader Status declaration
Apple and Google require every developer to declare trader or non-trader status before submitting new apps or updates (EU Digital Services Act, Articles 30 & 31).- EU distribution — declare trader. Provide the company name, registered address, business registration number, and contact email (the same D-U-N-S entity used at enrolment).
Verification takes 1–14 days; blocks EU distribution until approved. - Outside the EU only (UK, APAC, North America, etc.) — declare non-trader. No verification.
- Apple — App Store Connect → Business → Trader Status.
- Google Play → Play Console → Settings → Developer account → Account details → Trader status.
4
Invite the Lobyco team
Once both accounts are created and any verification is complete, invite the Lobyco team members listed below.People to invite (the Integration Lead will confirm the current list)
Additional Lobyco team members (developers, QA) will be added later by the Support engineer or the Tech Leads as the engagement progresses — no action needed from the client.
Named work email addresses are required here for the same reason as in Step 1: Apple and Google Play both require per-user accounts with their own MFA; group aliases are not supported.
5
Notify the Integration Lead
Once invitations are sent on both platforms, notify the Integration Lead so Lobyco can accept the invites and begin in-account configuration.What Lobyco does next
After accepting the invitations, Lobyco will:- Create the app record (bundleID / packageName, app name) in both stores using the values agreed in Step 1 of the app setup questionnaire.
- Generate the API keys required for the release pipelines (App Store Connect API key and Google Play service account).
- Configure store listing, content rating, data-safety questionnaires, testing tracks, and the first internal release.
Special cases
Most onboardings follow the steps above unchanged. Expand the case that matches your situation.A. Developer account already exists, and Lobyco will deliver a brand new app
A. Developer account already exists, and Lobyco will deliver a brand new app
If the organization already operates an Apple or Google Play developer account (with other apps), a new account is not needed.Skip steps 1 and 2 and go straight to step 3: invite the Lobyco team to the existing account at the access levels listed above.Lobyco will create the new app record alongside any existing apps; other apps are not affected.
B. Developer account already exists, and the Lobyco app replaces an existing one
B. Developer account already exists, and the Lobyco app replaces an existing one
Replacing an existing production app requires additional coordination because release continuity and signing keys must be carefully migrated.Contact the Integration Lead before granting access so the migration can be planned together.Be ready to provide:
- The existing app’s bundleID / packageName and current version codes.
- Android: the existing keystore file used to sign current production releases (or a Play App Signing transfer if Google’s managed signing is in use).
- iOS: existing signing certificates and provisioning profiles, or confirmation that Lobyco should regenerate them.
C. Admin access cannot be granted
C. Admin access cannot be granted
Some organizations have policies that prevent granting Admin access on developer accounts to external partners.A reduced-access setup is still possible but requires more client involvement and adds friction to any future changes. Contact the Integration Lead early to agree on a workable arrangement — the exact keys and credentials Lobyco will need depend on the specific policy constraints.In this arrangement, the client creates the app record directly in App Store Connect and Google Play Console, and grants Lobyco access to that specific app only:
- Apple: invite the Lobyco contacts as App Manager scoped to the Lobyco-built app.
- Google Play: invite the Lobyco contacts at app-level Admin scoped to the Lobyco-built app.
- Generating and securely sharing the App Store Connect API key (created from the client’s App Store Connect; scoped appropriately for the Lobyco-built app).
- Creating a Google Play service account in the client’s Google Cloud project, granting it access to the Lobyco-built app in Play Console, and securely sharing the JSON key.
- Inviting each additional Lobyco team member (developers, QA) on request from the Support engineer or Tech Lead.
D. Certificate access cannot be granted
D. Certificate access cannot be granted
Some organizations have policies that prevent granting Certificate access to external partners on Apple Developer accounts.In this case, the client needs manual intervention on an ongoing basis. Apple distribution certificates used to sign iOS apps for publication in the App Store have a 1-year lifetime. Once a year, a user in the organization with either Admin or App Manager (with certificate access) must create an “Apple Distribution” certificate in the Apple Developer Portal.