Say an independent US-based developer creates an Apple Developer account as an individual contributor. They choose a company/organization name "XYZ Apps". They never create an LLP or file any type of business paperwork other than reporting taxes.
Now the developer wishes to change the company/organization name. Apple requests "court/business" documentation verifying the new name. The developer doesn't have said docs because there hasn't been any official business name change or anything.
How can the independent developer update their company/organization name in this case?
Perhaps they can tell Apple it's just an aesthetic name change. Any feedback from people with experience is greatly appreciated!
Edit: after reading around the web it seems like creating another developer account might be the easiest route. This assumes you don't have apps with the original account where the exact name is important.
Apple does not appear to allow any "aesthetic" name changes, only a legal incorporation name or a legal corporate name change. So you may need to incorporate your business, and request Apple change your developer enrollment to a company enrollment, in order to change the name on your developer account.
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I have an individual membership with the Apple developer program. When I submit my app to the app store, will my name show up as the seller, or will I be able to put a different name, specifically, a company name?
If I remember correctly, the name of the individual is what appears as the seller through an individual account. If you had a business membership, then the name of the business would appear there. That's one of the perks of the business option, aside from team management.
This may have changed in the last year since I last submitted an app, but I'm fairly confident it has not. Please feel free to correct me if it has.
Yes, you can. The Seller info is what you put under itunes connect.
I have created an application for my customer. We have published the application with my account. Now, they want to change the developer name as their company's name. Is there a way to change the developer name? Can I move my application to their business account so that Developer name changes to their business name?
Yes, you can transfer the app to other since WWDC 2013.
Also, you can call the Apple Support to change the Seller Name.
Here is a video about this: App Transfer Tutorial.
My apps initially appeared in the App Store with the wrong seller name. I don't personally own a credit card, so a family member who did paid my developer subscription. While my correct name appeared elsewhere, under Seller it showed the name from the credit card. I used one of the contact options in iTunes Connect to request a name change, which was applied within a few days.
On the current Contact page, the Contracts and Legal category includes Request Name/Address update. Try that.
You'll certainly find it easier to rename your account than to move the app to a different account. Here's what they say about that.
I sold my app to another developer and can no longer distribute it on the App Store. Can I transfer the app to the new developer's iTunes Connect account?
No, you can’t transfer the app to another developer account on iTunes Connect. To add the app to another account, remove the app from the current account and upload it to the new iTunes Connect account.
Note that uploading the app to a new iTunes Connect account will disable current customers from receiving automatic and free updates of your application. All customer reviews, rating, and ranking information will be reset. You will not be able to reuse the app name and SKU in the old account. If you have uploaded a binary or used the app with the iAd Network, your Bundle ID will not be reusable either.
This is only applicable for the part of the OP's question:
Is there a way to change the developer name?
The most simple way I found to CHANGE the developer name was by filling out a request on this page:
Contact Us Page
Then select from the option:
Enrollment, Membership, and Account -> Account Updates and Renewals
I just told them which names I would like to user, First name and surnaame.
Here is Apple Support email regarding same question;
As an individual you cannot change your first and last name, you can
only have your legal name appear in the App store. I can suggest to
you to enroll as a company, witch would mean you can use your company
name instead of your own name, but first you would need to check that
you meet our initial migration requirements:
You are a founder or cofounder of your company.
Your company does not already hold an active or expired company membership.
Your company does not operate as a sole proprietorship, DBA, fictitious name, trade name, or branch.
If you have paid apps, you have agreed to the latest Paid Applications contract in Agreements, Tax, and Banking in iTunes
Connect.
You are eligible to obtain a DUNS Number for your company: https://developer.apple.com/support/D-U-N-S.
If it is the case and you meet our requirements please feel free to
contact us again so we can migrate your account into a company.
If you need to transfer your app to another developer account, that is now possible. Since WWDC 2013, iTunes Connect now supports transferring apps from one developer to another, keeping exactly this situation in mind. Go to the iTunes Connect homepage for more information. There is also a video tutorial that Apple has provided on this matter.
Personally I wanted to changed my real first & last name to a company/brand name, having an individual account. That's what, as of 2020, Apple's support says:
"Developers enrolled as individuals will sell apps on the App Store using their personal legal name. There are two ways to change your name to a company name:
Have your company enroll in its own Apple Developer Program membership, and then transfer your apps to that membership.
Migrate your membership from an individual to an organization."
Today my app is ready for sale on app store but unfortunately I made a mistake when providing my company name. Is there any way to modify the company name? If anyone has any idea then please share.
Thanks in Advance
The company name is set permanently when you submit your first app. You cannot change it once your app has been submitted. You should've been more careful. Read the docs which clearly state this. Your best bet now is to contact Apple and see what can be done.
At Last i came to know after calling apple developer support that it's one time setting for PERSONAL ACCOUNT and can not be changed only we can edit the company name to seller name .We can not make any other change So please be careful while submitting your first app.And if your account is COMPANY ACCOUNT in that case it's possible by following some tedious procedures.As my account was personal account so i left it as it was by taking a lesson.Thanks to all who guided me in the process.
I have an "Apple ID" (which I assume is Apple's way of saying "account") that is associated with two iPhone Developer Programs as a team member. I'm trying to add a personal Developer Program subscription using this same Apple ID. I found this answer here, which implies that it should/may be possible (some of the comments seem to contradict the accepted answer):
Multiple accounts on iPhone Developer Program
So I went and paid my $99 using my current Apple ID. I got an "Order Acknowledgement" e-mail from Apple shortly after placing the order. If I follow the order status link in the e-mail, my order shows up as being "Electronically Delivered". However, when I log into the Apple developer portal, I am not given the option to choose my personal subscription. I can only choose between the two companies at which I am a team member.
So my questions are:
Is the question cited above correct in that I should be able to do what I am trying to do?
Does Apple send any communication after the "Order Acknowledgement" message, or is that all I should expect to get?
How am I supposed to log into my personal subscription?
Give it a little time. I don't think the 'order acknowledgement' means that the account has been created or is ready to use. It can take 24 hours before the account is created, perhaps longer over a weekend. So, wait at least 24 hours from when you submitted the application before you get too worried. BTW, the "electronically delivered" bit just means that they're not going to ship anything to you with this purchase.
You can check the status of your application in the iOS developer portal. Look for the "Check the status of your pending iOS Developer Program enrollment" link in the right hand column.
If the issue doesn't resolve itself after a day or two, contact Apple's developer support group: you can reach them by phone at 800-633-2132.
To address your question specifically:
Yes, you can definitely use the same AppleID to be a member of several development teams. However, a single AppleID can only be in the "team agent" role for a single account. If you're the agent for your company, you'll need to create a different AppleID for your personal account. (You'll know if it you're the agent -- you'll have to accept changes to Apple's developer agreement on behalf of your company every time they change it, which is at least several times each year.)
Yes, I believe you'll receive additional communication when your account is ready, or if there's any problem in creating your account.
Once your personal account is set up, you'll have to choose which development team you're using each time you log into the developer portal.
I have been developing and testing an iPhone app under a family members Apple Developer account. He paid for the account and it's registered under his business.
When it comes time to publish, will it appear in the App store (and for that matter anywhere else where the author name is published), under his name or his company name?
Can this be changed? Is it possible to publish an app on a developer account but under a different author name?
Yes, it will appear in the App Store under his name (if registered as an individual) or his company name (if he's registered as a company).
Can this be changed? Is it possible to publish an app on a developer
account but under a different author name?
No, and no. The name the developer account is registered to is the name that appears in the App Store for any apps published by that developer account.
If the person named on an individual iOS developer enrollment incorporates an app business and obtains a DUNS number for that corporation, Apple may allow changing the developer account to a company enrollment using that corporation's legal name. This would then allow publishing apps in the App Store under that corporation's name, instead of under the original individual's name.
It will appear under the account used to submit the app. It's possible to develop it under one account and submit it under another, but that's the only way to change the displayed author name.
Note that if you did a partial submission with one account, you won't be able to easily reuse the app name: you'll have to wait for it to expire on the first account, wait some unknown amount of time for it to become available again, and then register it under the second account before anyone else does.
If you've not locked down the name with the first account, though, there's nothing to it.