Open developer account - Frequently Asked Questions

Opening a developer account is free for Individual accounts and involves a one-time registration fee for Company accounts.

• Individual account: Free
• Company account: Approximately $99 USD

The fee amount may vary by region. You only pay this once — there are no recurring annual charges.

Microsoft offers two types of developer accounts:

• Individual Account: Intended for solo developers, hobbyists, or small-scale creators. It requires no business verification and is free to register.
• Company Account: Designed for businesses, organizations (LLCs, corporations, etc.), or professional developers. It requires additional information and verification, and costs about $99 USD.

A Company account allows publishing under your business name and managing the account with multiple users. Choose Individual if you’re publishing personal or non-commercial apps, and Company if representing an organization.

Prepare the following before registration:

• Microsoft Account (MSA): Use an Outlook/Live account to start; Entra ID can be linked later.
• Company information: Legal business name, address, registration ID (like EIN or D-U-N-S number).
• Company approver: Name and work email of the authorized person managing the account.
• Contact details: Valid email, phone number, and website.
• Support info: Customer-facing email, phone, and address.
• Payment method: Credit/debit card or fee waiver token.

Having this ready helps avoid errors and speeds up registration.

Use a work email tied to your company’s domain (e.g., john@contoso.com). Avoid personal emails and generic aliases like “info@” or “admin@”.

This email will be used for verification, so check it regularly to avoid delays.

Enter your legal business name and address exactly as they appear in official documents. Avoid abbreviations or using personal addresses. Use standard Western characters (A–Z, 0–9) to prevent validation issues.

Enter the token during the payment step. If you miss this, you cannot apply it later or request a refund. Double-check before finalizing registration to ensure the promo code is used.

For Company accounts, Microsoft performs verification to ensure:

• Your publisher name is unique and not already in use.
• You’re authorized to represent the company you registered.

Verification typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks. Microsoft or its partner may contact you (including by phone) to confirm the details. You can use Partner Center during this time (to reserve names or draft submissions), but cannot publish apps until the verification is complete. Microsoft will notify you once the account is verified.

These identifiers are relevant only for company accounts, not for individual developers.

• EIN (U.S. only): A tax ID issued by the IRS. Including it can help Microsoft verify your business faster.
• D-U-N-S number: A unique identifier from Dun & Bradstreet used worldwide. Providing it is optional but recommended, as it can speed up the verification process.

Providing one or both of these identifiers helps Microsoft validate your company account more efficiently during registration.

• Inconsistent business info
• Generic or unsupported email addresses
• Skipping EIN or D-U-N-S numbers when available
• Ignoring verification emails
• Forgetting to apply a promo code at payment

Avoid these to prevent delays or failed verification.

The process includes:

• Email verification (click the confirmation link).
• Business verification (via Dun & Bradstreet, etc.).
• Domain verification (ensures your email matches a verified business domain).

You may be contacted by Microsoft or a partner during this period. Once verified, your account will be fully active.

• Contact your Microsoft onboarding manager or Partner Center support.
• Use support tickets or live sessions for assistance.
• Be responsive and provide any requested documentation.

These teams can guide you through resolving verification issues and completing registration.