Registration

1. How do I register to publish my apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace?

Welcome, we are excited to have you as a partner in the Windows Phone Marketplace! For a complete guide on becoming a Publisher in the Windows Phone Marketplace, see App Hub Registration Walkthrough.

2. Why can’t I find my country or region during signup?

Developers can register to be a Publisher for the Windows Phone Marketplace in selected countries and regions. For a list of supported countries and regions, see Which countries/regions are available for payouts? in the Payouts topic.

3. How can I publish applications if I can’t register from a supported country or region?

If you can’t register from a supported country or region, you can publish your applications through the Global Publisher Program. For more information, see Global Publisher Program.

4. Who should register from our company, someone technical or someone with a business orientation?

The person who will submit applications and manage the financial account information should be the one who registers with the Windows Phone Marketplace.

To allow access to the App Hub account for more than one employee, we recommend that a unique Windows Live ID that is created specifically for this account be used. Using personal Windows Live IDs for Company accounts can cause issues when more than one person needs to access the account.

5. Do I need a Windows Live ID to create an account on Windows Phone Marketplace?

Yes. You must have a Windows Live ID to register for the Windows Phone Marketplace. If you do not already have a Windows Live ID, you will be asked to create one before registering. We recommend that upon creating your Live ID, you go to Xbox to set up your Xbox LIVE information associated with the Live ID.

6. Should I use my personal Windows Live ID for my account?

You can use a personal Windows Live ID for an App Hub account. However, for Company account types, we recommend that a non-personal Windows Live ID be created and used specifically for the account. This way, the specific account and password information can be shared by employees of the company, as needed.

7. Should I select Company, Individual, or Student?

Each of the three account types: Company, Individual, and Student, can publish and sell both paid and free applications. The following outlines which account type you should select when creating your account.

Note:
You cannot change the Account type after completing the Registration process.

Company: Select Company if you are registering on behalf of a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), partnership, or other company legally registered with your local government. If you do not have a U.S. Employer Identification Number (EIN), then you must send the appropriate W-8 form to Microsoft to receive Windows Phone Marketplace payouts.
Individual: Select Individual if you are an individual developer. Your applications sales will contribute to your personal income. Individuals must send the appropriate W-8 form to Microsoft to receive Windows Phone Marketplace payouts.
Student: Select Student if you are a student registered with DreamSpark. There is no annual membership fee for student accounts. Students must send the appropriate W-8 form to Microsoft to receive Windows Phone Marketplace payouts.

8. If I register as an individual, can I change it to a company membership later?

No. Changing account types involves changing key identity information that must be validated. Therefore, you would need to go through the Registration process again, and pay for a new membership, using a different Windows Live ID. The ID Validation process would also need to be completed for the new account.

If you create a new account and want to move your apps from the previous account, you will need to un-publish any published apps and submit them for Certification in the new account. Once they have passed Certification in the new account they may be published under the new account publisher name.

Note:
Any ratings and reviews associated with the previous publication will not be applied to the publication from the new account.

9. What are the guidelines for Publisher Names?

The Publisher Name is the name that will be associated with your applications in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Publisher Names are unique and will be verified during the Registration and ID Validation processes.

For Individual and Student accounts, you can enter your name or your DBA (Doing Business As) name.

For Company accounts, enter the legal name of your business as it is registered with your local government. A DBA (Doing Business As) is also acceptable. For Company accounts, GeoTrust, a Microsoft partner, will use this name during the identity validation (ID Validation) process. Please ensure that all of the company documentation aligns with the company’s Publisher Name entered.

Note:
Publisher Names cannot be changed after the Registration process for any account types.

10. Can I search to see if my company is already registered with the Windows Phone Marketplace?

No, it is not possible to search or view the list of registered companies or individuals in the Windows Phone Marketplace. If you believe your company has already registered for a Windows Phone Marketplace account, you should confirm that internally before registering under a new account.

11. I received a Publisher name conflict error message. How do I resolve this?

This error indicates that the globally unique publisher name you provided is already in use on App Hub. Your options are to either provide a new publisher name or dispute the use by someone else if you have rights to the publisher name. Open a support ticket for assistance with either option.

12. How will I know if I have registered successfully?

You will receive an email confirmation letting you know that your registration was successful. If you do not receive a confirmation email, check any spam folders or filters to make sure that the email did not get auto-sorted to an incorrect folder.

13. My credit card is valid but I’m unable to successfully pay for registration. What should I do?

Many registration errors occur because the country or region or the information entered on the Personal Information page does not match the information associated with the credit card. If you are unable to register and you know your credit card is valid, try the following checks:

The name on the card should match the name of the individual.

The credit card address should match the billing address in the records of the credit card’s issuing bank.

If you have an existing Windows Live ID that already has a billing relationship with Microsoft, for example, through Xbox LIVE, make sure the following information is complete and accurate for the commerce profile: phone number, street address, including city, state/province, and ZIP/postal code. To verify this, please take the following steps:

Go to Microsoft Billing.
Sign in with the Windows Live ID that is associated with the credit card information.
On the Billing account overview tab, select the Go to personal information option.
In the next page, under the Personal information tab, make sure every item is correctly filled in and contains accurate information. If there is any information that is missing or inaccurate, select Edit personal information and then modify the inaccurate information, including your phone number.
Select Save to change the information.
Try to register for Windows Phone Marketplace again.

If you are still having issues, contact Support and a support professional will assist you.

14. I signed up for a paid membership. When will my account be activated?

For a Company account type, you must complete the following steps to activate your account:

Registration completed and membership fee paid

Complete the ID Validation Process

Completing the ID Validation Process involves the following steps:

You will be sent an email from GeoTrust, with a link to verify the account, to the Approver Email address specified during the Registration process in the Company Details section.
When received, click the link to validate the email account.

To ensure the quickest activation, it is important that the Corporate Approver responds with their approval.

Important Note:
If the Corporate Approver clicks Reject in the link sent to their email, the account will be canceled.

GeoTrust will request the appropriate documentation, if necessary.

15. How do I unlock a device?

Windows Phone devices can be unlocked for development and testing using an active account. Accounts are limited to a certain number of Device Unlocks and Apps per Device based on the account type.

For Individual and Company accounts:
- 3 device unblocks
- 10 apps per device

For Student accounts:
- 1 device unlock
- 10 apps per device

Note:
Development and testing can be performed using the emulator available in the Windows Phone SDK. We highly recommend that your app be tested on a Windows Phone device before submitting to Certification.