Launching your branded mobile app is a collaborative process between you and VTS. Our Implementation team will work with you and gather your input for creating your branded app. We will require your images, logos, color palettes, and icons to help tailor your unique needs and designs into the experience. However, the app design work cannot begin without a few key items first.  

In accordance with Google Play Store's release guidelines, there are other requirements that must be met before we can get the app in your customers' hands. In particular, your business must register as a Google Play Store Account Owner, and then invite VTS to the account to manage the app. 

To guide you through this process, we recommend progressing through each step in order. Once every requirement is met, and you've successfully added VTS to your Developer account, we'll take over the responsibility of launching, updating, and maintaining your branded app. 

• If you already are a Google Play Store Account Owner, you may use your existing account and assign us as Admin. 

Prerequisites | What you will need: 

• • D-U-N-S Number: Verifies your organization's identity and legal entity status. 
  • This can take up to 30 business days if you do not have a D-U-N-S Number. You can choose to expedite for a fee with Dun & Bradstreet. 
  • Not sure what your DUNS number is? You can look it up for free here.
  • Legal Entity Name:  Google Play does not accept DBA’s, fictitious businesses, trade names or branches. The legal entity name will appear as the “seller” for your app(s). IE: Seller: ABC Company, Inc.
  • A contact phone number and email address for Google Play users: This number is shown on Google Play so users can contact you.
  • A contact phone number and email address for Google: This number will only be used for Google to contact you if needed. It is not shown on Google Play.
  • Signing Authority Confirmation: Confirm that you have the authority to bind your organization to legal agreements and provide the contact information of an employee who can verify your signature authority. 
  • Government-issued photo ID for the Account Holder to verify identity.
  • Credit Card for payment

Providing App Store Access

Step 1

Check if you already have a Google Play Store account. If you do, proceed to Step 3.

Step 2

Set up a Google Play Store account. This account will become the Account Owner. You are responsible for:

• Storing your account owner credentials safely. If these credentials are lost, many of the important tasks that only account owners can do cannot be accomplished anymore. It is very important to store these credentials safely and provide access to Customer organization.
• Keeping the account up-to-date (typically by agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions).
• Processing VTS requests to account owners.

Step 3

For new white label apps, you will create a new placeholder app that will be filled in with the VTS Activate App. Select Create App on Google Play and walk through the below screen to create the app.

Step 4

Add VTS email mobiledeveloper@vts.com as App Access Admin (all permissions) for the VTS white label app through the Add app setting.

Step 5

Customer will help VTS set up automatic delivery of app updates. Customer’s account owner generate a Google Play Store JSON key using the steps in the next section and provide us the Google Play Store JSON key securely.

How to generate Store Keys for automatic app delivery

Step 1

Open the Google Play Console.

Step 2

Select Account Details, and note the Developer Account ID listed there. 

Step 3

Click Setup → API access and then select the Create new service account button.

Step 4

Follow the Google Cloud Platform link in the dialog, which opens a new tab/window.

Step 5

Click the CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT button at the top of the Google Cloud Platform Console.

Step 6

Verify that you are on the correct Google Cloud Platform Project by looking for the Developer Account ID from earlier within the light gray text in the second input, preceding .iam.gserviceaccount.com. If not, open the picker in the top navigation bar, and find the one with the ID that contains it.

Provide a Service account name and click Create.

Step 7

Select a role, then find and select Service Account User, and proceed. 

Step 8

Select the Done button.

Step 9

Click on the Actions vertical three-dot icon of the service account you just created and select Manage keys on the menu.

Step 10

Click ADD KEY -> Create New Key

Make sure JSON is selected as the Key type, and select CREATE.

Save the file on your computer when prompted and remember where it was saved to.

Step 11

Return to the Google Play Console tab, and click DONE to close the dialog.

Step 12

Click on Grant Access for the newly added service account at the bottom of the screen (you may need to click Refresh service accounts before it shows up).

Choose the permissions you'd like this account to have. We recommend Admin (all permissions), but you may want to manually select all checkboxes and leave out some of the Releases permissions such as Release to production.

Step 13

Click Invite user to finish.