--- title: "Google Play: Declaring your trader status" description: "How to declare your trader status in Google Play Console by February 1, 2027, for your account and each app, and what it means for Apple." url: https://knowledgebase.ovosplay.com/en/articles/10501933-google-play-declaring-your-trader-status updated: 2026-11-09 language: en alternates: [de] --- # Google Play: Declaring your trader status How to declare your trader status in Google Play Console by February 1, 2027, for your account and each app, and what it means for Apple. ## At a glance Every Google Play developer account must state in Play Console by **February 1, 2027** whether it acts as a trader. For the account itself this takes about five minutes. If you declare yourself a trader, you then also confirm each individual app. - **Deadline:** February 1, 2027 for existing accounts. New accounts must declare when they are created. - **Who:** only the owner of the developer account. Admins or other users cannot make the declaration. - **If you don't declare:** From the deadline, you can no longer submit app updates. Your developer profile and all your apps can be removed from Google Play worldwide. - **From March 1, 2027** Google Play shows trader details publicly with your apps. Note: This guide is not legal advice. Whether your company counts as a trader is your decision; Google does not check this for you. > **Our recommendation:** We at ovos do not make a legal assessment of whether you are a trader. We do recommend, however, that you declare yourself a trader, on Google Play and on Apple. Only legal advice can give you certainty. ## What trader status means Trader status states whether you offer your apps as part of a commercial or professional activity. It determines whether EU and UK consumer protection rights apply between you and your users. ### Who counts as a trader? Under EU and UK law, a trader is any natural or legal person acting for purposes related to their trade, business, craft or profession. Google points to the European Commission's criteria as indicators: - **Profit motive:** You earn or plan to earn regular income from your apps, for example through paid downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions or ads. - **Volume:** There are many or regular transactions. - **Business organisation:** You run app development and publishing as a business. - **Legal status:** You have a legal status for commercial activity, for example a D-U-N-S number. Organisation accounts need a D-U-N-S number for Google's identity verification anyway, so this criterion is almost always met for them and does not settle the question on its own; Google explicitly calls the criteria non-exhaustive indicators. The trader declaration is a separate step and does not replace D-U-N-S verification. As a trader, your existing D-U-N-S number is shown publicly. If you offer apps purely as a hobby or non-commercially, you are usually not a trader. If you do not distribute any apps in the EEA or the UK, you may also declare "not a trader". Google gives no specific rule for free apps from a company that earn nothing, such as internal training apps. If in doubt, check with your legal advisor. ### Decision guide: typical cases Under the legal definition, what matters is not whether the app costs money but whether you offer it as part of your business or professional activity. The following is guidance, not legal advice.

Your situation

Likely declaration

A company publishes apps for customers, employees or partners, free or paid

Trader

A company earns money with the app through purchases, subscriptions or ads

Trader

A private person publishes an app as a hobby, with no income

Not a trader

The account does not distribute a single app in the EEA or the UK

"Not a trader" is allowed

Public body, association or non-profit organisation

Unclear, get legal advice

Rule of thumb: If you run an organisation account for a company, you will almost always be a trader. Choosing "not a trader" just because the app is free is risky: a false declaration can lead to your apps being removed, whereas declaring as a trader mainly means more contact details are shown publicly. ### Why Google asks From March 1, 2027, Google Play becomes an online marketplace in the EEA and the UK. Under EU and UK law, marketplaces must show consumers whether they are buying from a trader. The declaration is required worldwide for all developer accounts, though, even if you don't distribute in these regions. ### What the declaration means for you

Trader

Not a trader

Notice to users

In the EEA and UK: your name replaces Google in the "Offered by" field; your commitment to comply with local laws is shown

In the EEA and UK: Google informs users that consumer protection rights do not apply to contracts with you

Public details (worldwide)

Contact details, D-U-N-S number under "App support", link to terms of service if provided

none in addition

Individual developers

Phone number and address are shown publicly

none in addition

Further steps

Confirm trader status for each app

none

False declarations are risky. If you act commercially but declare yourself "not a trader", you breach EU and UK consumer law and section 11.4 of the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement. Google can then remove apps or suspend the account. If Google detects activity suggesting you are a trader, it may ask you to confirm. If you don't respond within the set deadline, apps may be removed. You can change your declaration at any time in Play Console, for example if your business model changes. ## Video: How to declare your trader status Prefer to watch? The video walks you through every step in Play Console in about two and a half minutes, from the account level to confirming each app. ## Step by step: declare trader status for your account The screenshots show the ovos media organisation account as an example, using the German-language Play Console; personal data is greyed out. In your account, these places show your own company's details, and the labels appear in your Console's language. The German label is given in brackets where it helps. For individual developers some fields look slightly different. ### 1\. Open Play Console Sign in at [play.google.com/console](https://play.google.com/console) and select the right developer account. The home page shows a notice asking you to declare your trader status by February 2027. Its button (German: „Jetzt loslegen“) takes you straight to the declaration; you can then continue at step 5. ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-XMsTszgPd3kpb9IqZhFtFOWiM80sAb4DXDJKiH9qRAQDw1VvgFmFWJWukme1ZYlZ7bA2f4rNnZr.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=9qaXEigFpscjNrR7Lz1jz1AkynS43bWCzE7pCJJ1xnM) ### 2\. Open Manage account Alternatively, open **Manage account** (German: „Konto verwalten“) in the menu on the left. ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-OnU4wRnpNNwTgBvVEOv9brAlxO2yftCZV93lWOZRV5rhoceS4dvSYgEqS5JZkJ360NRGEIfv7oG.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=UDaXIfF_ErAXGDdKvgPfgoXTTP-blhLWWSYq0xB6-ow) ### 3\. Choose Account details Click **Account details** (German: „Kontodetails“). ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-1ohjtE6vroXkVa68qrxYXNIc5GhIBORQDCe8hpZhXckPLT4QABouedBcYBLI9FOenxsOZkqtJjA.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=FIqS_LvfRPKrlYw_A3G73AorO90qVKLpU_fw0Q6p4MI) ### 4\. Open "About you" In the developer account, trader status still shows a dash. Click the arrow on the right of the **About you** section (German: „Über mich“). ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-RFbyfuyDzl3oLPcCT76tj3vYiv4U32r4AluQgfjgITOcRhyOHbis2hdy03hc6QlA1ri6RLdoSD5.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=ALbeMDF5mmYny_z1YDMESzu0L_G4hyxwVAL3qbccaGc) ### 5\. Declare your status At the top of the **About you** tab you'll see the trader status notice. Click its blue button (German: „Status erklären“). ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-dOh7YJb3zM8Ec2R8iRbJ5cq4Bp5OyPT8IDMxmgd4v2AfIzhnUfABogrzUj0dO5CEjWIvIsnI3KO.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=iSgqqNzsNOEp-LrkOvEm1qxNuVApJ9lEyxVmYtUIQ9Q) ### 6\. Trader or not? Choose one of the two options. The decision guide is in the section "What trader status means". ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-gGzxcGKwhzTPYyUqfax1J88uDEWIVE5rGDCxFhmcH460yOLM0pwx2zje6A7L6DT29FthGmjJYy6.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=qWurnpbXvQQw4MWCkQaw7vzcZJqBVuKZRpbBTddCCA0) - **Not a trader account** (German: „Es handelt sich nicht um ein Händlerkonto“): Continue to review and save. - **Trader account** (German: „Es handelt sich um ein Händlerkonto“): Google reminds you that you also need to confirm each app. You do this on the "App content" page (next section). ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-kOCO88GDUin9DzCoOF71YW8TBhYKLCkHThiWYD9B4TnCsmb4BeiMa9s2x2hhrIAw1ElmGm1P8ZN.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=uTEBOPndD0PGa79rc0UGrPcm6-CPjxnNsIeU11WRsh4) ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-EVTCCqySj10t1jwePrOWn4xOjXDehHayPmDij2DAVq0MGEm2NVwnThT5wPiw7eli9qAL3QIBBvE.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=RsMwMF5jkQOt1qyTJ-B8P1j8Q4PfAT55qJTcYaOMNlM) Click **Next** (German: „Weiter“). ### 7\. Review your public profile Google shows everything that will appear publicly with your apps. For organisations, name, address and D-U-N-S number come from the Google payments profile. Your company's email address and phone number are added. These are your own contact details, not those of ovos: with your developer account, you are the developer. On the right you see a preview of how this looks under "App support" and "About the developer". ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-YhRulsH6lVpaljNzsHhjVzr7tXdIwqNvKvijdhBLOJLrPUtHRTzojE59q8Ac3yWkRaXrcqB8Cwb.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=YJ2w5ToGF8eEkpLPDENoD18zsa26B5RDwD-pwrcijx4) If something is wrong, correct it before saving: address and company name in the Google payments profile, email and phone in Account details. ### 8\. Confirm and save Scroll down to the declaration and consent section (German: „Erklärung und Einwilligung“). Tick both boxes: - **Confirmation:** You agree that Google shows this information publicly. - **Self-certification:** You commit to offering only products or services that comply with local laws. ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-MXl5nhsqXUCp8p8ugnVFMVWcpb9pluQw3JnmrcJxiKhj0f4LTYRMxQZaPtgzi6lkDADcarLi6Us.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=5nzQXatQeiawzEkZgSR3plCVnZR0N3mE4lhOLadaAQs) Click **Save** (German: „Speichern“). Your declaration should then appear under trader status in the developer account instead of the dash. Individual developers who declare themselves traders must also provide and verify a public phone number here. Address and phone number are then publicly visible. ## Traders only: confirm status for each app If you declared yourself a trader, you also confirm the status for each app. You can add a link to the app's terms of service. The app takes over the account's trader status as a default, but the declaration stays open until you confirm it for each app. 1. In Play Console, open **All apps** and select an app. 2. In the left menu, open **Monitor and improve** > **Policy and programs** > **App content**. 3. Open the trader status declaration that needs action and start it (German: „Erklärung beginnen“). 4. State whether your trader status applies to this app. If so, add the link to the terms of service (optional). 5. **Save** and repeat for every other app. ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-5p3CWKEXFDQAYE0vT4p2StIsjt0RTpVlNgSSWkuJOKbQF3yxsxuPlt8VhEKHJo9wEPwTF03fKZq.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=OarLe-p_5u2Oke_Z2Cu9X057TZvYcMvqxA_8dgevUZk) ![](https://files.gleap.io/pf/gattachments/67977354a195132198129e35-qeBKUruLVEMtIW4RuziCOmFrQnm6BUSC1RDsd0XT9GJ3bzeTkgr3arwlwlNDLOaRfLcztNgv6Xp.png?v=1&k=a&s=api&e=1794355200&sig=gSEs_-IZTs47nXKlOVhdeLlAFbX8vFFTKbI11D7pqOA) Tip: Have the links to your apps' terms of service ready. With many apps, a short list of app name and link helps. ## Update Apple too Apple has asked for trader status for the EU App Store for some time (EU Digital Services Act, DSA). Whether you should declare yourself a trader there was not entirely clear until now. Our current recommendation, however, is: declare your trader status with Apple the same way as on Google Play. Check in App Store Connect whether you have declared it, and declare yourself a trader there too. 1. For the whole account: **Business** > **Agreements** tab > **Compliance** section > next to **Digital Services Act**, click **Complete Compliance Requirements**. 2. For each app: **Apps** > select app > **App Information** > **App Store Regulations and Permits** > under **Digital Services Act**, click **Edit**. Good to know: - At Apple, the **Account Holder or Admin** can do this. - Organisations need a phone number and email address; both are verified with a code. The address comes from the D-U-N-S number. - Apple requires current proof of company name and address, for example a commercial register extract. - The details appear on your apps' product pages in the 27 EU countries. ## FAQ **We already completed D-U-N-S verification. Do we still need to do this?** Yes. The trader declaration is a separate step. As a trader, your existing D-U-N-S number is also shown publicly. **Can we change the declaration later?** Yes, at any time in Account details, for example if you start or stop commercial activities. **What happens if we do nothing?** From February 1, 2027 you can no longer submit app updates, and your profile and apps can be removed from Google Play worldwide. **We're not sure whether we are traders.** Google doesn't decide this for you and recommends legal advice if in doubt. ## Sources - [Google Play Console Help: Trader status declaration](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17594752) (accessed November 9, 2026) - [European Commission guidance on the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, section 2.2](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A52021XC1229%2805%29) (linked by Google) - Google Play email to developer accounts about declaring trader status - [App Store Connect Help: Manage EU Digital Services Act compliance information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-compliance-information/manage-european-union-digital-services-act-compliance-information) (accessed November 9, 2026)