Trader status on Google Play: the 1 February 2027 deadline

Google Play now requires every active developer account to declare whether it acts as a trader. Existing accounts have until 1 February 2027. New accounts declare as soon as they are created. If you do not declare, Google may block app updates and remove your app from the store worldwide.

The answer decides which of your details people see and what they are told about their rights. You alone are legally responsible for it. Google says it cannot assess your business or give a legal opinion on your status.

Why Google is asking

On 1 March 2027 Google Play moves to an online marketplace model in the European Economic Area and the UK. For traders, the developer's name will then replace Google in the "Offered by" field.

Marketplaces owe buyers specific information. The Consumer Rights Directive requires them to say whether the party offering a product is a trader, based on that party's own statement. If it is not, the buyer is told that EU consumer rights do not apply to the contract. The Digital Services Act adds another duty. A platform must obtain a trader's name, address, phone number and email address, among other details, along with a statement that their offer complies with EU law.

The declaration applies to developers worldwide. If you do not distribute apps in the EEA or the UK, you can declare as a non-trader. It is also separate from identity verification, so you still have to declare after passing that check.

Who counts as a trader

A trader is a natural or legal person acting for purposes relating to their trade, business, craft or profession. Google adds that if you act outside those purposes, as with a personal hobby or other non-commercial activity, you are unlikely to be a trader.

Google lists four criteria and says the list is not exhaustive:

• Profit. You receive or intend to receive regular payment for your apps, such as from paid downloads, in-app purchases or ads.
• Transactions. Their number, value or frequency is high or steady.
• Organisation. You manage app development and publishing as a business.
• Legal status. You have a status that allows you to run a business, such as a D-U-N-S number.

The Court of Justice of the EU looked at a similar question in Kamenova (C-105/17) in 2018. It called "trader" a functional concept that needs a case-by-case assessment. Meeting one or more criteria does not settle the matter, and neither does making a profit on its own. The case concerned goods sold online and not apps, so treat it as guidance.

Having no business registration does not settle it

Under Polish law, an entrepreneur is someone who carries out business activity. Unregistered activity does not count as business activity if revenue does not exceed 225% of the minimum wage in any quarter and there was no business activity in the previous 60 months. In 2026 that limit is PLN 10,813.50. Once you pass it, you have 7 days to apply for entry in CEIDG, the Polish business register.

Google, however, asks about EEA and UK law and not about the Polish register. The Polish government portal biznes.gov.pl also points out that unregistered activity must respect consumer rights, including the 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract.

So in our view someone without a registration who regularly sells a subscription should not assume the answer is "non-trader". That is our reading, not the position of Google or a public authority.

How we read common situations

This is our reading of the criteria, not a list from Google:

• A company with an app for its customers. An app for a shop, a clinic or a service business supports that business. Everything points to trader status, even when the app itself is free.
• A paid app, a subscription or ads. This is Google's first criterion. The larger and more regular the sales, the harder it is to justify another answer.
• A personal project with no income. Google says a hobby is unlikely to make you a trader. It does not directly address free apps without ads.
• Apps only outside the EEA and the UK. Google explicitly allows you to declare as a non-trader.

What people will see

In the EEA and the UK, the details on your store listing depend on your declaration. A trader shows a name, address, phone number and email address. Organisations also show a D-U-N-S number. A non-trader shows only an email address and a country.

From 1 March 2027, apps from traders will show contact details, the D-U-N-S number in the "App support" section and a link to the terms of service worldwide. In the EEA and the UK they will also show the name in the "Offered by" field and the trader's commitment to offer only products and services that comply with local law.

Answering "non-trader" has a consequence too. Google will tell consumers in those regions that rights under consumer protection law do not apply to contracts with you.

Traders on personal accounts: your address and phone number become public

A trader on a personal account must provide a contact phone number, which Google Play displays. The address becomes public as well. Google takes the name and address from the payments profile linked to the account.

Before you declare, check:

• The address in your payments profile. If it is your home address, everyone will see it.
• The phone number. Consider a separate number used only for store contact.
• Who owns the account. If a company's app sits on the personal account of a developer or employee, that person's details will appear on the listing. Sort this out before the deadline. An organisation account needs a D-U-N-S number, and its name and address must match the Dun & Bradstreet profile.

On a subscription app we are working on, the phone number turned out to be harder than the status itself. Its terms give consumers the right to withdraw, so answering "non-trader" would contradict them. What remains is deciding which number goes public.

How to declare

First set the status for the whole account:

1. Sign in to Google Play Console.
2. Go to Manage account > Account details > About you.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you are a trader, also confirm it for each app:

1. Select the app in Google Play Console.
2. Go to Monitor and improve > Policy and programmes > App content.
3. Confirm the trader status for that app.

Google will also ask you to confirm that you offer only products and services that comply with the law, and for a link to the terms of service of each app. If you do not have them, prepare them first. You can change the declaration later, for example when you start or close a business.

What happens if you skip it or answer wrongly

• No declaration by 1 February 2027. Google may block updates, so you could not ship even a bug fix. It may also remove the app from the store worldwide.
• A declaration that does not match account activity. If Google detects signs that you may be a trader, it may ask you to confirm or update your status. If you do not reply in time, your apps may be removed from Google Play.
• A false declaration. Google says that falsely claiming not to act as a trader is strictly prohibited. It can lead to global removal of your apps and suspension or termination of your account.

If you also have an app on the App Store

Apple cites Articles 30 and 31 of the Digital Services Act directly. In the EU it displays the address, phone number and email address that traders provide in App Store Connect. If your status is not yet confirmed, Apple will ask the next time you submit a new app. It makes sense to keep your details the same in both stores.

The dates in one place

• November 2026. Google starts requiring the declaration in Play Console.
• New accounts. Declare as soon as the account is created.
• 1 February 2027. The deadline for existing accounts.
• 1 March 2027. People start seeing the new information.

This describes the position on 3 November 2026. Google may change the details, so read its current page before you declare. This article is not legal advice. If you are still unsure after checking the criteria, Google recommends talking to a lawyer, and so do we.