Individual developer account: can I sell a paid add-on, or do I need a Company account?

Because you are distributing the app as part of your sole-proprietor trade and intend to sell an add-on, create a new Company developer account rather than publishing it from the existing Individual account.

1. Which account type applies

The deciding factor is not the paid add-on by itself. Microsoft requires a Company account for anyone distributing apps in relation to a business, trade, or profession; Individual accounts are intended for hobby, personal, or other non-commercial distribution.^1^

Microsoft’s onboarding guidance expressly places independent developers and freelancers acting in relation to their trade or profession under Company accounts.^2^

Therefore, being a sole proprietor rather than an incorporated company does not make the Individual account appropriate for this commercial release.

2. Create and verify the Company account

An existing Individual account cannot be converted to Company. Microsoft requires creation of a separate Company developer account.^3^

1. Go to https://storedeveloper.microsoft.com.
2. Select Get started and then Company account.
3. Sign in using either:
   • a personal Microsoft account, or
   • a Microsoft Entra work account.
4. Enter the sole proprietorship’s legal/trading details exactly as they appear in the verification record.
5. Verify the business using either:
   • a valid nine-digit D‑U‑N‑S number, which is the recommended faster option; or
   • qualifying official business documents.
6. Supply a work email associated with the business domain. A domain mismatch can trigger a request for domain-ownership records or invoices.
7. Complete mandatory due diligence, business verification, and employment verification.

A D‑U‑N‑S number is an accepted primary verification route, but it does not guarantee approval by itself: the D&B name and address must match the Partner Center legal profile, and Microsoft can request additional evidence during due diligence or employment/domain verification.^3^

If you cannot obtain or use a D‑U‑N‑S number, accepted evidence includes formation or registration documents, government business records, tax filings, and—in applicable circumstances—current secondary evidence such as a financial-institution statement, utility statement, lease, tax certificate, or DUNS certification. Documents generally must have been issued within the previous 12 months; an expiring document must remain valid for at least two months after submission.^4^

For a South African sole proprietor, the documentation does not identify a special country-specific document set. A valid D‑U‑N‑S record is therefore the clearest starting point. If manual evidence is requested, submit the official documents available for the sole proprietorship and ensure the business name and address match every Partner Center field exactly.

3. Existing app-name reservation

Microsoft does not document a self-service transfer of an unpublished Microsoft Store product or name reservation between two developer accounts. Name-management documentation covers reserving, adding, renaming, and deleting names, but not account-to-account ownership transfer.^5^

Do not delete or release the reservation before support answers. Releasing it can make the name available for someone else to reserve immediately, and unused reservations can also be removed after three months.^6^

Request one of these outcomes from Store developer support:

• transfer the unpublished product/reservation to the verified Company account, if support can perform it; or
• provide a coordinated release-and-reservation procedure that minimizes the risk of losing the name.

Include the publisher IDs for both accounts, the product/reservation identity, and confirmation that the app has never been published. Do not post those identifiers publicly.

4. Correct support route for your Microsoft account

Since the general Engage Center route showed No Access, use the dedicated MSA user Dev Center support link:

Dev Center support for MSA users

Microsoft lists separate Engage Center entry points for Entra ID users and personal Microsoft-account users; the MSA-specific link is the applicable route for your existing Individual account.^7^

In the request, select the closest Windows Developer Center / account management / app management options and state that the request concerns an unpublished reservation moving from an Individual account to a newly verified Company account.

References

1. Microsoft Store Policies
2. Get started with Microsoft Store
3. Steps to open a developer account
4. What is the “Know Your Business Customer” requirement for company accounts?
5. Manage app name reservations for MSIX app - Windows apps
6. Reserve your app name for MSIX apps
7. Help and guidance for Windows developers