It’s not mandatory, but Google recommends it because it speeds up the review. You may be asked for it during advertiser verification, when applying for monthly invoicing, or when appealing a business account suspension.
You launch a Google Ads campaign and the platform asks you to complete advertiser verification. You open a Google Play or Apple Developer Program account for your company’s app. More and more often, the same field appears in all of these cases: D-U-N-S Number.
Most Greek businesses don’t know whether they have one. They find out the moment they need it, usually with a deadline looming.
Below we cover everything you need to know: what it is, who asks for it, what it costs and why it’s worth getting one now, even if you don’t need it today.
What is a D-U-N-S Number
D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System) is a unique nine-digit identifier that Dun & Bradstreet assigns to each business. It has been in use since 1963 and today covers more than 300 million organisations worldwide.
Think of it as an international business ID. Your tax number (ΑΦΜ) and your General Commercial Registry number (ΓΕΜΗ) identify you in Greece. A D-U-N-S Number identifies you to any platform or company abroad that needs to confirm you exist as a legal entity, with a specific registered name and address.
The number is assigned per legal entity and location, and it never changes. In Greece, Dun & Bradstreet’s authorised partner is ICAP CRIF.
Who asks for it today
Most businesses first come across the D-U-N-S Number in Google Ads. There it’s optional, but it speeds up verification. For a company to publish an app on Google Play or the App Store, it’s mandatory.
| Platform / body | When it’s requested | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | Advertiser verification, monthly invoicing applications, appeals against business account suspension | No, but it speeds up approval |
| Google Play Console | Creating a developer account as an organisation (since 31/08/2023) | Yes |
| Apple Developer Program | Enrolling as a company or organisation | Yes (not for individuals or government entities) |
| Multinationals and large clients | Supplier registration, credit requests | Often |
| Public bodies | Registration of contractors and partners | In many cases |
Google works directly with Dun & Bradstreet to verify advertisers. When a Google Ads business account is suspended, D-U-N-S verification may be required before the appeal is accepted.
The benefits for your business
Faster verification on digital platforms. Google, Apple and other platforms use the D-U-N-S Number to confirm your identity automatically. When your details match, you skip uploading documents and waiting for a manual review.
International credibility. A foreign client or partner can look your company up in the Dun & Bradstreet database and see that it’s a real, verified legal entity.
Access to partnerships and tenders. Many large companies and public bodies require it to register you as a supplier or contractor.
A link to your credit profile. A D-U-N-S Number is not a credit score in itself. But once it’s linked to your company’s credit profile, it makes credit and financing requests easier.
How much it costs and how long it takes
Getting a D-U-N-S Number is free. You only pay if you want it fast. Through ICAP CRIF there are three options:
| Option | Cost | Issue time | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | Up to 30 business days | The D-U-N-S Number by email |
| Express + Credit Insight Report | Paid | 1–2 business days | The number + a D&B Credit Insight report |
| Express + Registered Seal | Paid | 1–2 business days | The number + a D-U-N-S Registered seal for your website, email signature and QR code + Credit Insight Report |
Express options are paid by bank transfer. Payment details are sent with the request confirmation.
Note: 30 business days is roughly six weeks. On top of that, Apple notes that it can take up to 5 business days after the number is issued for its system to recognise it. Express issuance doesn’t shorten this wait.
Why get it now, even if you don’t need it yet
The D-U-N-S Number is almost always requested under pressure: your Google Ads account has been frozen, your app is ready to publish, or a tender closes in ten days. At that point you have two choices. Wait six weeks, or pay for express issuance.
If you do it today, it costs you ten minutes and zero euros. The number doesn’t expire and there’s no annual fee. It stays with your business and will be there whenever you need it.
There’s a second benefit too. Many Greek companies already have a D-U-N-S Number without knowing it, with outdated details. By checking now, you can spot and fix any discrepancies before they cost you a rejection.
How to apply in Greece
Requests to issue, update or confirm your details are made online through ICAP CRIF’s MYRA platform.
- Search for your company on MYRA by tax number (ΑΦΜ) or GEMI number to see whether it already has a D-U-N-S Number.
- Create a free account and log in.
- From the menu, select “D-U-N-S Request” and the delivery option (Standard or Express).
- Fill in your business details. Have ready:
- your company name in Greek and in Latin characters, exactly as registered in GEMI
- your tax number, GEMI number and registered address
- your website and the contact details of the person responsible
- Express only: make the bank transfer and send the proof of payment to customer service.
- Once verified, you’ll receive your D-U-N-S Number by email.
Always use your official registered name from GEMI. Apple, for example, doesn’t accept trade names or trademarks in place of the legal entity name.
Already have a number? Check your details are correct
Your D-U-N-S Number stays the same forever, but the details behind it need to be kept up to date. Platforms compare the name, address and website you enter with your Dun & Bradstreet profile. If they don’t match, verification is delayed or rejected. Google, for example, recommends checking that your D&B details are current before opening a developer account.
A common example: after a rebrand or a move, the Dun & Bradstreet profile still shows the old name, address or website. You fix this with an update request through the same platform you use to apply.
If your company has changed its address, name, legal form or domain, it’s worth checking your profile now.
How DontMatter can help
We set up Google Ads, Google Play and Apple Developer accounts for our clients every day, so we know first-hand where verification gets stuck. We can help in two ways.
We guide you.
We check whether your business already has a number and whether its details are correct. We tell you exactly what to fill in.
We handle it for you.
We prepare your details, submit the issue or update request and follow the process until you receive your number. When the time comes, we use it to complete verification on your platforms.
Want to get or check your company’s D-U-N-S Number?
Get in touch at info@dontmatter.gr or +30 2313 008705.
FAQs
Yes, if you publish as a company. Google Play has required it for every new organisation account since August 2023, and Apple requires it for company enrolment in the Developer Program. Individual accounts don’t need one.
ΑΦΜ and GEMI are Greek identifiers. A D-U-N-S Number is an international identifier recognised by platforms and companies worldwide to verify that a business exists as a legal entity.
It’s free to get and the number is permanent, with no annual fee. You only pay if you choose express issuance in 1–2 business days instead of up to 30.
No. It’s an identifier. It can, however, be linked to your company’s credit profile.
Search for your company by tax number or GEMI number on ICAP CRIF’s MYRA platform. Or send us your company name and we’ll check for you.
Your number stays the same. Submit a details update request through MYRA so your Dun & Bradstreet profile matches what you declare on the platforms.
