Customer Onboarding Guide Dutchie E-Commerce Native Mobile App (iOS)

Table of contents

Organization Apple Developer Account enrollment

There is a distinct difference in creating an account as an Individual and an Organization. Be sure you are enrolling as an Organization to avoid onboarding delays, see Dutchie E-Commerce mobile app onboarding: Create an Organization Apple developer account for step-by-step instructions on creating an Organization Apple developer account.  

Developer and member account setup

  1. Retailers create their Organization Apple Developer Account.
    • Create an account at: https://developer.apple.com/.
      • If you’re new to development for Apple platforms, you can get started for free by creating an Apple Account on the Apple Developer website. It’s important to use an email on your domain. Once you accept the Apple Developer Agreement you can use your account to download beta software and tools, test apps on your device, post on forums, report bugs, and more.
        • To review further information or learn how to sign up, refer to the Get Started Guide and Sign In Guide.
        • When ready, you’ll need to sign up for an Apple Developer Program membership in order to distribute your app on the app store. You will not be able to change the business name or location, and the name will be public-facing in the app store.
          • For more information about the Apple Developer Program, refer to the Membership Details Guide.
          • Retailers must be attentive to Apple legal notices. Apple will email the account holder when a new legal agreement is available. These terms must be accepted within 30 days, but can be shorter. Not accepting the agreement will freeze the account.
          • Retailers are responsible for annual renewal of the account.

  2. Retailers will add Appdevelopment@dutchie.com and their dedicated implementation strategist as an admin to their developer account. Organizations have the option of adding additional people to their development team. If you’re enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, you’ll manage team members in App Store Connect. For details, visit “Add and edit users” in App Store Connect Help. Organizations should limit the amount of users added. Most users should be at the “Customer Support” level. Users should not be able to manage certificates and identifiers.

    Organizations are responsible for added users. If users perform destructive actions, Dutchie will not be able to recover any data or settings changed. For more information, refer to the Invite Team Members guide.

  3. After creating your account, you will need to request access to the App Store Connect API. To request access, follow the steps below:
    1. Log in to App Store Connect. Go to https://appstoreconnect.apple.com and sign in with the Apple ID used to enroll in the Apple Developer Program.
    2. Navigate to Users and Access. On the App Store Connect homepage, click on Users and Access.
    3. In the Users and Access section, select the Integrations tab.
    4. Request Access to the API. You should see a section for App Store Connect API. There, click on the blue Request Access button.

    5. Review the terms of the request. Once you understand and agree, check the confirmation box and then click Submit.

      You have now successfully requested access to the App Store Connect API. This will allow for seamless integration with our systems to manage and maintain your app.

      Why Dutchie needs admin access:

      Dutchie (Appdevelopment@dutchie.com and their dedicated implementation strategist) will need access to a customer’s developer account so they can generate certificates and perform mobile application uploads. Dutchie advises against the retailer removing Dutchie (Appdevelopment@dutchie.com and their dedicated implementation strategist) from the account. If they do, Dutchie cannot assist with the onboarding process or any issues that may arise.

       

App creation - Name, icon, and previews

  1. Once steps 1-2 are completed, retailers need to send the app name and an app icon (1024x1024) to their dedicated implementation strategist. 
    Important: This name cannot be changed in the future, and any change to the icon requires a new upload and submission for review.
  2. After sending, Dutchie will create the new app in the account on your behalf. Once deployed, Dutchie will Set an app age rating and Manage app privacy settings.
  3. Dutchie will contact you once the app has been created within your developer account.

Why does Dutchie create and submit the app for you?

This initial submission of the app name and icon is crucial because these elements are fundamental to establishing your app's identity on app stores. The app name, in particular, becomes a permanent identifier for your application, and consistency is important for user recognition and app store indexing. Any future changes to the icon necessitate a resubmission and review process with app stores, highlighting the importance of thoughtful selection at this stage. By having your implementation strategist handle this, Dutchie ensures that these critical first steps are executed correctly and efficiently within their system and in preparation for app store submissions.

TestFlight instructions

  1. Once the above steps are completed, retailers will need to follow TestFlight instructions to preview their application.

Apple review process

  1. Apple will then review the application
  2.  
    1. IF accepted
      • Live in the app store!
    2. IF rejected
      • For the Alpha, Dutchie will directly work with Apple based on feedback and resubmit the app for review.
      • Apple will review again and approve or reject. If rejected again, Dutchie will continue to work with Apple until approved, but may need to work with the customer to revise assets and the store listing.
      • Once approved, the app will be live in the App Store.

New versions and app updates

  1. For subsequent app updates, Dutchie can automatically release new versions or the customer can choose to manually release the new versions. Retailers need to communicate their preference initially; but preference can be changed.
  •  
    • New versions will be submitted with Dutch-provided “What’s New” notes.
    • New versions are subject to review by Apple, and Apple may reject an app for something that was previously approved. Dutchie will attempt to mitigate, but this may require customer interaction/approval to change copy or assets.
    • Automatically-released versions will appear live as soon as they’re approved by Apple.
    • Manually-released, approved versions will appear at customer discretion. The customer is required to log in to App Store Connect and release the version.
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