Frequently Asked Questions

LAST UPDATED: 9th December 2011

Do I need to be a developer to signup?
No. You are more than welcome to register for the developer forum as well as come along to developer events.

What is the difference between a developer account and a publisher account?
You will need a developer account in order to discuss topics in our forum as well as attend any of our events. These accounts are typically held within the Marketing functions of businesses.
You will need a Publisher account to upload and manage your application in Vodafone AppSelect. This account is typically held within the technical function of businesses.

Do I need a special Vodafone developer account manager to get started?
No, it’s all self service via developer.vodafone.com!

I have not received my verification email, how do I get verified?
You need to check your spam folder. If the verification mail is not in your junkmail or spam folder, then please contact us at dev.support@vodafone.com

Can I start selling in Vodafone AppSelect straight away?
Before you upload your content, you will need to register for a publishing account. You can do this at http://developer.vodafone.com/upload.

What else do I need to consider before I upload my content?
You should read the QA checklist for Android developers and ensure that you have everything before you start uploading content.

What is deep-linking?
Deep-linking is a feature available to developers who wish to link between apps in Vodafone AppSelect. Once your app has been published in Vodafone AppSelect it will automatically receive an Article ID that will uniquely identify that app in the Vodafone ecosystem. That ID can then be used to link to the desired app.
Please consult the deep-linking guide for more info on this.

What would I use deep-linking for?
You may want to create two different versions of you app: a free one and a paid one. In this case you will upload the paid version and use its article ID to create a deep-link from the free version. You can also use deep-linking to link to other apps that you might have already published on the shop and wish to promote.

How can I link between my apps?
You can link between your published apps in Vodafone AppSelect only by using the deep-linking feature.

Is deep-linking the only way to link between apps?
No, while there are other ways to link to apps in Vodafone AppSelect, deep-linking is the only way that conforms to the guidelines provided by Vodafone and enforced by our QA teams. In order to avoid needless delays and rejections of your app, we strongly encourage you to use deep-linking.

Once your app is published it will receive an article ID which you can then use to link to that app. Please consult the detailed guide before you start. deep-linking guide

Can I publish my content in more than one country?
Yes! When you publish your app or game in Vodafone AppSelect, you can also select to distribute it to 9 countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece & Russia.

What is Vodafone Filtering?
Vodafone AppSelect is all about quality. In order to ensure that the Applications in Vodafone AppSelect are of a high quality, we have introduced a filtering stage. Your application will need to pass this filtering before it goes into QA.

What aspects will the filtering focus on?
The filtering process is a high level quality check that will focus on, but not be limited to
i. Customer value delivered by the application.
ii. Ensuring that the app provides an excellent customer experience.
iii. Anticipated customer demand from the application.

How can I make sure that my application passes the QA process?
You need to make sure you have read, understood and implemented the guidelines as laid out here. Make sure you complete the QA checklist located here before submitting your app for the best possible chance of passing QA.

In addition to this, you need to ensure that your content adheres to the Vodafone Content standards.

My app failed QA because it is not installing properly but it installs on my devices.
The error is usually reproducible when installing the app on a Virtual Device. Make sure that the app is signed properly. Free testing on accredited devices is available here.

In addition to this, you need to ensure that your content adheres to the Vodafone Content standards.

What steps do I need to go through to upload and publish my apps?
Check out the Vodafone AppSelect Application Upload Guidelines to see how.

Are my apps only available to Vodafone Customers?
No! When you publish your apps or games in Vodafone AppSelect, you can also choose to sell them in Russia via our Russian partner, MTS.

How can I make sure my app get the best promotion in Vodafone AppSelect?
The best way you can promote your application is to ensure that you have optimised your metadata, find out more here, and watch this short video with tips for optimising your metadata. You should also drive awareness of your application through traditional online methods.

1.1 General

Who do I contact with settlement queries?
Please send all finance related queries to VSSLreporting@vodafone.com

What happens if l don‘t know my bank information?
If you cannot find a particular piece of information such as a swift code-leave the field blank and highlight the issue when you submit your form.

Can I sell my App in a currency other than that territory’s currency?
No, you must select the price in local currency.

Do I need to invoice VF?
No, you do not need to invoice Vodafone.
Vodafone will operate a self billing arrangement for UKVAT registered developers.

1 .2 VAT/ Tax

Does the App price I sot include VAT/Tax?
Yes, when you are selling your App through Vodafone, the price you set is inclusive of VAT.
Where a territory operates variable VAT rates the price set will be based on the standard VAT rate applicable in that country.

Who accounts for the VAT/Tax on the App?
Where Vodafone acts as your undisclosed agent we are responsible for the payment of VAT or equivalent sales tax (es) due to the relevant authorities in the local market where your application is distributed. We advise you to take independent tax advice in respect of your own tax obligations that may occur in any country as a result of these sales.

Sales Example
0ne App sold tor £1.00
Local Sales Tax 19% €0.16
Gross Revenue less Sales Tax £0.84
Vodafone share of sales revenue as undisclosed agent (30% x € 0.84) = £0.25
Developer Revenue share (€0.84 - €02S) = £0.59

1.3 Payments

How long will it take for me to receive payment for my Apps?
We will make a payment to you within 55 days of your statement date, once the payment threshold has been reached.

What deductions may be made from my payment?
Vodafone reserves the right to debit your account for overpayment, currency correction, rounding adjustment or any other justifiable reason. In these exceptional circumstances, an explanation will be provided.

If I am being paid in a currency other than the sales currency, what exchange rate is used to calculate the equivalent value?
Our exchange rates are supplied by Bloomberg, based on market data supplied on a monthly basis.

If my bank account is not in pounds, US Dollars or Euros how will I get paid?
We will pay your settlement currency into your bank account and in most cases your bank will convert into your local currency.

Who incurs the cost for bank fees?
Any associated transaction costs such as bank charges tor currency conversion are paid by the developer.

How / when is the Vodafone commission deducted?
Commission is automatically calculated and deducted from the total sales revenue (excluding taxes) before the revenue share is remitted back to you.

1.4 Terminate your Contract

What will happen if I close my account and I have an outstanding balance?

The outstanding balance will be paid to you within three months of the date of closure.