If you’re a Windows Phone developer, the time has arrived to renew your account, so you go looking for the link to check ……out…….uh…..Dashboard, I’m signed in….where’s the Subscription link?  I think I can help you out!

I’ve been a proud Windows Phone 7 developer since the beginning, actually a bit BEFORE the WP7 launch (ya, a bit of an eager beaver eh?! LOL), but I’m a bit of a control freak with automated payments (I don’t trust them).  So I return, once a year, every year, to make my annual subscription payment (have to keep it up otherwise your apps are supposed to disappear from the Marketplace). 

Last year, I missed the date (DOH! ya not happy) so I tried to setup the automated one (hey, figured I’m going to try it out!).  Well, THIS year, I wanted to see if it would work AND for how much (original cost was ~$120 and now it’s reduced to $20 YA LOL).  Well, THIS is what I was looking at when I logged into my WP Dashboard.  Where’s the link to goto my subscription information? 

Peter Ritchie (local MVP) made the suggestion that MAYBE, just maybe, I need to sign up for the Windows 8 subscription, and that maybe both app subscriptions are being merged into one?!  Great idea and that’s what happened tonight.  Odd eh?  You see that Message up there with the yellow background, follow that link and you should be good to go!!!!!!

Now, I had done that before, last summer\fall I believe, but stopped right at the point of having to pay some more money.  I wasn’t ready to release any Win8 apps at that time and didn’t see the ROI for paying the money (any money….yet).  Well, now it seems like Microsoft is NOW only charging devs $20 for WP AND Windows8 apps!  Now THAT’S a deal I can get behind!!!!!!!

Now that we know how to get Subscription information (on Dashboard, select Account on left, then look for Subscription option under Account Info, then click on View Info, it’ll make you log into the Win8 admin site, don’t worry, it’s all good), it’s time to grab a coffee and get coding!

 

 

Resources

PCHenry.com: WP7 development tools announced but Marketplace still hasn’t changed

Twitter: Peter Ritchie

Peter Ritchie’s MVP Blog

Windows Phone Dev Center: Renew your account