Apple Business Connect, Now Apple Business: How to Claim and Manage Your Apple Maps Place Card

By the Expert Reputation team · Updated October 26, 2026

If you search for "Apple Business Connect" today, you'll find it no longer exists under that name. On April 14, 2026, Apple replaced it with Apple Business, a free platform at business.apple.com that combines place card management with device management, Branded Mail, and Ads on Maps. You still claim your location, verify your organization, and manage your Apple Maps place card. The steps and menu names have changed, though, so older guides are out of date.

What happened to Apple Business Connect

Apple announced Apple Business on March 24, 2026. According to Apple's newsroom post, Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect "will no longer be available once Apple Business launches," and existing Business Connect data, "such as claimed locations and place card information," would "automatically migrate to Apple Business at launch."

If you used Business Connect with a personal Apple Account, Apple's guide says you can sign in to Apple Business with that same account. You'll then choose between two options:

• Create an Apple Account for Work (a Managed Apple Account), which unlocks the full feature set.
• Continue using your personal Apple Account, which limits you to brand and location management.

For a practice or shop that only cares about its Maps listing, the second option still covers place cards.

Why your Apple Maps place card matters

Apple says your place card appears "in many parts of Apple's software, from Maps to Siri to Calendar, Messages, and more," and its launch announcement adds Safari and Spotlight. When an iPhone user searches for a dentist, an auto body shop, or a plumber "near me" in Apple Maps, the place card is what they see. It shows your hours, phone, website, photos, and any action buttons.

You don't need to have claimed the card for it to exist. Apple builds place cards from its own data and from outside providers. That's why an unclaimed card can show an old phone number or hours you changed a year ago.

How to sign up and verify your organization

Apple verifies the organization first, then the locations.

1. Go to business.apple.com and select Sign up now.
2. Enter your organization name, website (optional, though Apple says it "can expedite" verification), and address. Don't select the agency checkbox unless you manage brands for other companies.
3. Enter the name of the person signing up. Apple requires "a legal, human name," so entries like "Front Desk" get sent back.
4. Confirm the codes sent to your email and phone, and agree to the terms.
5. Go to Settings > Organization and select Verify Now.

Apple's guide says verification "requires two methods of verification and can take up to five business days." The methods listed are:

Watch the deadline. You have 60 days after sign-up to verify. If your organization "isn't approved during the verification window, your organization, data, and Managed Apple Accounts are deleted." Also make sure your mail filters allow messages from apple.com domains so you don't miss Apple's emails.

How to claim your existing place card

Most established businesses already have an Apple Maps place card. To claim it:

1. Sign in and choose Brands > Locations.
2. Select Add Location, then Add single location.
3. Enter the location name, search for it, and select your listing.
4. Check the map marker. Apple suggests Hybrid or Satellite view to confirm it sits on the right building and entrance.
5. Confirm the details: default language, display name, primary category, status, phone number, and website. Apple accepts a Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok page if you don't have a website.
6. Set your hours and choose or create a brand.
7. Finish verification. If your organization is already verified, select Done. For a location that already exists on Maps, Apple may offer phone verification. Apple calls the number it has on record, and you enter the four-digit code.

If Apple's number for you is wrong or you don't recognize it, Apple says to contact Apple Business support rather than guess.

If someone else already manages your location

You'll see a note that the location "is already managed." This is common when a former marketing agency, a franchisor, or a previous owner claimed it. Apple's process:

1. Add the location anyway.
2. In Brands > Locations, find it and select Request Transfer under Status.
3. Explain why your organization should manage it and attach documents such as a business license or utility bill.
4. Select Send for Review. Apple says the review "can take up to five business days."

What you can edit on your place card

Once you're verified, Apple's guide lists these place card elements:

• Place card header: your brand logo and a cover photo. Apple reviews both before they appear.
• Display name: Apple's rules say it "needs to match the name on the storefront or website" and "can't contain descriptions." Symbols like ® and ™ aren't allowed. Neither is a city added just to tell locations apart, as in "Smith's Family Restaurant (Fresno, CA)."
• About: a short description, such as family-owned, credentials, or specialties.
• Hours and special hours: regular hours, plus holidays or extended hours.
• Photos: rotated seasonally if you like.
• Good to Know: useful facts such as accessibility or payment options.

Showcases

A showcase is a module on the place card for "new items, deals or sales, or other promotional content," with a headline (38 characters), a body (100 characters), an image, and a call-to-action button. Showcases "can run for up to 365 days," with a default of 90. Apple reviews each one, so it recommends planning "at least three calendar days" ahead.

Actions

Actions are buttons near the top of the place card that link to your website or booking platform. Apple's example labels include "Order" and "Tickets," and the action types depend on your category. Apple says approval "can take up to three business days." Customers need iOS 17.4 or iPadOS 17.4 or later to use them.

Branded Mail and Tap to Pay on iPhone

Both are still part of Apple Business in the United States, according to Apple's feature availability page:

• Branded Mail puts your logo and name next to your emails in Apple's Mail app and iCloud Mail. Your organization must own the brand, use a commercial email domain (not gmail.com or yahoo.com), and meet DMARC requirements with DKIM signing. Apple says review "can take up to seven business days," and domain verification must be finished within 14 calendar days.
• Tap to Pay on iPhone branding lets you replace the icon and name your payment provider assigned with your verified brand. You do this by linking your brand to your Tap to Pay merchant ID.

Insights and Ads on Maps

Apple Business shows insights for each location: search taps, how people searched (by name, category, or other), place card views, and actions such as directions. Low-usage numbers below Apple's privacy threshold appear as zero.

Ads on Maps is new with Apple Business. It's available in the United States and Canada, and you must claim your locations before advertising.

Where Apple Maps ratings and reviews come from

There are two sources, and the difference matters for your reputation strategy:

1. Apple's own ratings. Apple Maps users can rate places by tapping thumbs up or down for the "available categories" and can add photos. Apple notes that "the Apple Ratings and Photos feature isn't available in all countries or regions," and Maps may prompt people to rate places they recently visited.
2. Third-party providers. Apple says place card information "might include the street address, a phone number, a webpage link, customer reviews, and more." Apple's Maps acknowledgements page credits "Reviews from Yelp" © Yelp and lists Tripadvisor among its data providers.

The Apple Business User Guide doesn't describe any tool for replying to ratings or reviews. Apple doesn't document which review source appears for a given business, either. In practice, your Yelp page may shape how you look on iPhones, so claim it and respond there.

Common Apple Business problems and fixes

Apple changed my hours or name without asking. Customers can report a closed location from your place card. Apple may then edit your name, status, or hours and email your administrators. In Brands > Locations, look for the status Updates Available. Select Looks Good to accept, or edit the field to contest. Contested name changes go back to Apple for a review of up to five business days.

My new location isn't showing. Every location needs a brand, and first-time organizations must finish organization verification before the location is approved.

My verification is stuck. Check that both verification methods were submitted, that your legal name and address match your documents, and that Apple's emails aren't in spam. Apple notes that high-volume periods can add time.

We closed a location. Choose Preferences > Manage > Remove Location and select "This location is permanently closed." Apple marks it permanently closed on Maps. Apple warns that a removed location "may still appear in Apple Maps." For duplicates, see our duplicate listings guide.

The details are wrong but come back after I fix them. Apple pulls business data from many providers, including Foursquare, Localeze, and Yext. If an upstream source still has your old address, it can show up elsewhere. Our guide to data aggregators explains how to correct those sources, and our NAP consistency guide covers keeping the basics identical everywhere.

Apple is one of many places your name, address, and phone number need to match. To see where your listings stand across directories, run a Free Listings Scan, or work through our listings audit checklist.