Microsoft has taken the first step towards unifying the Windows 8 and Windows Phone stores. Developers can now register for both app stores at the same time. The cost of registration has dropped to $19 for an individual account or $99 for a company account.
Developers who are already registered for Windows 8 can now submit Windows Phone apps free of charge and vice-versa. If a developer is currently registered for both with the same Microsoft account then they will “receive a code via email this month, valid for a free one-year renewal when their existing registration is up for renewal”.
At this time the Windows Store and Windows Phone Dev Center Dashboards will continue to be separate. Likewise any purchases in one store do not automatically carry over to the other. In the past there have been developer complaints about this; some teams wish to offer both versions of their app as a single purchase.