> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dodopayments.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Transferring Business Ownership > Make a teammate the Owner of your business. Confirm with an emailed code, and the new Owner accepts the request and completes identity verification. ## Introduction An ownership transfer makes another member of your team the **Owner** of the business. The new Owner gets full control of payouts, team management, business settings, and API keys. You stay on the team as an **Admin**. The business keeps everything else: its products, customers, payments, payouts history, and integrations. Customers see no change. > [!NOTE] > > To change the legal entity behind the business, such as moving from an individual to a registered company, use an [entity transfer](https://docs.dodopayments.com/features/entity-transfer.md) instead. Changing from one individual to a different individual is an ownership transfer. ## How It Works An ownership transfer moves through three steps. The current Owner starts it, the new Owner accepts it, and the transfer completes once the new Owner's identity verification (KYC) is approved. ```mermaid theme={null} flowchart LR A[Owner starts transfer] --> B[Pending: waiting for the new Owner] B -->|Accepts| C{New Owner has approved KYC?} B -->|Declines or 48 hours pass| D[Closed: Owner unchanged] C -->|Yes| E[Completed] C -->|No| F[Awaiting verification] F -->|KYC approved| E ``` | Status | What it means | | - | - | | **Pending** | The request is waiting for the new Owner. You are still the Owner. The request expires after **48 hours**. | | **Awaiting verification** | The new Owner accepted and is now the Owner. The transfer completes when their identity verification is approved. | | **Completed** | The new Owner holds the business and their identity verification is approved. | | **Declined**, **Expired**, or **Cancelled** | The transfer closed without a change. You stay the Owner and can start a new transfer. | ## Requirements Check these before you start: * **Only the Owner can start a transfer.** Admins and other roles can't. * **The new Owner must be a team member with an account.** [Invite them to the team](https://docs.dodopayments.com/features/team.md) first. A teammate whose invitation is still open can't be picked until they sign up. * **The new Owner can own at most 10 businesses**, including this one. * **A business can have one open transfer at a time.** An open ownership transfer or [entity transfer](https://docs.dodopayments.com/features/entity-transfer.md) blocks a new one until it closes. ## Start an Ownership Transfer > [!WARNING] > > You can't cancel the transfer from the dashboard after you confirm the code. Only the new Owner can accept or decline it. Make sure you pick the right teammate before you confirm. **1. Open Change Role for the New Owner** Go to **Settings → Team**. In the row of the teammate who will become the Owner, open the actions menu and select **Change Role**. **2. Select the Owner Role** Under **Pre-Defined**, select **Owner**, then select **Continue**. ![Change Role panel with the Owner role selected, noting that assigning it starts an ownership transfer](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/change-role-owner.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=a3fe213bd5c7e1503bcea93a6a5ad5f6) **3. Enter a Reason** Read the summary of what the new Owner receives. Enter a **Reason for transfer** of up to 1,000 characters, then select **Transfer Ownership**. Dodo Payments emails a confirmation code to your login email address. ![Transfer ownership dialog naming the new Owner, with a reason entered and the Transfer Ownership button](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/confirm.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=7161d77724217fc4474f7b469f29a04d) **4. Enter the Code from Your Email** Enter the 6-digit code and select **Confirm Transfer**. The code expires after a short time, and too many wrong attempts mean you need to start again. ![Confirm the transfer dialog with a 6-digit code entered and a resend countdown](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/code.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=f5794a928cfa07c4c18953a5d15b3164) If you no longer have access to your email, use the **Contact support** link in the dialog. **5. Wait for the New Owner** Dodo Payments emails the new Owner a link to the request. You stay the Owner until they accept it. Select **Done** to close the dialog. ![Transfer Request Sent dialog showing the new Owner's email address](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/request-sent.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=7acea7aa01a9485601f4d402a06061d0) While the request is pending, the **Team** page shows an **Ownership transfer in progress** banner with the hours left before the request expires. Your row shows **Transfer pending** and the new Owner's row shows **Awaiting acceptance**. ![Team page with the Ownership transfer in progress banner and the Transfer pending and Awaiting acceptance badges](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/pending-banner.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=352c3318ba9679719df7b6c1a62ceccc) ## Accept or Decline a Transfer This section is for the teammate who receives the request. **1. Open the Request** Select the link in the ownership transfer email. The dashboard opens the request with the business, the current Owner, their reason, and the time left before it expires. ![Ownership transfer request page listing the business, current Owner, reason, expiry, and what happens on acceptance](https://mintcdn.com/dodopayments/GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx/images/ownership-transfer/accept.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=GGJ2RbNuuzLQXnHx\&q=85\&s=b49e9eeba47d95d5ade082fbc6517542) **2. Accept or Decline** Read **When you accept**, then select **Accept Ownership**. To refuse, select **Decline** and confirm. The current Owner stays the Owner and can start a new transfer later. **3. Complete Identity Verification** If you already have an approved identity verification (KYC) on Dodo Payments, the transfer completes as soon as you accept. If you don't, the dashboard takes you to **Verification**. You are already the Owner, and a reminder appears at the top of every page until your verification is approved. The transfer completes automatically after approval. See [Identity Verification](https://docs.dodopayments.com/miscellaneous/verification-process.md#identity-verification-kyc). If the request page says **This transfer is no longer open**, the request was accepted, declined, cancelled, or it expired. Ask the Owner to start a new transfer. ## What Happens After Acceptance * **The new Owner** gets full control of the business: payouts, compliance communication, team access, API keys, and business settings. * **The previous Owner** stays on the team with the **Admin** role. * **Auto payouts turn off.** Dodo Payments turns them on again after it reviews the business. * **Payments continue.** Your checkout, payment links, subscriptions, and API integrations keep working with no change. * **Both parties get an email** when the transfer is accepted, declined, expired, or completed. > [card] [Team](https://docs.dodopayments.com/features/team.md) > > Invite the new Owner to your team and manage roles. > [card] [Entity Transfer](https://docs.dodopayments.com/features/entity-transfer.md) > > Change the legal entity behind your business. > [card] [Verification Process](https://docs.dodopayments.com/miscellaneous/verification-process.md) > > Complete identity verification as the new Owner. > [card] [Help and Support](https://docs.dodopayments.com/miscellaneous/help-support.md) > > Get help if you can't access the Owner's email. 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