WeChat Official Account Transfer: How to Move an Account to Another Company

A WeChat Official Account transfer, which WeChat calls account migration (账号迁移), moves an account’s violation records and, if you choose, its followers, articles and WeChat ID to another account. Both accounts need verified entity information. Between two companies, the review costs RMB 300 and requires a notarized letter, and the move takes a few days after approval.

What is a WeChat Official Account?

A WeChat Official Account is a tool to promote your business in China. It works a bit like a Facebook page, but followers see its updates inside WeChat, in a dedicated section of their chat list. With a WeChat Official Account, you gain followers and send them to your website or e-commerce solution, such as a WeChat Store or a Mini Program, by publishing attractive articles or offers. Our guide to WeChat Official Accounts for overseas businesses explains the account types.

Why was transferring an account a problem before 2017?

Until 2017, a company could not change the registered owner of its WeChat Official Account. It could neither sell the account nor change its legal ownership, which had three unfortunate consequences:

1. A company that wanted to change or sell its account had to start from scratch with a new account, and win its followers back.
2. A company whose account had been registered by a third party remained dependent on that third party.
3. Some companies ended up with an account owned by one entity while the business belonged to another.

In 2017, Tencent opened the transfer of Official Accounts between companies, and the rules have changed since. The conditions below come from Tencent’s current guide (account migration guide).

What can be transferred?

Official Accounts and service accounts cannot change their entity directly. Migration moves the following from account A to account B, and account A is closed afterwards:

• the original content protection and comment management features,
• the violation records,
• all followers (optional),
• article materials (optional),
• the WeChat ID (optional).

Account B keeps its own entity: the migration does not change who owns it. Whether you keep the original name or choose a new one, the name has to comply with WeChat’s naming rules again.

What are the conditions to transfer a WeChat Official Account?

1. Both accounts must have verified entity information: a small bank transfer or a legal representative check at registration, or a successful WeChat verification.
2. An account registered by an overseas entity can be moved to an account of a mainland China entity, or of an overseas entity from the same country or region. A mainland account cannot be moved to an overseas entity, and an overseas account cannot be moved to another country or region.
3. An Official Account, the former subscription account, cannot be moved to a service account.
4. An individual business account can be moved to the personal account of its legal representative. In any other case, the target cannot be a personal account.
5. When all followers are moved, the target account must have no more than 1,000 followers.
6. The target entity must be operating, and an account whose overseas entity has been deregistered cannot be moved.

Both accounts are checked during the whole process: a violation or a blocked feature stops the migration.

How much does a transfer cost and how long does it take?

Between two different entities, the review costs RMB 300. The fee is not refunded if the review fails, and the review gives three chances to complete or correct the file within 30 days. A migration between two accounts of the same entity is currently free and needs no notary.

Stage	Time
Notarization of the application letter (different entities only)	Usually 1 to 2 working days
Review by a third-party review company	Usually 1 to 3 working days
Confirmation by both administrators	Within 15 days of approval
Followers’ window to unfollow	1 day
Migration of followers, articles and records	Usually 1 to 3 days

How to transfer a WeChat Official Account, step by step

The application starts in the original account’s backend: Settings and Development (设置与开发), Account Settings (账号设置), Entity Information (主体信息), then Account Migration (账号迁移). Click Start migration (开始迁移), and the original account’s administrator scans a QR code (migration steps). For a transfer between two companies:

1. Accept the migration agreement.
2. Enter the target account and choose what to migrate.
3. Fill in the mobile numbers and emails of both administrators. Upload the WeChat Official Account migration application letter (微信公众账号迁移申请函) and its notarial certificate, as photos or scans of the originals bearing the company seals, in JPG, BMP or PNG format and under 5 MB. A lawyer’s attestation is not accepted instead of the notarization.
4. Confirm the account name: the original account’s name, the target account’s name, or a new name, subject to review.
5. Choose the invoice: none, an e-invoice or a special VAT invoice. Overseas entities cannot get an invoice online.
6. Pay the RMB 300 review fee.

After approval, both administrators receive a confirmation notice on WeChat and have 15 days to confirm. The original account is then frozen, its followers are notified and can unfollow within a day, and the migration runs automatically. A WeChat agency in Shanghai can prepare the file with you.

QPSoftware’s infographic of the 2017 process. The conditions, timing and screens have changed since: follow the steps above.

How to manage your WeChat Official Account after the transfer?

Now that the account is transferred, it is time to make the most of it. This is a key step to promote your business in China through WeChat, so we have written a guide that explains the basics and the practices of WeChat Official Account management.

What should you do next?

Check both accounts against the six conditions before you pay, because the review fee is not refunded. If the target account belongs to another company, plan the notarization of the application letter first.

If you are building your presence on WeChat and need experts for the transfer, the account or what comes next, our WeChat agency can help, up to WeChat Mini Program development. Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions