How do I change ownership of my service?
You can change ownership of an eligible Telstra service by calling us or visiting a Telstra store. Find out what the current and new owner need to do to complete the request.
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What you need to do
Current owner
If you’re the current owner of the service or Full Authority on the account, you’ll need to call us on 13 22 00 or find a store to initiate the request.
When initiating the request, you’ll need:
- details of the service you want to transfer, found in My Telstra
- a valid form of ID to verify your identity
- your email address or mobile phone number for authentication purposes
- the account number the service is on (if you have multiple accounts)
- the new owner’s email address or mobile phone number
- details of any existing Telstra services the new owner may have.
Once initiated, you’ll need to share the change of ownership number with the new owner:
- Pre-Paid plans: case reference number
- Upfront plans: 4-digit PIN.
All change of ownership requests expire after 14 days if not completed. If the request expires, you’ll need to initiate the request again.
New owner
If you’re the new owner of the service, you’ll need to call us on 13 22 00 or find a store after the current owner has initiated the request.
To complete the request, you’ll need:
- your reference number (quoted in the email or SMS invitation for ownership)
- a valid form of ID to verify your identity
- the change of ownership number from the current owner:
- Pre-Paid plans: case reference number
- Upfront plans: 4-digit PIN
- access to your email address or mobile phone number as provided to us by the current owner, for authentication purposes
- your preferred payment details, if you want to set up AutoPay
- your ABN or CAN, if it’s a business account
- details for us to run a credit check (Upfront plans only), including your:
- income
- employment
- living arrangements.
If you don’t complete the change of ownership request within 14 days, it will expire and remain with the current service owner.
Once the change of ownership is complete, you can view the service details in My Telstra.
Frequently asked questions
Change of ownership process
You can change ownership of your mobile, home phone, internet, and bundled services.
You cannot change ownership of:
- some business‑grade products to personal customers, including services on the nbn’s network
- cancelled services
- ADSL internet services
- Fetch.
For Upfront and Pre-Paid plans, once the new owner completes the process, the service is usually transferred on the same day.
If your service will be disrupted during a transfer, we’ll let you know in advance.
Personal customers can’t transfer ownership of their whole account. They’ll need to transfer ownership of each service individually.
Business customers can transfer a whole account if the new owner is a listed director of the business. For more information, contact us.
No, you will need to request a change of ownership for each service individually.
Transfers between sole trader business accounts and personal accounts usually don't require a change of ownership. To confirm eligibility and update your account to add or remove your ABN, contact us.
For transfers between Enterprise and personal accounts, go to Telstra Enterprise Account Services.
You don't need to complete a change of ownership if you’ve changed your name.
To change your name on your Telstra account due to marriage, divorce or a legal name change, find a store with either:
- A valid form of ID for both your new and previous names, or
- Australian-issued change of name documents.
If your plan is on a contract, the requirements are the same as for Upfront Plans for both the current and new owner.
If all required information is available, the change of ownership request should be completed within 7 days.
Mobile services may be unavailable for up to 2 hours during a transfer, but we'll let you know in advance.
Telstra business broadband services transferring to personal plans can be unavailable for up to 5 days.
Visit your closest JB Hi-Fi or The Good Guys store to request a transfer of ownership.
Make sure:
- both the current owner and the new owner of the service are present
- you have the service number you want to transfer
- the new owner is at least:
- 18 years old for Upfront plans
- 10 years old for Pre-Paid plans
- the new owner can provide:
- a valid form of ID to verify their identity
- information for us to run a credit check (Upfront plans only).
We'll use reasonable efforts to transfer your service but may not always be able to. Some circumstances may require the new owner to take up a new plan if you choose to transfer your service.
We'll discuss the options with you before proceeding.
To change ownership of a BigPond mailbox or Telstra Mail, call us on 13 22 00 or find a store.
Things you need to know:
- Both customers must be present. Mailbox ownership can’t be paused or resumed.
- The mailbox can’t be transferred if the email address is used as a Telstra ID for anyone other than the new owner.
- After the transfer, the incoming customer can access the mailbox as is once they reset the password.
- The outgoing customer should delete or back up all emails, contacts and content before the transfer and will need to agree to a privacy waiver.
Support in times of need
We understand that taking care of your loved one's accounts and services can be stressful and overwhelming during this difficult time, so we're here to make it as easy as possible.
Our dedicated team can help you transfer or close an account.
Billing and costs
For personal customers, there is no change of ownership fee.
For business customers, a $44 connect fee applies for inbound services, free call or priority numbers.
There may be other charges that apply when changing ownership of a service.
The current owner is responsible for all outstanding charges associated with the service at the time of the change of ownership request.
These charges may include:
- outstanding service charges
- applicable cancellation charges.
You can check what cancellation charges apply in your plan details in My Telstra.
To check your plan details in My Telstra:
- Go to Services
- Select your service
- Select View or manage your plan
- Select View plan details.
The new owner will be responsible for all charges incurred once the change of ownership is complete.
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