To transfer a client, go to Practice access in the client's Business settings, select Transfer client, and enter the new practice's email address. This article covers which clients you can transfer, the steps, and what happens while the request is pending.
Note: Transfers are available for clients on a basic Dext Bookkeeping account that your practice pays for. If a client can't be transferred, the Transfer client page shows "This client can't be transferred to another practice."
Which clients you can transfer
You can transfer most clients on a basic Dext Bookkeeping account. You can't currently transfer a client:
who pays for their own Dext subscription
who uses Dext Solo, Commerce Lite, Data Health & Insights, AI Assist, Vault, or Dext Payments
that any of your practice's AI Assist guidance applies to, including guidance shared with all clients
that's suspended or deactivated
with no users who can log in, or with no active account owner
The account owner is the first user added to a client's Dext account. They show as (Owner) in the client's Users list. The account owner approves the transfer on the client's side, so a client needs at least 1 user with login access before you can transfer them.
Before you start
Before you transfer a client, make sure you have the following.
You're a Practice admin at the current practice.
You have the email address of a Practice admin at the new practice. They must already use Dext.
You've got the client's consent to move their records.
If the email address doesn't belong to someone who manages a Dext practice, you'll see an error, and Dext won't send the request.
Transfer a client
To transfer a client, go to the client's Business settings and submit a transfer request. The client's account owner then approves it.
Open the client and go to Business settings. You can also go to your client list, then select Manage > Practice access next to the client.
Under Practice access, select Transfer client.
Enter the new practice's email address in Enter the new practice email account.
Select the checkbox to confirm you've got the client's consent, then select Request transfer.
Enter the client's name exactly as it appears in Dext, then select Next.
Check the Responsible contact from client and Responsible contact from new practice, then select Confirm.
The responsible contact from the client is always their account owner. Dext emails them first, then emails the new practice once the account owner accepts. The client is only moved once both accept.
If the client has no users who can log in, add the person who runs the business as a Business admin with login access first. They become the account owner and can approve the transfer. For steps, go to How to add a user to a client account
Track, remind, or cancel a transfer
To track a transfer, go back to Practice access > Transfer client for that client. The page shows each approval step and how many days are left.
Select Send a reminder to email whoever needs to respond next. You can send a reminder once every 3 days.
Select Cancel transfer to stop the request at any time before the new practice accepts. Any Practice admin at your practice can cancel. Dext emails the client to let them know, and nothing is transferred.
What happens after you request a transfer
After you select Confirm, the request moves through the approval steps automatically.
Dext emails the client's account owner to accept or decline. They have 14 days.
Once the client accepts, you get a Client authorised transfer email, and Dext emails the new practice.
The new practice has 14 days to accept or decline.
You keep full access to the client until the new practice accepts.
You'll get an email when the transfer completes, or if the client or new practice declines.
If a request expires, nothing is transferred. To try again, start a new request. Everyone needs to approve it again.
What changes when the transfer completes
When the transfer completes, the same client account moves to the new practice. Dext doesn't copy or recreate it, and you no longer have access.
Stays the same: the client's documents and history, accounting software connection and publishing settings, users, rules, Extract by email addresses, bank feeds, and Fetch connections.
Removed: your colleagues' access to the client, and any Account manager, Account assignee or Account reviewer set by your practice.
Subscription: the new practice chooses to pay for the client's subscription, or to start the client on a 14-day trial so they can subscribe themselves.
What your client will see
The client's account owner gets an email called Confirm transfer to new accountant. To make sure your client isn't caught off guard, explain this in advance:
The account owner needs to log in to Dext on the web to accept or decline. The Dext mobile app doesn't support transfers.
Accepting the transfer is the only action they need to take. They don't need to disconnect or reconnect anything themselves.
If they decline, you're emailed and nothing changes in their account.
For your client's view of the steps, share How do I accept or decline a transfer to a new accountant?