What Is License Transfer and Why Does It Matter?

Transferring your Office 2024 Professional Plus license means moving the activation rights from one computer (or user, under special conditions) to another—without buying a new key. This ability enhances your investment, supports hardware upgrades, secures compliance during mergers and sales, and simplifies IT management for growing teams.

Why transfer?

• Upgrade to a new device or replace faulty hardware

• Reassign used licenses within your organization

• Facilitate business restructuring, M&A, or team handovers

• Avoid unnecessary purchases and maximize ROI

Knowing your rights and the official process ensures a smooth, trusted transfer—without risking disruption or software deactivation.

Transferability Rules for Office 2024 Professional Plus

Microsoft lays out clear but sometimes nuanced rules for transferring Office licenses:

• Retail and Volume Licenses: Transfer is generally allowed if you uninstall from the old device and activate on a new one you own.

• OEM Licenses: Cannot be transferred; tied to the original hardware.

• EEA Transfers: You may transfer a retail or volume license to another person.

• Transfer Frequency: Typically, license transfers are permitted every 90 days, unless you experience hardware failure.

• Account Tie-In:  Office licenses are associated with your  account, streamlining installation and activation on new devices.

• Removal Requirement: You must uninstall Office from the previous device before setting up the new one.

Step-By-Step License Transfer Process

Transferring your license is straightforward if you follow documented best practices:

A. Preparation Checklist

• Find your product key and ensure you have access to your account.

• Confirm your new device meets Office 2024 system requirements.

• Back up all important files from your old computer.

B. Uninstall Office on the Old Device

1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program.

2. Locate Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus.

3. Click Uninstall and follow prompts fully.

C. Install Office on the New Device

1.  Sign in with the account tied to your license.

2. Find your license under My Account > Services & Subscriptions.

3. Download Office 2024 Professional Plus and run the installer.

D. Activate with Your Product Key or Account

• If prompted, provide your product key during installation.

• Otherwise, Office should auto-activate via your  account.

E. Confirm Activation

• Launch any Office app (Word, Excel) and click File > Account.

• Look for “Product Activated” or “Licensed”.

F. Phone Activation Option

If online activation fails, select the phone activation path in the activation window and follow vendor guided process.

G. EEA License Transfer (To Another Person)

• Contact support to initiate the transfer.

• Provide email of purchase, account details, and the recipient’s email.

• Vendor will verify identity, cancel your entitlement, and send new activation instructions to the recipient.

Special Scenarios: Volume, Retail, OEM, and EEA Transfers

• Retail License: Designed for easy transfer; ideal for solo users, freelancers, and families.

• Volume License: IT admins use centralized tools  for migrations, device resets, and workforce changes.

• OEM License: Non-transferable; locked to the original computer’s hardware.

• EEA Transfer: Legally supported follow  process for account and license reassignment.

Carefully review your license type and agreement terms before initiating any transfer. For businesses, maintain documentation of all transfers for compliance audits.

Staying Compliant and Secure

• Always uninstall Office from old hardware before activating on new devices.

• Only transfer licenses you own (not OEM/pre-installed).

• EEA users must verify and provide recipient’s identity for person-to-person transfer.

• Document all transfers for legal and support purposes.

• Use resellers and avoid unsupported third-party transfers.