Change a business entity or update a company name

Scenarios for change

You must determine whether a change to your Alibaba Cloud account's enterprise identity verification is needed. A change is required when you transfer account ownership from one company to another due to an acquisition, restructuring, or deregistration. A change is also required if your enterprise's business information changes. The key factor is the company's Unified Social Credit Code.

1. If the Unified Social Credit Code of the account entity changes, change the enterprise entity.

2. If the Unified Social Credit Code of the account entity does not change, you do not need to change the enterprise entity.

   1. If the company changed its name, you can simply update the enterprise name. This process is simpler.

   2. If the company's legal representative information is updated, the system automatically syncs the changes. No manual action is required. If the information is not immediately updated, wait for the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System to update its data. Alibaba Cloud will then automatically sync the latest information.

3. If your enterprise is deregistered, you must manage the assets in your Alibaba Cloud account as soon as possible.

   1. If you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud account, change the enterprise entity as soon as possible. Note that the required supporting documents for a deregistered enterprise are slightly different from those for an active enterprise.

   2. If you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud account and you no longer need the account, you can delete or transfer the resources in the account and unregister your Alibaba Cloud account.

   3. If you can no longer log on to the Alibaba Cloud account, see What do I do if I cannot pass identity verification and want to file an appeal? You can submit supporting documents to restore account access. You can also complete the entity change at the same time.

Change the enterprise entity

Follow these steps to change the current verified enterprise to a different one. This process applies when the Unified Social Credit Code changes.

Impact of the change

Prerequisites

Before you begin, check each item in the following list to ensure that the process runs smoothly:

1. Change period: More than 30 days must have passed since the last successful entity change.

2. Operating environment: The Alibaba Cloud app is not supported. You must use a computer.

3. Credit limit: Confirm with your account manager. If there are any pending credit limit adjustments for the current account, you cannot initiate a change.

4. Distribution partnership: If your account is linked to a distribution partner, contact them to confirm the impact of the change.

5. Prepare enterprise verification materials: Select a verification method based on the new enterprise's situation and prepare the required materials. For more information, see Verify your identity - Enterprise account.

6. Business continuity: If the account uses pay-as-you-go products such as ECS, OSS, SLB, or CDN, you must maintain a sufficient account balance to avoid service interruptions.

7. Multi-account scenarios: If your enterprise account is part of a multi-account setup, you must dissociate the relationships as described below.

   1. Resource Directory: First, check the financial relationship of the account in the Expenses and Costs console of the payment account. Note that dissociating the financial relationship does not affect the account relationship in Resource Directory.

   2. Finance trusteeship: You must first dissociate the trusteeship relationship before you can change the enterprise entity. For more information, see Instructions for dissociating a finance trusteeship.

   3. Financial Management: You must first dissociate the financial relationship before you can change the enterprise entity. For more information, see Dissociate a relationship.

   4. Multiple enterprise accounts: If your account is affiliated with an enterprise, you must first exit the affiliation to change the enterprise entity. For more information, see How do I exit an enterprise affiliation? If your account is an enterprise super administrator, you must first change the owner of the super administrator account and then exit the current enterprise affiliation before you can change the enterprise entity.

Procedure

The process has two main parts: verifying the original entity's identity and verifying the new entity's information. Before you start, see Verify your identity - Enterprise account to choose a verification method and prepare the required materials.

1. Log in to the Identity Verification page in the Alibaba Cloud Account Center and click Change Enterprise Entity.

2. On the Prefill Change Information page, enter the new enterprise information. You can perform a precise search using the Unified Social Credit Code or a fuzzy search using the enterprise name.

3. On the Change Enterprise Entity page, select your Enterprise Status, read and agree to the change agreement, and then click Initiate Change.

4. Follow the steps below to change the enterprise entity based on your enterprise's status.

   Enterprise is not deregistered

   If your enterprise has not been deregistered with the business administration department, you must select a verification method to verify the original enterprise's identity after you initiate the change.

   1. On the Change Enterprise Entity [Phase 1] page, select a verification method to verify the identity of the original enterprise. In this example, Facial recognition of the legal representative is selected.

   2. After you select Facial recognition of the legal representative, the system automatically detects your enterprise information. Click Continue. Then, use the Alipay app to scan the QR code on the page to complete the legal representative's identity verification. The review process can take up to three business days, and the status will be sent by notification to the secure phone number associated with your account.

   Enterprise is deregistered

   If your enterprise has been deregistered with the business administration department, you must submit relevant documents to verify the original enterprise's identity after you initiate the change.

   1. On the Change Enterprise Entity [Phase 1] page, upload the Deregistration certificate of the original enterprise and the Asset disposal certificate of the original enterprise, and then click Next.

      Example of a deregistration certificate

      • The deregistration certificate is issued by the local Administration for Market Regulation. The specific materials that are required may vary based on local policies and actual conditions.

      • If you cannot provide a business deregistration certificate, go to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Enter the enterprise name or Unified Social Credit Code to search for the target enterprise. Go to the enterprise details page and take a screenshot of the page that shows the enterprise registration status as deregistered.

      Asset disposal certificate

      The asset disposal certificate is a document that explains the disposal of the Alibaba Cloud account and its business assets. It can be issued before or after the company is deregistered.

      Issued before company deregistration

      If the asset disposal certificate is issued before the company is officially deregistered, follow these steps:

      1. Click Asset Disposal Certificate Template to download it. Edit the template and print it.

      2. Stamp the hard copy with the company's official seal to confirm its legal validity.

      3. Take a photo of the stamped document.

      4. Upload this photo when you submit the documents.

      Issued after company deregistration

      To issue an asset disposal certificate after the company is deregistered, follow these steps:

      1. Click Asset Disposal Certificate Template to download it. Edit the template and print it.

      2. Shareholders who hold more than two-thirds of the company's shares must sign the hard copy and add their fingerprints to show their consent and confirmation.

      3. Take a photo of the document after the shareholders have signed and added their fingerprints.

      4. Make sure that you upload this photo when you submit the documents.

      

   2. Use the Alibaba Cloud app or the Taobao App to scan the QR code on the page and complete facial recognition. You must then wait for the review to be completed.

   Note

   The QR code is valid for 1 hour. You must complete the operation as soon as possible.

5. After the review is approved, click Start Now to begin the new enterprise verification. You must start the new enterprise verification process within 9 calendar days of the approval. Otherwise, the verification process will be automatically terminated.

6. Review and accept the relevant agreements, and then click Start Phase 2.

7. Select a suitable verification method based on the new enterprise's specific situation and continue the process. For more information, see Verify your identity - Enterprise account.

Recommendations after the change

• Domain name and ICP filing information are not automatically changed. They remain with the original company. You must manually modify the registrant information (transfer ownership) and modify ICP filing information. Note that the entity that is verified for the domain name must match the entity for the ICP filing. Otherwise, website access may be affected.

• The invoice title defaults to the identity-verified entity of the account. After the account's identity-verified entity is changed, successfully issued invoices are not affected. Unissued invoices can be issued with the new entity's information. Before you issue an invoice, you must manually update the invoice title. For more information, see Maintain invoice titles.

Update the enterprise name

If your verified enterprise has updated its name with the Administration for Market Regulation but its Unified Social Credit Code has not changed, you can follow these steps to update the enterprise name. These operations are not supported in the Alibaba Cloud app.

Impact

Updating the enterprise name does not affect your account assets, orders, or issued invoices.

Procedure

1. Log in to the Identity Verification page in the Alibaba Cloud Account Center and click Update Enterprise Name.

2. On the Update Enterprise Name page, enter the New Enterprise Name and upload a photo of your updated business license.

3. Click Confirm Change. The enterprise name is updated upon successful system verification.

Recommendations after the update

After the enterprise name is changed, domain name and ICP filing information are not automatically changed. You must manually modify the registrant information (transfer ownership) and modify ICP filing information. Note that the entity that is verified for the domain name must match the entity for the ICP filing. Otherwise, website access may be affected.

FAQ

For other special circumstances, click Contact Us for assistance.