Buying a second-hand software licence: what really transfers
A discounted licence from another user can be a fair deal. It can also be access that vanishes the moment the vendor notices. The difference is rarely the price. It is the kind of licence, and whether the vendor lets it change hands.
Four kinds of licence, four different answers
| Type | What the buyer gets | Can it change hands? |
|---|---|---|
| Perpetual licence | The right to use a version of the software indefinitely | Depends on the licence terms, with an important exception in the EU (below) |
| Subscription or SaaS seat | Access for as long as someone keeps paying | Only if the vendor allows it. Access is usually tied to one account. |
| Lifetime deal | Ongoing access to a hosted product for a one-off price | Set by the deal's terms. Many are non-transferable; some allow a transfer through the vendor. |
| Team or organisation seat | A seat inside someone else's organisation | No. The organisation's admin can remove you at any time. |
The EU exception for perpetual licences
In 2012 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in UsedSoft v Oracle (C-128/11) on perpetual licences for downloaded software. Such a licence can be resold even where its terms forbid it, provided the original buyer makes their own copy unusable. A multi-user licence cannot be split up and sold seat by seat. The ruling concerns perpetual licences in the EU. It does not turn a subscription into something you own, and outside the EU the licence terms usually decide.
Five checks before you pay
1. Find the vendor's transfer policy
Search the vendor's help centre for “licence transfer” or “change account owner”. If there is a documented process, the sale should use it, and you should get a confirmation from the vendor showing you as the new owner.
2. Ask for the original proof of purchase
You want an invoice from the vendor or an authorised reseller, showing:
- the edition
- the number of seats
- for subscriptions, the renewal date
A key with no receipt is the classic sign of a grey-market key, sometimes bought with stolen payment details and later revoked.
3. Check whose licence it really is
The licence should be in the seller's own name. Licences bought by an employer are not the employee's to sell, and education or staff-discount licences usually cannot be resold.
4. Make sure it moves to your account
The goal is a licence under your email and your billing. Logging into the seller's account is not a transfer. It breaks most terms of service, and it leaves the seller able to take the access back. Escrozon's software licence buyer's protection guide explains the difference in more detail.
5. Confirm what happens at renewal
For subscriptions and lifetime deals, find out three things:
- the renewal price
- whether any discount survives the transfer
- whether future updates are still included
Red flags
- “Just log in with my account.”
- A “lifetime licence” for a product the vendor only sells as a subscription. If the vendor has no lifetime option, a seller cannot create one.
- Keys at a small fraction of the retail price, with no receipt.
- A seller who will not let the vendor confirm the transfer.
- Pressure to pay outside the platform, or by a method with no buyer protection.
- Education, staff or volume keys sold one at a time.
Paying safely
For a legitimate transfer, the safest order is simple. Pay into escrow. Let the seller start the vendor's transfer. Release the money once the licence appears in your own account. Escrozon's escrow process works this way, and so should any deal you agree elsewhere.