Most guides get this completely wrong. They'll give you the basic steps, but they won't warn you about the hidden 7-day rule that I discovered the hard way. After handling dozens of Google Business Profile transfers, I'm going to share exactly what really happens - and why most people's first attempts fail.
The Painful Truth I Discovered About Transfer Failures
Let me show you something that happens all the time. You follow the standard steps, get to the final transfer screen, click save… and boom. Error message.
Here's the thing - and this caught me completely off guard the first few times - you can't just transfer these GBPs from one day to the next. Google requires what I call "proof and trust" to be built between the current owner and the new owner.
I learned this lesson after watching multiple transfer attempts fail right at the finish line.
The 7-Day Rule That No One Talks About
Here's what I discovered through trial and error: You actually need to be a primary owner for at least seven days before this goes through.
This is the critical detail missing from every other guide out there. Here's the typical scenario I see:
- Business owner adds the new person as an owner
- Immediately tries to transfer primary ownership
- Gets hit with Google's rejection message
- Calls me frustrated, thinking they did something wrong
The reality: Google has a mandatory 7-day waiting period after adding someone as an owner before you can make them the primary owner.
My Step-by-Step Process (What Actually Works)
After doing this dozens of times, here's my proven process:
Phase 1: Add the New Owner
First, you need to add the new person as a business owner to the profile. This is standard - most guides cover this correctly.
Phase 2: The Mandatory Wait (Don't Skip This!)
Wait exactly 7 full days. I know it's frustrating, but this isn't optional. Google won't let the transfer go through before then, period.
Phase 3: Execute the Transfer
After seven days, here's exactly what I do:
- Navigate to Business Profile Settings
- Click on "People and Access"
- Find the person I want to make primary owner
- I can see "This is the primary owner" for the current owner
- For the new person, I now have the option to select "Primary Owner"
- I press Save
- Confirm the change when prompted
The key difference: After waiting seven days, the system actually lets me complete this step without errors.
Phase 4: Final Cleanup (Critical Step)
Once the transfer is complete, I always have the new primary owner log in immediately and remove any unwanted users. This completes the entire transfer process and ensures full control has truly moved over.
Why I Think Google Does This
After seeing this pattern repeatedly, I understand why Google built in these safeguards. Business profiles are valuable assets - they carry years of reviews, local rankings, and customer trust.
The 7-day rule serves as a cooling-off period that helps prevent:
- Fraudulent takeovers
- Impulsive business decisions
- Spam profile creation
- Unauthorised access attempts
Basically, Google forces you to prove this is a legitimate, intentional transfer.
My Hard-Learned Warnings
Don't Rush the Process
I've seen too many business owners try to complete a sale or handoff quickly, only to hit this wall. Many times this will come up - referring to the error messages - when people try to rush.
Plan for the full timeline from the start.
The Error Messages Are Normal
When you try to transfer too early, expect rejection messages. Don't panic thinking you broke something. Just wait the full 7 days and try again.
Document Your Timeline
I always keep track of:
- The exact date I added the new owner
- When the 7-day period expires
- Screenshots of each step
- Confirmation emails from Google
What I Tell My Clients About Timing
Be realistic about timelines. If you're selling a business or handing off management, factor in at least 8-9 days for the complete process (adding owner + 7-day wait + transfer execution).
During the waiting period, the business profile still functions normally. The current owner maintains full control until the actual transfer happens.
My Success Process After Seven Days
So here we are seven days later. Now I can actually complete the transfer:
- I hit the primary owner option for the new person
- Press save to make them the primary owner of this profile
- The system accepts it without errors
- The other profile is no longer the primary owner
- The new owner can log in and remove anyone else
- That's it. The transfer is complete.
Why This Matters
I'm sharing this because I wish someone had told me about the 7-day rule before I ran into it repeatedly.
Most generic guides miss this completely because they're written by people who haven't actually done multiple transfers.
The "proof and trust" requirement isn't just Google being difficult - it's protecting legitimate business owners from fraud. But knowing about it upfront saves everyone time and frustration.
Bottom Line
Respect Google's 7-day rule. It's not negotiable, and fighting it just wastes time. Build it into your timeline from day one, and your transfers will go smoothly every time.
After handling dozens of these transfers, this is the one insight that makes the biggest difference between success and frustration.
Based on my direct experience completing dozens of Google Business Profile ownership transfers. The 7-day rule and transfer requirements reflect Google's current system as of 2024-2025.