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Linking Personal and Business accounts - Account types?

I searched the help and forums, but couldn't quite find the answer to my question.

My wife has a long-held Dropbox Plus personal account, which syncs to her laptop (via the Dropbox app with the standard Dropbox folder). She recently opened a Basic account for limited professional use, which has now grown and in need of an upgrade. Up until now, she's only accessed it through her browser. Ideally, this account can be synced to her laptop, along with the personal one, while keeping the two accounts clearly seperate.

I've gotten as far as discovering that one can *link* a Personal and Business account, which seems to do exactly what we want, but I'm confused on which exact plans have the capability.

Per this page, the Business account for individuals is the Professional. But this page confuses me about whether a Plus account can be linked with a Professional account, or if it has to be a Business Standard. This first screenshot's description makes it sound like the Professional account is not a Business account, when it is clearly listed under Business in the second screenshot...

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Help!

Also, just to confuse matters, we already upgraded her professional account to a Plus account, but I think I can easily upgrade further if needed.

Last, if anyone has experience with linking personal and business accounts -- is it pretty easy and foolproof? I believe I read there are actually two different Dropbox folders (presumably labeled appropriately) that otherwise behave like a normal personal one. That would be ideal. Too much fiddling with the app, or logging in and out, will only create confusion.

We're on macOS, if that makes any difference.

Thanks for any and all help!

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Rich

@devynosborne wrote:
But this page confuses me about whether a Plus account can be linked with a Professional account, or if it has to be a Business Standard.

While Professional is considered a business account, it's an individual account, just like the Basic and Plus accounts. Account linking can only be done with a team plan, which would be Business Standard or Business Advanced. You can't link a Plus and Professional account.

I believe I read there are actually two different Dropbox folders (presumably labeled appropriately) that otherwise behave like a normal personal one. That would be ideal.

That's correct. The existing personal account would have its folder renamed to Dropbox (Personal) and the Business account would be in a folder called Dropbox (Team Name), where Team Name is the name you give to the Business team.

All comments

Rich

@devynosborne wrote:
But this page confuses me about whether a Plus account can be linked with a Professional account, or if it has to be a Business Standard.

I believe I read there are actually two different Dropbox folders (presumably labeled appropriately) that otherwise behave like a normal personal one. That would be ideal.

devynosborne

Thanks for the fast reply!

@Rich wrote:
While Professional is considered a business account, it's an individual account, just like the Basic and Plus accounts. Account linking can only be done with a team plan, which would be Business Standard or Business Advanced. You can't link a Plus and Professional account.

Ah, I see. So it's more accurately described as linking an individual and a team account. This page (which links to the above) uses personal and work descriptions, which was part of the confusion.

2022-03-01 - PM-08-49-23 - screen shot.png

Anyway, that's super helpful, thank you!

One follow up: Does the Individual account take up one of the user slots of, say, the Business Standard plan? I don't imagine her needed the team member options, but you never know.

@Rich wrote:
That's correct. The existing personal account would have its folder renamed to Dropbox (Personal) and the Business account would be in a folder called Dropbox (Team Name), where Team Name is the name you give to the Business team.

Great, that's perfect.

devynosborne

One more question, if @Rich or anyone else knows.

My wife's personal account is an old grandfathered Dropbox Plus w/ Packrat account. If she links this account to her Business Standard account, will she lose her grandfathered features (namely Packrat)?

My question comes up when I found this thread with @Rob_Cash.

I can't tell if a "linked" account counts as "joining a team", and thus changes the account type.

Or does a linked account effectively stay separate?

Maybe another way to ask, is if we still get charged for both. The instruction on linking make no mention of transferring to a team, unlike the team instructions.

devynosborne

I figured it out. The two linked accounts remain separate.

HKC

This is ridiculous and misleading.

EMarioC

Yes, it's confusing and it feels like I'm being punished. I've paid for years what is going on here? So now that they got rid of teams, which I never wanted anyway but used my business account. Does this mean I can't synchronize these once-linked accounts? if this is true then as I've been doing for years I can no longer sync my personal and business accounts to the same PC?

Hannah

Thanks for the nudge, @EMarioC and sorry for any confusion.

If your business account was a free team and you had linked it with a personal account, yes, you won't be able to link these two accounts any more.

A personal account can only be linked to a paid Dropbox Business account. You can read more about what happened here.

strongroots1

I'm in a similar situation, though I reversed the account types (Basic for personal, Plus for my business). Because I'm a solo entrepreneur, I don't need the teams function, but would like to functionally separate my personal and business activities. Since I don't qualify for the teams accounts (only 1 person), it looks like the only option is to move all my files into one Dropbox account or move to a different platform altogether for at least one of them, if I want syncing to devices.

devynosborne

@strongroots1 wrote:
I don't qualify for the teams accounts (only 1 person)

My wife was able to sign up for her Business Standard account, even though she is just one person. No other team members necessary.

You may mean that a Business Standard account is overkill for you. But I wanted to clarify there's no qualification (unless something changed with the very recent changes to teams).

strongroots

Just had a look, and it appears that yes, I can sign up for a Business Standard account, but would have to pay for 3 licenses (even though I would only be using one). I can hope that Dropbox will at some point count Professional accounts as being equivalent to Business Standard for this purpose of linking accounts, but in the meantime, I’ll be looking at alternatives.

EMarioC

You stated: If your business account was a free team and you had linked it with a personal account, yes, you won't be able to link these two accounts anymore

No, my former 'Team Account' is billed ($119 per year) under the name "Dropbox Plus', you have converted it to this NEW category of 'Personal Account.' This account WAS AND IS NOT FREE. However, YOU CHANGED IT FROM A BUSINESS ACCOUNT to a 'Personal Account', Not ME! 'The TIS team has been disbanded by Dropbox. Your team’s folders have been converted to shared folders, and all TIS groups have been deleted. Your account has been converted to a personal Dropbox plan'

WHY, WHY, WHY?

Any resonable person would understand that an account called a TEAM account to which you could add other seats for more Team memebers is a business account. Why would this ever be 'converted' to a personal account?

So this is how it will go moving forward. I will move all my data (I'm moving my 2+ TBs to another service. I'm done with you. I will tell everyone who will listen (IT Pro for 30+ years) to Drop! You and why. Trust me they will listen.

Your messaging is deceptive, confusing and self serving. Just terrible. The text below from I guess what is now an outdated web page. You have waisted my time and caused me to move 2T of data to another provider.

Keep teams flowing

Dropbox helps your team with tools that bring everyone’s work together in one focused place. Access and share files, coordinate projects with co-workers, and communicate right alongside everyone’s work.

This account WAS AND IS NOT FREE.

Jay

Hi @EMarioC, it was possible to be a member on a a free team account, and also be on a paid Plus account. In the system, it would have appeared as a work account, not a personal account.

Your Plus quota wouldn't have been shared with other members of the free team, however. Your quota would remain on your own account.

EMarioC

You still don't get it, do you?

I have (1) free account

I have one Paid Account ($119.00 per year)

You called my paid account a Team Account

You billed me under the name Dropbox Plus

Stop, here, think, I just wrote PAID ACCOUNT

My Paid Account has 2T of storage

So, I'm logged into my PAID ACCOUNT

I chose Upgrade

I'm offered, wait for it,,, Dropbox Plus as an option

Why does your system offer me the ability to upgrade to the account type I already have?

If I then were to decided to purchase the Professional for Individuals (you call this a business account)

I would then go from 2TB to 3TB
How do I get my data from my Dropbox Plus (don't call it Teams account) to the this new account?
Where does it state I can then link my free account to this new account?

Do you know what is not mentioned or listed on the Compare All Dropbox Plans Page? The ability to link a 'personal' account with a 'business' account! Is this an option?

This is what I belive has happened. I have been a paid client for so long that I have had my account, upgraded, changed, renamed so many times because of the changes you've made. Now my version of your Dropbox PLUS account with 2TB (you now offer this Plus Account with 3TB) AT THE SAME PRICE! is some kinda of baterdized account. You are looking at my setup though the eyes of what is offered today to new clients. So the reward for being with you so long is you can't understand my account struture or just don't wish to dig in, look and at your own services evolution, and do the right thing.

At the end of the day, you have offered NO SOLUTION to the issues I've raised.

You wrote: Hi @EMarioC, it was possible to be a member on a a free team account, and also be on a paid Plus account. In the system, it would have appeared as a work account, not a personal account.

So, its was possible, and who made it possible? who did not account for displacing long time clients like me?

You folks are wearing me out, its like shouting into the wind!

adgs

Yeah I am quite confused. I logged on only to find the linking is gone and my DropBox Plus account I pay for is now a personal account, when it never was listed that way. Very disappointing. I too am a single biz person and do not need teams. This is why I had it set up this way, so it is very confusing, misleading if they've changed things and now single business people like us are being forced into something we did not sign up for as our only option. I too need to start searching for new options.

adgs

With all due respect DropBox...what he is saying is true. I am in the same boat, like many others who I have spoken to who are confused. We had a free personal, and upgraded, adding a DropBox Plus account that we pay for, so we could have that simple level biz account for our small businesses. I don't see why we are now not given the option to keep them linked. Seems very unfair.

Denniz

Rich

I have been a LONG time Dropbox user. I had my personal basic and plus linked and switched back and forth without a hitch. Boom all of a sudden a month of so ago it just stopped working.

I wish ( may be I lost the message) someone would have given us heads up that this is not going to work.. It has led to a lot of confusion as I had no idea they changed this and they keep on using the word business ( when plus was a professional account) now the terminology is changed… Go figure.. PLUs is now first tier personal account !!!!

At any rate, just wanted to share in the even other linked accounts users are in my situation.

Rich

@Denniz wrote:
... they keep on using the word business ( when plus was a professional account) now the terminology is changed… Go figure.. PLUs is now first tier personal account !!!!

The terminology hasn't changed in years. Basic, Plus and Professional accounts have always been personal accounts (i.e. an account intended for an individual). Dropbox has, on one of their plan comparison pages, grouped Professional in with Business because it shares some features with the Business plans, but it is still a personal account.

The last time the personal plans changed was likely in 2017 when the plan formerly known as Pro was renamed to Plus, then sometime later the new Professional plan was introduced with more storage and additional features.

Denniz

Ditto !!!

I am on the same boat. Had a small business account and my personal account linked. Been a Dropbox user for EVER.. like over decades. And could simply switch back and forth between the personal and “plus” account .. And all of a sudden out of no where they are not linked. This worse part is that I GAVE way too much credit and professionalism to Dropbox and assumed that the goof happened because of some upgrade in the window…

LORD knows how much time I spent looking for solution.. AND Dropbox NOT ONCE showed us the courtesy to tell us “hay guys you now need to use ‘business.’ And too me weeks to check out their multi tier price options with business now being way way way up there..

Very VERY VERY disappointing..

I just thought i was the only person in this mess.. I just don’t know what to say.. .

They did not even give us the courtesy to say hay you poor saps who have small business, if you can not afford it, here are your options .. something anything .

Just leave me high and dry using the same word “business” is if it’s definition has always been the same..

Denniz

Thanks for clarifying. I understand now that the terminology had not changed. But they did change the options for linked accounts which was my may area of confusion

At any rate, thank you for taking the time to explain.

Denniz

EMarioC :

Thank you so much for spending all this time and framing the issue.

I WAS SO SO confused and went through the exact same experience you beautifully outlined below .

EVERY thing you highlighted happened to me. And all of sudden I was not sure why on earth I needed to upgrade to something I already have. Or ‘what the heck happened to the link account? “ My accounts had been linked FOR EVER .. I honestly don’t remember the last time I had unlinked account. .. It is now up to the user to “code switch,’. We had one paid account and one not paid and they were linked. And most of us that used the paid ( professional / business what ever the heck they want to call it ) for our professional activity ( small business, academic etc) and had a business. The Dropbox keeps on using the vocabulary business account, confusing the main issue we are trying to highlight — this even worse and more infuriating and crazy making..

it is as if our experience never existed …

Thank you so much for the summary as I was still trying to figure out what the heck was going on. AND AT LEAST NOW I UNDERSTAND my experience.. I want to emphasize how much I appreciate your summary and comment below. I had spent hours looking / chatting asking for tech support wondering what was wrong with my device ( assuming I lost my beloved linked account because of some goof with software upgrade) and yet when I will ask for assist and clarification it was a play on words and crazy making, leaving me more confused …

I could have been a simple one liner .. ‘ hay current plan holder effective xxx date, linked account options will not longer be availed under your current plan and you options are xxx ,xxx .’ Simple ..

Regards

Dzolnoun

Liz16

I have a similar but slightly different problem: a dropbox plus account for my personal use, but have been invited to a Standard Business Account for work. I need to keep these accounts separate (not merge them!), but I'd prefer to have them both easily accessible on my laptop in separate folders. I cannot only use online access as the internet is intermittent. Please could someone advise on EXACTLY how this is done. The articles are not helpful in puzzling this out.

Mark

You need to follow https://help.dropbox.com/accounts-billing/multiple-accounts/link-unlink-two-accounts from one of the accounts. Notably the 'Link Your Accounts' space.

Liz16

But this article does not tell me whether I can link Dropbox Plus and a Standard Business account! I am still in the dark here.

Nancy

Hi @Liz16, I hope you’re doing well!

If you check the article @Mark attached above, it says on top that if you’re on a Business Standard team, you can link your team account with a Dropbox Plus one.

In case you face any issues though during the process, then please let me know.

Cheers.

James JAMS

Yes this annoys me too. It used to work, but now they want to force you into multiple paid accounts, and upgrade one to a business account which from what I understand Costa much more $$$

James JAMS

Can a single user not be a professional or a business? What you are doing is not carring about or helping the entrepreneur or small business of one (which there are many) and only supporting large business or businesses.

Plus & pro should be business accounts, and these larger super expensive account, maybe call them "Enterprise" or something signifying a larger need for users or data and give the little man (or woman) back their power!

jseiwert

Well, a bit late. but if u did link to a teams account your packrat feature and _ALL_ the file versions it had stored were deleted by an automated script with _NO_ way to retrieve the file versions. I have opened 2 dbox tickets and after going up the support tiers I was told "sorry, no luck. we can restore the packrat feature but _NOT_ all the file versions we deleted. No where in the linking process was this explained and I was not made aware of the impeding doom from my files. Super bad practice on dbox part. Clearly the "customer success" part of dbox is not listened to and only the revenue generation team and programmers are making the decisions.