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I'm looking to register a domain for the first time, and I'm trying to weigh the costs. I'm just wondering if you transfer to a different registrar after some time, do you pay both the old and the new registrars? Do publish transfer rates refer to moving out, moving in, or both?

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    I think you shouldn't have mentioned that it's for a personal domain ;) Seriously, registrars rarely inflict transfer fees, you mostly pay the minimum which is one extra year of registration tacked on to your domain. Some registrars make renewals less expensive to keep clients, some make transfer-ins less expensive to attract new clients, but ont the registry-registrar backend a transfer imperatively entails a one-year extension of the registration. (You can also vote up comments ;) )
    – Law29
    Apr 9, 2016 at 8:27
  • So, does this mean that if I intend to transfer to a different registrar, I should express intention to move out 1 year before (for most registrars)?
    – Psycho Punch
    Apr 9, 2016 at 8:35
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    @Law29 "Some registrars make renewals less expensive" - well, I have never experienced this. In my experience it is more common the other way round... renewals being more experience (or rather, the initial registration fee being "reduced"). Your "average user" will tend not to change their registrar.
    – MrWhite
    Apr 9, 2016 at 12:37

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Transferring a domain away from a registrar is free of charge; as long as the domain is unlocked and you provide the correct EPP code to the incoming registrar the transfer can commence.

The incoming registrar will charge you a transfer fee for the incoming domain transfer but will also extend the registration period of the domain by an additional year.

For example: If I purchase example.com from GoDaddy on January 1st 2000 for 1 year the domain will have an expiry date of January 1st 2001. However, If I transfer this domain from GoDaddy to Name.com on May 6th 2000 Name.com charges you a transfer fee for the incoming domain transfer but after the domain has successfully been transferred it's new expiry date would be January 1st 2002. It just adds an additional year.

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  • Can a registrar block me from transferring?
    – Psycho Punch
    Apr 9, 2016 at 9:34
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    @PsychoPunch Yes under certain circumstances a transfer can be denied by the outgoing registrar; however it must be for one of the following reasons: Evidence of fraud, Court order by a court of competent jurisdiction, Reasonable dispute over the identity of the Registered Name Holder, No payment for previous registration period, The transfer was requested within 60 days of the initial registration date or previous transfer date. You can read the policy set forth by ICANN in which registrars have to follow here - icann.org/resources/pages/policy-2012-03-07-en
    – Analog
    Apr 9, 2016 at 10:14
  • "Transferring a domain away from a registrar is free of charge" - some registrars do charge an admin fee. If they do, it should be stated in the T&Cs.
    – MrWhite
    Apr 9, 2016 at 12:34
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    For the record, about three years ago, I transferred a few last domain names from when I was a webhost from Network Solutions to GoDaddy that were ours and got missed. Ooopppssss!!! This was days after a renewal. GoDaddy did not charge a fee at all during the transfer. I only paid the renewal fee a year later. Each registrar is different of course. Most are really really nice because they want your business. Some are not so nice. But they are few and in between and seem to be in countries where there is little to no choice.
    – closetnoc
    Apr 9, 2016 at 14:32
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Some registrars do charge the full fee without refunding what's already been paid with the old one. At least Hetzner explicitly states that this is possible:

If you are transferring a domain to us, we may charge you for the domain again depending on your order. This may happen even if you have already paid for the domain for a year at your old provider/registrar.

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  • While technically true, I think this is misleading. You will be charged the renewal fee, but your domain validity will be extended by a year, so if you are keeping the domain name long term it is no more expensive. Also, some registries (eg .nz) don't charge for moving domains between registrars.
    – davidgo
    Dec 4, 2022 at 22:42

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