Domain Transfer FAQ

If a question of yours is not listed below, please do not hesitate to email us at transfers@namesonic.com. We would be happy to help.

1. How can you charge only $15 per year when my current registrar charges $35 per year?
There are three main reasons for the large price difference between domain registrars and discount domain registrars, like Namesonic.

  • First of all we are able to negotiate substantial volume discounts with our suppliers for domains. Rather than purchase one or two domains per year like the average buyer, we purchase thousands on behalf of our customers. Just like the more expensive registrars, our customers own all rights to their domains.
  • The second reason is that many domain registrars do not want to lower their pricing structure. Many of these companies already hold hundreds of thousands of domains whose customers each pay $35 per year. If they were to offer you $15 pricing to keep your business, they would have to offer that price to all of their customers, which would likely result in lower profits for them.
  • The third reason for this large price discrepancy is that many of the larger domain registrars have much higher overhead costs to run their business. It is not uncommon for the CEO and management of these companies to be paid salaries and benefits in the millions of dollars. In addittion these company’s spend large amounts on their offices and marketing. At Namesonic, we do not believe that these high expenses are directly related to a better customer experience. We make sure that every penny spent improves our services to you.

    • 2. When can I transfer my domains?
    You can transfer your domain at any time as long as it has been registered for a minimum of 60 days with your current registrar. We also do not recommend a transfer within 12 days of its expiry date. Some registrars will not let you transfer your domain away from them within 30 days or less of expiry. Because of this, we recommend that you transfer your domain as soon as possible. Remember that not a single day of your previous registration term will be wasted.

    3. Is the service the same when you use a discount registrar like Namesonic?
    Most discount registrars offer the same services as the more expensive registrars and often have better levels of customer support. All domain names, no matter where they are registered, are entered into the same central database. Once a domain is registered through us, your domain information is stored alongside the information of people who registered through a more expensive registrar.

    4. Will my website be inactive during the transfer process?
    No, your website will be not be interrupted at any time during the transfer process.

    5. Why do I need to confirm 2 transfer request emails?
    There are 2 reasons for the email confirmation.
    The first reason is for security. The emails are sent to ensure that a domain is not hijacked or stolen from its rightful owner.
    The second reason is that your current registrar would rather you keep your business with them. Some of the losing registrars send out their confirmation email and force you to respond within 3 days. They hope that you will forget to confirm the email and stay with them for another year.