Registrar Transfer

1. What is a Registrar Transfer? A Registrar Transfer refers to the process of transferring your domain name from one registrar to another. Domain transfers have become very popular lately as consumers switch from registrars charging $35 per year to registrars like Namesonic, who offers the same service for only a fraction of the cost.

2. Is a Registrar Transfer the same as an Ownership Transfer? No, An Ownership Transfer refers to the process of changing the legal owner (i.e. registrant/owner information on the whois) of a domain name. You will need to complete an Ownership Transfer Form if you are selling your domain to another company or individual. Some ownership transfers are done as a result of a court order or voluntary transfer.

3. Do I have to wait for my domain to expire before I can transfer my domain? No, the remaining time of your domain is simply carried forward so you do not lose any registration time. However, when you transfer your domain to another registrar, like Namesonic, you have to purchase at least one more year to add to your current term in order to complete the transfer. For example, you decide to register your domain for 1 year with Namesonic and you have 2 months remaining with your existing registrar, when you transfer your domain to Namesonic, you will have a total of 1 year and 2 months before your domain expires. However, it is now common for domain registrants to transfer for 2, 5, or even 10 years to secure their domain for a longer term and to lock in the low pricing.

4. Will my site be interrupted if I switch registrars? No, your site will not be interrupted at any time during the transfer process.

5. How do I perform a Registrar Transfer? Your first step in transferring your domain to us is to fill out our online Registrar Transfer Form. We will then forward your transfer request to your current domain registrar. Your current registrar will send a confirmation email to the administration contact for your domain. This confirmation email must then be confirmed in order for the transfer to be completed. Your domain is your property and you have the right to transfer it to the registrar of your choice. Sometimes, the registrar that is losing the domain will attempt to keep the domain by allowing only 2-3 days for you to respond to the confirmation email. If this time were to elapse, the transfer would be cancelled. If this is the case, we will continue to send transfer requests to your current registrar to release your domain to us. You will only be billed for a successful transfer.

6. How long does it take to complete a transfer? Registrar transfers usually take 3 to 5 days. However, in some cases, it might take up to 10 to 14 days depending on the current registrar.

7. My domain can not be transferred -- what happened? It could be one of the following reasons: Your domain has been registered for less than 60 days. ICANN regulations will not allow a transfer until 61 days after it is initially registered. Your domain is put on hold by your original registrar. Some registrars will automatically hold all domains that are expiring within a month. (Please read the next question.) Your domain has expired and/or payment is due to your current registrar. If you have received an invoice for the domain but the domain has not expired, you should still be able to transfer your domain.

8. My current registrar denies my request to transfer my domain to Namesonic -- what can I do? If your current registrar is holding your domain before it actually expires, we encourage you to contact them and ask to have your domain released. You are the owner of the domain and have every right to choose a registrar of your choice. If you are unable to resolve this problem and your domain expires, we suggest that you renew your domain with the current registrar for 1 year and complete our Registrar Transfer form immediately so we can transfer your domain out for you.