bulkdomains.com can easily help you with all your domain transfers and renewals.  Below is a comprehensive list of FAQ's regarding domain transfers, renewals and security that should answer many question you might have.

If you would like to transfer one domain at a time right now, click here to begin the transfer process for the price of $9.85 per domain through our Express Account.

If you have multiple domains that you would like to transfer in the next several months, one of our Wholesale Plus Accounts is the best solution.  You can transfer one domain at a time or in registry for the wholesale price of only $8.95.  You will be able to manage all our domains in one account and take advantage of the many free management tools also.

Click here to learn how to avoid the
top reasons for transfer rejection
and what to do if your transfer order
request has been rejected.

Nameserver Function And Domain Registration Transfers

When a domain name registration is transferred the current nameservers are not changed or updated.  In this way if you use a web hosting company, there will be no downtime in the registration transfer.  Once the domain is transferred, you can of course update the nameservers 24/7 from your domain control panel.

After a domain transfer is complete and successful you can update or change the nameservers to use our nameservers.

Click here to learn more about Nameserver Management.

Common FAQ’s About Domain Transfers and Renewals

Can I transfer my domain name from my current registrar?

How do I initiate a transfer order request through the Express / Registry Rocket account?

How do I initiate a transfer order through my Wholesale Plus Account?

How is my transfer order confirmed?

I have many names at different registrars. Can I transfer names in registry? 

When should I start to transfer domain that are about to expire?

When I transfer a domain name before the expiration date, do I lose any of the registration time I had paid for already? 

Can I still transfer my domain if the expiration date has already passed?

Since the expiration date has already passed on my domain name, what can I do to prevent losing the name? 

Can I transfer a new domain I recently registered with another registrar?

When a domain name is transferred, is there any change to the nameserver information?

Will I need to confirm the transfer with a confirmation email from my current registrar? 

How long does it take for a domain transfer to take place? 

How is payment handled when I initiate a transfer order? 

Can I transfer my domain away to another registrar in the future?

What can I do to protect my domain from an unauthorized transfer by another party?

My transfer was rejected - What could have gone wrong?

My transfer was not successful - what can I do now?

 

Can I transfer my domain name from my current registrar.  Top
Domain names can easily be transferred from one registrar to another.  There are over 100 different registrars that are accredited with ICANN, the regulatory board that oversees the .com, .net, and org, domain registrations.    Most registrars don’t charge an extra fee for the transfer, just a minimum one-year extended registration fee. 

How do I initiate a transfer order request through the Express / Registry Rocket account?   Top
Click here to start a transfer order.  Next, click on the "Transfers" hyperlink.  You will see the following screen:

Initiate Transfer     *Domain name: (1)    .  com net org info cc (2)    .  com net org info cc (3)    .  com net org info cc (4)    .  com net org info cc (5)    .  com net org info cc   *New Domain Password:     *Re-type Password:        Registrant Information     *First Name:   *Last Name:     *Address1:     Address2:     *City:     *State/Province:      State Province   *Postal/ZIP Code:     *Country:     Organization Name:     Job Title:     *Email Address:     *Phone:     Fax:

Fill in the domain names you would like to transfer.  Create your own password that you will use to late manage your domain through the domain control panel if and when your transfer is successful.  Fill out contact info which needs to be complete and accurate.  Then click on the "Transfer" button at the bottom of the form. 

You will go to the next screen which is the Payment Information:

Step 2:  Payment Information   * Credit Card type:   VISA Mastercard Discover American Express * Cardholder's Name:     (as it appears on the card)   * Credit Card number:       * Expiration Date:     01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12    2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Fill in your credit card information and expiration date and click "Purchase".  Please note that your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is successful.

The transfer process is not immediate - it can take 2-7 days to be completed.

How do I initiate a transfer order through my Wholesale Plus Account?   Top
1)  Login in to your Wholesale Plus Account and click on "domain names" on the left menu bar. Next, click on "transfers".

2)  Click on "Auto verification" - This is our paperless transfer system. For EACH domain on the request, we will e-mail the current domain registrant contacts for authorization.  For large quantities of domains with the same registrant, a single page FAX may be an easier option rather than sending a reply to multiple emails.

3) Another option is to click on "Fax" - This transfer type requires you to fax us a signed authorization letter. The authorization letter will be available for you to print upon order submission. All domains in a single fax order must have the same Registrant.

4) Click another option for .info and .biz (EPP transfers) - This transfer type requires you to enter the current authorization key for each domain.
No further verification (such as fax or auto verification) is required for these domains.  Authorization keys are obtained from the current registrar.

5) Click "Next" and you will see the following screen.

When to use this form: This form allows you to request a domain name transfer from another Registrar. Do not use this form if you want to register a name, host a name (DNS), change DNS information, or push a name from one Wholesale Plus account to another Wholesale Plus account. Note: You must read and accept the Terms and Conditions. So far, only .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .cc are supported in our transfer process. .tv, .nu and .bz are coming soon.

Domain name(s) to be transfered

examples:   myname.com myothername.net

Registrar Lock: Do not allow these names to be transferred to another registrar.   (recommended) Auto-Renew: Renew the registration of these domain names when they expire.   (recommended) Apply WhoIs Info: Automatically transfer universal WhoIs contact information.   (recommended) Password: Assign domain name password.

6) You can pre-configure your domains with several options.

Registrar Lock Option - This is a security protective feature - This prevents an outside source from transferring your domain to another registrar in their account by falsifying documents and requests. 

You can deactivate this feature at any time in the future if you would like to transfer to another registrar.

Auto-Renew -  When you have added funds to your your reseller account or have a credit card on file in your retail account, domains with Auto-Renew will automatically be renewed one year of registration 30 days before their expiration date.  Your renewal price will usually be the same price as new domain purchases for that domain extension.  This is a great protective feature.

Apply WhoIs Info - By checking this box the current Whois contact information will be automatically transferred with no changes.  This is a good option if you have registered domains on the behalf of customers and want to keep the whois info the same after the transfer.

If you do not check the "Apply Whois Info" box, when the domain is transferred the contact whois info will be changed to reflect the contact information of your account.

Password: - You can assign a password for limited access for a customer with this check box.  If the domains you are transferring are your domains you do not need any additional passwords.  You will be able to manage all the domains from within your Wholesale Plus Account.

7) Click "Next" and you will go to the following screen:

Pending orders
Domain Name	Price	Lock	Auto Renew	Transfer universal WhoIs info.	Password Set
mydomaintransfer.com	$$$$	On	On	Yes	No
Total Price:					$$$$
Note: Pending orders will stay in our system for one week from creation date.
Submit your transfer order.  Cancel your transfer order.

Click on "submit" to initiate the transfer order or "cancel" to cancel your transfer order.

Reseller Account - Available Balance & Account Balance.

Please note that once your transfer order has been initiated in your reseller account the necessary funds needed for that transfer is temporarily deducted from your available balance.  This means that your available balance will be different from your account balance while the transfer order is pending.  If the transfer is not successful, the funds will be automatically added back and reflected in your available balance.
 

How is my transfer order confirmed?   Top
When you initiate a new transfer order your current registrar is contacted on your behalf to let them know you would like to transfer your domain(s). You will most likely receive a confirmation email from your current registrar.  You will also receive for security, one or more auto-verfication emails sent with a confirmation link to verify the transfer request from us.

Make sure to check the email that is listed on the whois database record for the legal registrant and/or the administrative contact.  ( You can check your whois database record quickly at http://checkdomain.com ) If this is an old email that you do not check or have access to, you won't be able to confirm the domain and the transfer will be rejected. You may need to update your contact record with your current registrar to reflect a current email you have access to.

Please allow 2-7 days for the transfer to be completed. You will receive a status email at the end of this time frame to let you know if the transfer is complete. You will not be able to access your domain with your password from our home page until the transfer is successful and complete.

I have many names at different registrars. Can I transfer names in registry?   Top
Yes, you can transfer up to five domain names on the same transfer order for the Express / Registry Rocket account and unlimited registry transfers with a Wholesale Plus Account.. 

When should I start to transfer domain that are about to expire?    Top
A domain transfer order request must be made before the current registrar’s expiration date. First, a transfer order request must be initiated.  The date that is it received is the date your transfer order has been initiated.  In case of possible registrar rejection and other errors or other problems that can occur during the transfer process, it is best to start a transfer order several weeks before the expiration date.

When I transfer a domain name before the expiration date, do I lose any of the registration time I had paid for already?    Top
In most cases, when a domain name is transferred, an additional year of registration is added on to the expiration date.  For example, if a domain is set to expire 6-01-2002 and it is successfully transferred to another registrar in May 2002, a full year of registration is added on starting at the expiration date.  This makes the new expiration date effective 6-01-2003.   In this way, domains can be transferred in the middle of a registration year with essentially no loss of registration time already paid for.

There is one exception to this, however. After a domain has been renewed at the same registrar, if the domain is transferred in the next 45 days, the added one year of registration time will be lost.  If the transfer takes place after 45 days of the last renewal date, then the typical full year of additional registration is added.

Can I still transfer my domain if the expiration date has already passed?  Top
Domain names cannot be transferred from one registrar to another if there is an outstanding invoice due for the domain.  Once the expiration date passes for domain renewal, there is an outstanding invoice in effect from the current registrar (until at least a one-year renewal is paid), which prevents the domain from being able to be transferred. 

Since the expiration date has already passed on my domain name, what can I do to prevent losing the name?    Top
If the expiration date has passed, you will need to renew the domain for one year with your current registrar. You can choose to transfer the domain right after your renewal, but if it is less than 45 days since the last renewal, you will lose that added year of renewal registration from the other registrar. After 45 days you will keep the renewal year.

Many registrars will retain the domain in a grace period 10-30 days after expiration.  After the expiration date, your domain is put “on hold” pending renewal payment.  Once you make the renewal payment during that time, your domain name is updated with another year of registration.  You can then transfer the name to another registrar, but you will lose the one-year registration if you transfer the name less than 45 days after the renewal date.

Another option is to try and re-register your domain after it totally drops off, but this is risky because someone else could register your domain. 

Can I transfer a new domain I recently registered with another registrar?  Top
 A domain name cannot be transferred to a new registrar in the first 60 days after its initial registration with the current registrar.  After 60 days has passed, the domain can be transferred to another registrar.  This applies only to “new” domain registrations – there are different guidelines for renewals. 

When a domain name is transferred, is there any change to the nameserver information?   Top
 When a domain name is transferred, there is no change to the current nameserver information if an outside nameserver has been used (such as the nameserver of a web hosting company).  If a nameserver of the former registrar was used (an example would be a "parking page" or "under construction" page provided by the registrar), then after the transfer these settings would stay the same.  You can easily update nameservers 24/7 from your domain control panel.

Will I need to confirm the transfer with a confirmation email from my current registrar?    Top
After a transfer order request is made, the current registrar may ask for email confirmation from the legal owner or administrative contact to verify the request to transfer.  It is important to check the email that is listed in the whois database and promptly reply to any confirmation email.  This is one common problem that can delay or disqualify a transfer order request.

How long does it take for a domain transfer to take place?     Top
It usually takes between 2-7 days for the transfer to be complete. 

How is payment handled when I initiate a transfer order?    Top
Your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is successful.

Can I transfer my domain away to another registrar in the future?   Top
Yes, in your domain control panel scroll down to the bottom and unclick the box for "Registrar Lock".  This will make your domain available to be transferred to another registrar if your would like.

What can I do to protect my domain from an unauthorized transfer by another party?    Top
You can protect your domain by activating "Registrar Lock".  This prevents an outside source from transferring your domain to another registrar in their account by falsifying documents and requests. 

On the domain control panel for your domain name, scroll down the bottom of the screen and choose “Registrar Lock” feature and update.  You can deactivate this feature at any time if you would like to transfer to another registrar.

My transfer was rejected - What could have gone wrong?   Top
There are several reasons that your transfer might be declined or rejected. Please review below and then resubmit your request for a new transfer order if it is still before the expiration date. (Please note that your credit card was not charged if the transfer did not go through)

1) You need to respond to one or more verification / confirmation emails. One is from us, and one may be from your current registrar. You need to respond to these emails within an allotted time period (Verisign / Network Solutions requires a response to accept/decline a transfer request within 72 hours, we require a response within 6 days - others registrars may vary or not require a verification email).

2) If your current registrar requires a verification email it would have been sent to the email listed in the current whois database. You may not have checked that email if it isn't an email address that you check on a regular basis.

3) Your current email listed in the whois database may not have been valid or functional.

4) A domain name cannot be transferred to a new registrar in the first 60 days after its initial registration with the current registrar. After 60 days has passed, the domain can be transferred to another registrar. This applies only to “new” domain registrations – there are different guidelines for renewals.

5) You may have made the transfer request after the domain's expiration date. Domain names cannot be transferred from one registrar to another if there is an outstanding invoice due for the domain. Once the expiration date passes for domain renewal, there is an outstanding invoice in effect from the current registrar (until at least a one-year renewal is paid), which prevents the domain from being able to be transferred.

Many registrars will retain the domain in a grace period 10-30 days after expiration.  After the expiration date, your domain is put “on hold” pending renewal payment.  Once you make the renewal payment during that time, your domain name is updated with another year of registration.  You can then transfer the name to another registrar, but you will lose the one-year registration if you transfer the name less than 45 days after the renewal date.

Another option is to try and re-register your domain after it totally drops off, but this is risky because someone else could register your domain. 

6) Your current registrar may have a registrar lock feature. Contact your registrar directly to turn this off.

7) Your registrar may have refused to respond or release it. Call and email your registrar to verify and confirm your transfer request. Your registrar may have a minimum number of years to keep the domain before transferring.

My transfer was not successful - what can I do now?    Top
At this point since your most recent transfer order was not successful, you can start again and initiate a new transfer order.

You can do this only if it is done prior to the expiration or renewal date.  If the expiration date has passed, you will need to renew the domain for one year with your current registrar. You can choose to transfer the domain right after your renewal, but if it is less than 45 days since the last renewal, you will lose that added year of renewal registration from the
other registrar. After 45 days you will keep the renewal year.

When you initiate a new transfer order, make sure to check the email that is listed on the whois database record for the legal registrant and/or the administrative contact. For security, one or more auto-verfication emails will be sent with a confirmation link to verify the transfer request. ( You can check your whois database record quickly at http://checkdomain.com ) If
this is an old email that you do not check or have access to, you won't be able to confirm the domain and the transfer will be rejected. You may need to update your contact record with your current registrar to reflect a current email you have access to.

Write down the password you enter during the transfer order sign-up process.  When the transfer is successful, you will be able to login to manage your domain with this password from our home page.

Please allow 2-7 days for the transfer to be completed. You will receive a status email at the end of this time frame to let you know if the transfer is complete. You will not be able to access your domain with your password from our home page until the transfer is successful and complete.

FYI - Your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is successful.