Sometimes a domain name provider may charge a lot more than another for domain names. Because of this, a very popular support call to Digital Pacific involves the question, as seen in the title, “How do I transfer my domain name?” Normally, this question is asked in the sense that a customer has already purchased a domain name from another provider and would like to transfer it to Digital Pacific, perhaps to take advantage of a decreased registration fee. Since this is such a popular topic, we have decided to focus on the process in this article.
Why would I transfer a domain name?
Domain name transfers change the entity responsible for the domain records. Perhaps you would like to take advantage of cheaper registration fees, or just because you would like to keep all domain names and hosting in one place with the goal of making management easier. It is important to note that a domain name is the same no matter where the domain name is held.
Important Note
Before completing and submitting any transfer forms, we suggest that you update the nameservers of your domain to point to Digital Pacific at NS1.digitalpacific.com.au and NS2.digitalpacific.com.au. Completing this process will help to ensure your website stays active after the domain finishes the transfer and gets put into a locked mode for a few days.
Basic Process
Usually, the process to transfer a domain name will be laid out on the domain provider’s website, you can perform a domain name transfer without any intervention from the current registrar, as long as you have your domain transfer password you can move your domain name to any registrar of your choice. Below we are going to let you know the steps to keep in mind if you are transferring a domain name to Digital Pacific.
To transfer a .au domain name to Digital Pacific, you must first do two things:
1) Make sure your email address associated with the domain is valid so you can receive the domain transfer initiation email. To do this simply log in to the members section where your domain name is currently registered and update your email address.
2) Get your domain password, which you can do by using the domain password retrieval tool on the auDA website.
When you have these two items sorted, fill out the domain name transfer form after which time Digital Pacific will send the initiation email. You MUST click on the link in this email for the transfer to begin, if you don’t click this confirmation link the transfer is void. After you have confirmed the transfer it should take in the area of 2 to 5 days to complete which will be confirmed by an email from Digital Pacific.
The cost of transfer is free if the domain name is not set to expire in the next 90 days.
To transfer a global domain name (.com, .net, etc.) to Digital Pacific, you must do three things first:
1) Make sure your email address associated with the domain is valid so you can receive the domain transfer initiation email. To do this simply log in to the members section where your domain name is currently registered and update your email address.
2) Get your EPP code, which you can do by contacting your current provider. In most cases you will be able to see your EPP code or transfer password from within your current registrars management section. They usually hide it somewhere tricky just to make life a little harder for you when you are taking your domain name management from them.
3) Whilst you are in the management console make sure domain transfer lock is OFF at your current provider. This is a mechanism that stops people from stealing domains via some sneaky methods.
When you have these three items sorted, fill out the domain name transfer form after which time Digital Pacific will send you the initiation email. You MUST click on the link in this email for the transfer to begin. After you have confirmed the transfer it may take up to 7 days to complete which will be noted by an email from Digital Pacific.
The cost of transfer is the same as the cost of a new domain registration, however the transfer process also adds another 12 months on to the current expiry date, so essentially you are not really paying for a transfer but also another 12 month extension. It is important to note that a global domain must be renewed at the current provider, before transfer, if it is set to expire in the next 7 days. We have had customers attempt to transfer domain names one or two days prior to the due date that, in most cases render the domain inaccessible.
So, if you feel the need to move your previously purchased domain names to Digital Pacific, we hope this gives you a bit of guidance for the process. By doing so, you can better manage your domain names and hosting, or just get a great rate for future renewals.
If everything you have read above is too confusing, please give us a call and we can help with the process.
