Registration Information
The Registration Process
Why do I need to register a domain?
Do I still need to register with VeriSign/NSI?
Are your Registrations ICANN accredited?
What TLDs can I register with Buy Domains?
How does your service work?
How long does it take for the new ownership information to show up on the Whois record?
What term should I choose to register my domains?
How come there is no space for an administrative, technical and billing contact on your registration form?
What is the Registrant of Record?
Who is the owner of the domains I register?
I lost my password. How can I recover it?
Can I transfer names that I already have registered elsewhere?
Can I transfer the name to another domain name registrar if I am not satisfied with your service?
Do I always have the right of first refusal to renew my domain registration before it expires?
What is the most efficient method to search for and register the best names for my industry or for speculative purposes?
What are the Registration Terms?
Payment Questions
How much does it cost?
What "hidden" charges are there that I am missing?
Does the registration cost include Website hosting services?
I have seen registration services for even less than you - what is up with that?
What are my payment methods?
My credit card was declined or rejected during the registration process, what should I do?
Contact Us
Contact Us
THE REGISTRATION PROCESS
Why do I need to register a domain?
In this digital age having your own unique identifier on the Internet allows your company to establish credibility and allows your customers to find you on the Internet. Domains are also used for email. For example, the email addresses [email protected] or [email protected] do not properly identify your unique business. Using such domains implies that your company might not be Net savvy. Domains help you reinforce and market your unique company name or attributes. Similarly, it looks unprofessional and is often difficult for individuals to type in a Web address with the following format: http://www.myisp.com/mycompany/. Having a domain name that clearly relates to your company will dissolve these issues and allow you to establish a strong and professional brand on the Internet. Click here to read more.
Back to top
Do I still need to register with VeriSign/NSI?
Absolutely not. Our $16 per year fee provides the exact same registration service and prevents you from ever having to pay $70 or $119 to our competitors. Our $16/yr. fee includes all registrar and registry charges. In fact, our free online domain management tools, free URL and frame forwarding, free domain parking, unlimited email forwarding, free domain listing service and responsive toll free customer support and email support is probably far superior to what you may have been accustomed to receiving from the former VeriSign/NSI monopoly - and at 1/3 the price!
Back to top
Are your Registrations ICANN accredited?
Yes. All of the domain services at Buy Domains are ICANN accredited and are in accordance with all laws regarding the transfer and use of domain names.
Back to top
What TLDs can I register with Buy Domains?
.COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, .US, and more
All the TLDs come with our value added services and are managed through your own control panel.
Back to top
How does your service work?
Search from www.buydomains.com by typing in the domain you are interested in where it says "Search and Register:" Or type in keywords that relate to your type of business in the "NameFind" section on our homepage. (Learn more about our patented NameFind search technology). After you click the "Find!" button, names that are available will then display a "Register Now - $16/yr". link next to them. After you click on the link, a SECURE form will be displayed.
Fill in your contact information, payment information, and choice of password - then click the Register Domain Now button. All of your information will be kept confidential. You will then receive a confirmation that your registration was successful. Minutes later you will receive an email with information explaining how you can access your private domain control panel to change any information regarding your registration (such as adding/changing a Domain Name Server (DNS) for hosting, adding email forwarding or URL forwarding - or changing your address, phone number or email address).
Back to top
How long does it take for the new ownership information to show up on the Whois record?
The root zone files that tell the world who owns a domain are only updated about once a day - so your ownership info should be visible to the world in less than 48 hours from the time you register. Until then it looks like there is no owner but it is impossible for anyone else to register the name you just registered. This is the same reason why you see a message that says "domain already exists" if you try to register the same domain twice. If you make changes to you domain using the control panel, a 
or "!!" will show up beside each domain to notify you that a change is in progress. Except for transfers, all changes take no longer than 48 hours to be completed.
Back to top
What term should I choose to register my domains?
Choosing the longest term possible is the best way to make sure your name is always yours. However, as long as you are sure to keep your contact information up to date on the online control panel, you will receive renewal invoices prior to the current expiration term of your domain. And as long as you pay the renewal invoice in a timely manner it will secure your domain for another term. To avoid any potential problems the 10 year registration term is the safest bet and it�s only $160 or less. Registering your domains for the longest term possible will also protect you from future inflation in registration fees.
Back to top
How come there is no space for an administrative, technical and billing contact on your registration form?
The contact information you initially put in is used as all three. However they can all be changed individually from your online control panel at anytime.
Back to top
What is the Registrant of Record?
The Registrant of Record, also referred to as the Legal Owner, is the entity which is the legal registrant of the name, and is tracked by the registrar for your security and so that no other organization or entity can request changes to the name. It is standard practice to use your full company or organization name as the Registrant of Record. If there is no company name, the name of the individual registrant can be used. It is possible that you will be entering the same value in the registrant of record field that you entered in one of the other fields on the registration form, which is fine provided that the data is valid. If at a later time you wish to change the Registrant of Record, which you would only need to do if you want to assign control of this domain name to a new company, entity or organization, you must pay a small fee ($25) and complete a formal transfer of registrant request. All other data may be changed by you at any time utilizing your control panel.
Back to top
Who is the owner of the domains I register?
You are the owner and will remain the owner as long as you pay your registration renewal fees at the end of your current registration term. Your ownership of the name means you can change any information you want on the domain, sell the name, transfer it anywhere you like, and use whatever hosting or email services you want.
You are not leasing the name and we take no ownership interest in your names. We do not require any advertising on your site or anything of the sort. Your ownership information will show up whenever someone searches that domain name at our site, at the VeriSign/NSI site, at the Register.com site and everywhere else that provides domain search services. Registration contracts at some of our competitors including VeriSign/NSI imply you are not the owner of the name you are registering and that it could be revoked for a variety of reasons. Be forewarned.
Back to top
I lost my password. How can I recover it?
Use our password recovery tool. If you are still having difficulty, please email [email protected].
Back to top
Can I transfer names I have already registered elsewhere?
Yes, we offer the same low prices and value added services with domain transfers. Learn more about transferring your domain.
Back to top
Can I transfer the name to another domain name registrar if I am not satisfied with your service?
Yes, as long as your initial registration is over 60 days old, you may transfer you domain to another registrar.
Back to top
Do I always have the right of first refusal to renew my domain registration before it expires?
Yes, you will always be sent a renewal notice to the current "billing contact". As long as you pay it in a timely fashion your domain will remain in your control. The billing contact and all registrant information can be changed on your online control panel
Back to top
What is the most efficient method to search for and register the best names for my industry or for speculative purposes?
The best way to search for multiple domains related to a specific industry or for speculative purposes, is to use our patented, NameFind Search Technology. If you are registering several domains we recommend that you take advantage of our Bulk Rates and easy to use bulk registration up-loader. Our registration tools are designed to allow anyone to search for and register hundreds of domains in minutes.
Back to top
What are the Registration Terms?
Please view our registration agreement
Back to top
PAYMENT QUESTIONS
How much does it cost?
Only $16 a year for all .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO and .US domains. Read more about our special bulk rates and other TLDs.
Back to top
What "hidden" charges are there that I am missing?
Nothing hidden - just $16 per name per year. Loaded with free services. Hosting is separate (but not hidden).
Back to top
Does the registration cost include Website hosting services?
No, hosting is separate. Buy Domains offers robust, all-inclusive hosting for absolutely free with the purchase of personalized email. All Buy Domains hosting packages comes with your own private hosting control panel (this is different from your domain control panel), 30-day money-back guarantee, the ability to add or update services at anytime, 24-7 technical support, and much more. Learn more about Buy Domains hosting.
Back to top
I have seen sites that promote registration services for even less than you - what is up with that?
These companies often require an upfront fee or volume commitment - or they require that you sign up for other pricey services. Regardless, they do not offer all of the free value added services that we provide like unlimited email addresses, URL forwarding, frame forwarding, online control panel, responsive toll free support, etc. These value added services are worth far more than the few dollars per year you might save registering with another site.
Back to top
What are my payment methods?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover
Back to top
My credit card was declined or rejected during the registration process, what should I do?
First try to submit your credit card again. Be sure to check and make sure your billing address, name and numbers match exactly. If it continues to fail try another credit card or contact your bank to make sure your card is authorized to make online transactions. If you continue to have problems, send an email to [email protected].
Back to top
CONTACT US
Please use our Technical Support Form or call 1-800-585-0522 from within the United States or Canada. International customers please call 1-858-560-9418.
Thanks for your support and please tell everyone about the great prices and services!!
Back to top
