A domain transfer usually costs one year of registration, often 10 to 20 dollars for a common extension like .com, and that same fee adds a year to your registration. Most registrars do not charge a separate line item for the act of transferring. The real question is what you pay for, and where surprise charges like redemption fees can push the total higher.
The standard transfer fee explained #
When you move a domain from one registrar to another, ICANN rules require the losing and gaining registrars to add one year to your registration term. You pay the new registrar for that year at their published rate. For .com names in 2026, that runs about 10 to 15 dollars at budget registrars and up to 20 dollars or more at premium ones.
Your existing time does not disappear. If you had eight months left, those months carry over and the new year stacks on top. You are buying time, not paying a toll to leave.
Some extensions cost more. Names like .io, .ai, and .co carry higher renewal rates, so a transfer of one of those can run 30 to 70 dollars for the added year. Check the gaining registrar’s renewal price for your exact extension before you start.
One rule catches people out. ICANN sets a 60 day lock after you register a domain or after any prior transfer. During that window you cannot move the name at all, at any price. Plan around it if you just bought or moved the domain.
When a transfer is free #
A transfer is effectively free in a few situations:
- Promotional pricing. Registrars often run transfer promotions at a few dollars or at cost, especially for new customers.
- Internal account moves. Pushing a domain between two accounts at the same registrar usually costs nothing and does not add a year.
- Free extensions. A handful of TLDs waive the added year, though these are rare.
Read the fine print on promotions. A one dollar transfer that renews at 25 dollars next year can cost more over two years than a plain transfer at a registrar with honest renewal pricing.
Redemption fees and other surprise costs #
The redemption fee is the one that stings. If a domain expires and you miss the renewal grace period, it enters a redemption phase. Recovering it there costs far more than a normal renewal, commonly 80 to 200 dollars on top of the renewal price, because the registry charges a restore fee.
You cannot transfer a domain that is in redemption or pending deletion. You have to restore it first, pay the redemption cost, then wait out the transfer eligibility window. Watch for these charges too:
- Privacy service fees. Some registrars bundle free WHOIS privacy, others bill for it yearly.
- Early renewal traps. Renewing right before you transfer means you pay one year, then pay another year for the transfer. Time your move instead.
- Premium domain renewals. A name flagged premium by the registry can renew at a much higher rate every year, and that price follows the domain to any registrar.
Why the transfer year is not wasted money #
People hesitate at paying a renewal just to switch, but you rarely lose value. The year you buy replaces a year you would have paid your old registrar anyway. If your current registrar renews .com at 22 dollars and the new one charges 11, transferring during your renewal month saves money that same year. Consolidating several names under one registrar also cuts the time you spend tracking separate renewal dates, which is where accidental expirations and redemption fees start.
How to remove the transfer lock without overpaying #
Before any transfer, you have to remove the registrar transfer lock at your current registrar and get the authorization code, sometimes labeled the EPP or auth code. Both are free. No registrar can charge you to remove the transfer lock or to hand over the code, and stalling on either is against ICANN rules.
Follow this order to keep the cost at one clean renewal:
- Confirm the domain is at least 60 days old and was not transferred in the last 60 days.
- Turn off the registrar transfer lock in your current control panel.
- Request the authorization code, and disable WHOIS privacy if the code is hidden behind it.
- Compare renewal prices at two or three gaining registrars for your exact extension.
- Start the transfer, approve the email confirmation, and let it complete within five to seven days.
If you are still planning the site behind the domain, line up your free web tools and hosting first so the name points somewhere the moment the transfer clears.
The short version #
Budget one year of renewal at the new registrar, usually 10 to 20 dollars for a .com, and expect nothing beyond that if your domain is active and the lock is removed. Keep names from expiring so you never touch a redemption fee, avoid renewing right before you move, and check the exact extension’s rate before you commit. Do that and a transfer stays cheap and predictable.
