Registry, registrar and registrant

Verisign runs .com; your registrar sells it

Verisign operates the authoritative registry for .com. It receives updates from registrars and publishes the DNS delegation data that makes registered names reachable. A typical buyer does not open a retail account with Verisign. Instead, the buyer chooses an ICANN-accredited registrar, pays that company and uses its control panel.

This separation explains why the same available .com can have different prices at different shops. The underlying registry entry is the same; introductory discounts, renewal margins, privacy services and support packages come from the registrar. Compare the second-year price before being impressed by a first-year promotion.

Country domains use the same roles, but their own rules

NASK runs the .pl registry, DENIC runs .de, and Nominet runs .uk. Each publishes its own terms and works with registrars under its own model. A transfer code that works one way for .com may have another name, validity period or approval path in a national domain.

When a registrar says a name is unavailable because the applicant is not eligible, the restriction normally originates in registry policy. When a payment was charged twice or a control panel is broken, that is usually a registrar support issue. Knowing the boundary saves time.

The registrant is not necessarily the person who paid

The registrant is the holder recorded under the registration agreement. An employee, agency or hosting company may complete checkout with its own card without becoming the intended owner. Trouble starts when its email address and organisation details are also entered as the registrant.

For company domains, use the legal company name and an inbox that survives staff changes. Give an agency technical access without surrendering ownership. If cooperation ends, you should be able to change DNS or request a transfer without asking a former supplier for permission.

A transfer changes the seller, not the address

Moving a domain to another registrar normally leaves the registered name and DNS delegation intact. The receiving company takes over billing and account management. Before starting, save the DNS zone, unlock the name if required and confirm that the registrant email works.

Four questions for an account audit

Open the registrar panel and answer these questions. If one answer is uncertain, fix it before the next renewal.

• Which legal person or organisation is shown as the registrant?
• Which registrar controls billing and the transfer process?
• Which registry policy governs the extension?
• Who receives security and expiry notices, and is two-factor authentication enabled?