For many reasons it is not uncommon for a registrar to need to move a large batch of domains from one registrar accreditation to another. We refer to this as a bulk transfer and this operation can be executed at the CentralNic Registry level via the support of the Customer Success team.
What do we need to schedule this?
- Gaining registrar is required to be accredited for the TLD
- A definitive list of domains provided
- Registrar handle of the losing registrar specified
- Registrar handle of the gaining registrar specified
- Target date and time for the transfer (please allow ample lead time)
- Most importantly - Consent from the relevant Registry Operator that they approve the bulk transfer
What is the procedure to schedule this?
- Open a ticket with the Customer success team including the required information
- CentralNic will request written confirmation from both the losing and gaining registrar in order to comply with ICANN's confirmed transfer policy
- If approval from the relevant Registry Operator has not been supplied in the request, outreach to the Registry Operator will be required of you to proceed
- Once both registrars and the Registry agree to the transfer, list of domains, and date and time, CentralNic will schedule the transfer
- The transfer will be executed at the agreed date and time
- Confirmation will be sent to the Registry Operator and the involved registrars.
How will this affect billing?
- Open billing items with the losing registrar will stay with the losing registrar
- New billing items will belong to the gaining registrar
- No renewal will be forced on transfer
What does a bulk transfer cost?
- It is up to each individual Registry Operator to determine if there is a fee imposed on their side.
- CentralNic charge the gaining registrar an operational fee of $2,000 per scheduled migration. This can include TLDs from multiple Registry Operators in one bulk transfer granted approval is provided.
What will happen to the contacts?
As part of the transfer, we will clone the contact details on the to-be-transferred domains so that the gaining registrar has ownership and control over the contact details on the domains.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bulk Transfers
1.) What is the minimum amount of domains required for bulk transfers?
=> 500 as far as CentralNic is concerned from an RSP perspective. Each Registry Operator may determine their own threshold via BTAPPA or other registry policy and that is at their discretion as they provide registrars their approval.
2.) Is there a special handling for premium domains?
=> no
3.) Do the registrants need to be informed prior bulk transfer according to the registry policy?
=> no
4.) Will domain period stay the same after successful bulk transfer?
=> by default nothing changes, we can include renewal years if requested
5.) Will domains have any locks set (transfer, update lock, etc...) after a successful bulk transfer for a specific period?
=> no
6.) Can domains currently in redemption or with registry locks be included in the bulk transfer?
=> domains will need to be unlocked. If there is a domain object it can be transferred
7.) Will the domain contacts (+extensions) information also be transferred or cloned with the domains?
=> cloned so it falls under the sponsorship of the gaining registrar
8.) Will the registrars (losing and gaining) receive event messages/ transfer notifications for the corresponding domains?
=> no this is done out of band through a ticket (see article)