Domain Names

Transferring Non .UK domains to UKC

The process for non .UK domain names such as .com, .net and .guru is very easy as long as you carefully follow the transfer-in process.

Follow the steps below for a trouble-free transfer

In our example, we will use yourdomain.com but of course, replace this with your actual domain name.

1. At your current registrar: Ask your registrar to “unlock” your domain name so that you may transfer it away. Sometimes you can do this through your registrar control panel, or you may need to ask them to do this for you.
2. At your current registrar: Check that your domain admin email address is current and that you can receive emails to this address. If it is not, update the email address to your current email address. The public WHOIS will show this as the ADMIN-C email address.
3. Go to “Start the Transfer” and enter yourdomain.com and then hit the “Transfer” button. Your domain transfer will be added to the cart and you will be taken to the checkout.
4. Complete the checkout process. This adds your domain to your Client Area > Domain > My Domains panel. The registry charge a 1 year renewal fee however we return this to you by extending your domain name by 1 year. This is going to be cheaper than renewing for 1 year with your current registrar.

Monitoring the progress of your domain transfer

Non-UK domain name transfers follow a particular process and can take up to 7 business days to complete.

You can monitor the progress of your transfer in Client Area > Domains > My Domains > yourdomain.com > Manage Domain > Information

1. PendingOwnerApproval: At this stage, an email is sent to the domain admin (ADMIN-C) email address. When you receive this email, you must approve the transfer (usually you just click a link). Then we move to stage 2.
2. PendingRegistryApproval: Here, the registry are aware of your transfer authorisation and require a few business days to approve the transfer. After this stage the transfer of your domain name is complete.
3. TransferTimedOut: If you see this then your transfer has stopped. This is usually because stage 1 was not completed and you did not respond to the authorisation email. Contact us to restart the process. There is no additional charge.

Here is an example of your Transfer-In Status:

Transferring Nominet .UK domains to UKC

The process for .UK domain names is very easy and involves what is called a TAG change. Once the TAG is changed, your domain transfer is complete.

Follow the steps below for a trouble-free transfer

In our example, we will use yourdomain.co.uk but of course, replace this with your actual domain name.

1. Ask your existing domain registrar to “Change the IPSTAG of yourdomain.co.uk to MICROLITE”. Some registrars provide a control panel for your to do this and others you need to ask the helpdesk to change the tag.
2. Go to “Start the Transfer” and enter yourdomain.co.uk and then hit the “Transfer” button. Your domain transfer will be added to the cart and you will be taken to the checkout.
3. Complete the checkout process. This adds your domain to your Client Area > Domain > My Domains panel. There is no fee to pay for .UK domain name transfers.

Monitoring the progress of your domain transfer

Once your IPSTAG is changed to MICROLITE your domain transfer is complete and you will be able to use the domain parking features as with any other registered domain name.

You can monitor the progress of your transfer in Client Area > Domains > My Domains > yourdomain.com > Manage Domain > Information

Here is an example of your Transfer-In Status:

Transferring to UKC Makes Sense

Once you have used UKC for a domain name registration you will soon realise that keeping all your domains together under a single registrar will not only save you time but can also save you a considerable sum of money.

Reasons why you should transfer your domains to UKC

• The renewal costs are lower than your current registrar
• You receive 1 year extension added to your domain (excludes .UK domains)
• We do not hold your domains hostage – you can transfer away at any time
• We do not charge a transfer away fee should you wish to leave
• You receive free domain parking features for all domains

How much does it cost to transfer to UKC?

This is an important point. We ensure that the transfer in fee is less than renewing your domain with your existing registrar.

• There is no transfer-in cost for .UK based domain names. Your domain expiry date remains unchanged upon completion.
• For all other domain extensions the transfer-in cost is equivalent to 1 year renewal – usually much cheaper than renewing with your existing registrar.

Upon completion of transfer your domain name expiry date is extended by 1 year (not .UK domains). So in effect, the transfer is free. It makes sense to transfer your domains to UKC rather than pay more to renew them elsewhere.

How do I transfer my domains to UKC?

The process differs according to the domain extension. There’s a process for .UK domains and a process for all other domains. The guides below will show you how to transfer your domains to your UKC account.

• For .UK domains – see Transferring .UK domain names to UKC
• For non-UK domains – see Transferring non-UK domains names to UKC
• For all domains – see Start the Transfer-In Process