Domain name registry

blaugranabhoy

Hi,

I'm an IT illiterate so forgive my lack of knowledge with this question.

When I pay to have a domain name registered, who does that money go to? What I'm getting at is that it all seems a bit iffy when so many different websites offer the registration service at greatly varying prices.

If I want a web domain can I not just claim a name for myself and save myself this fee?

Regards.

seamus

You'll always have to pay a fee of sorts. The registry are the people who hold the record. They are the ones you are registering with, and they charge a fee to register the domain.

However, very few registries allow you to register your domain directly through them and so you have to go through a registrar, who's effectively just reselling the domain to you. This is so that the registry doesn't have to deal directly with consumers. Instead the registrars make registrations in bulk and have automated systems for this, which makes the registry's life a lot easier.

Most registrars give you the domain at cost or with a discount, in the hope that you'll also buy hosting with them. Shop around alright, but in general you shouldn't pay any more than €10/year for a .com, .net, or .org and around €30/year for a .ie.

mneylon

If you're concerned about dodgy companies check out the list of ICANN registrars:
http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/accreditation.htm

If a company isn't on that list then they aren't an ICANN accredited registrar and are acting as a reseller of one.

For .ie domains you'll find a list of recognised companies here:

http://www.iedr.ie/ListResellers.php

For .eu the list is here: http://www.eurid.eu/en/eu-domain-names/registrar-list (you can search by name or by country)

For co.uk see: http://www.nominet.org.uk/registrars/becomeregistrar/taglist/

blaugranabhoy

Thanks for replies guys...much appreciated...seems like pretty easy money for these companies all the same.

seamus

They make very little money on each individual transaction, if they make anything at all. Companies need to have hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of domain customers to make decent cash from it.