Who is my registrar if I bought my domain from a reseller?

The accredited registrar whose program the reseller uses; an RDAP or WHOIS lookup on your domain shows it as the registrar of record. The reseller's name is all you see at checkout; the lookup is usually the only place the real registrar shows up.

Do domain resellers need ICANN accreditation?

No, and that's the point of reselling: the accredited registrar behind the reseller sponsors the registrations and stays responsible for them under ICANN's registrar agreement. That responsibility is why serious programs vet who they take on.

Is domain reselling profitable?

Rarely on its own. Wholesale-to-retail spread on a registration is small, so the money is in what domains attach to: hosting plans, websites, email, and years of renewals. Most successful resellers treat domains as the front door to a bigger product.

What happens to my domain if my reseller shuts down?

The registration survives; it lives with the registrar of record, not the reseller. You'd deal with the registrar directly to regain control, which is one reason to check who the actual registrar is when you buy through a small brand.

Back to Domains Glossary

What is a Domain Reseller?

A domain reseller is a company or person that sells domain registrations through a registrar’s reseller program rather than holding its own ICANN accreditation. The reseller runs the storefront and the customer relationship, while the accredited registrar behind it processes the registrations and remains the registrar of record.

Diagram of the domain supply chain: the registry runs the extension, the ICANN-accredited registrar of record processes registrations, the reseller provides the storefront and support, and you are the registrant.

More About Domain Resellers

Most companies that sell you a domain aren't registrars. Becoming an ICANN-accredited registrar takes fees, mandatory insurance, and a stack of compliance obligations, so thousands of businesses skip it. They plug into a wholesale registrar's reseller program instead, as the diagram above shows. Most customers never notice, and they don't need to.

How does domain reselling work?

The reseller signs up for a registrar's reseller program, which provides wholesale pricing and an API or storefront it can put its own brand on. When a customer buys a domain, the order flows through the reseller to the registrar, which registers the name with the registry. The reseller sets its own retail price and handles first-line support, staying the customer's main point of contact throughout.

Why do companies resell domains?

Usually because domains complete another product. Web hosts, website builders, and agencies resell domains so customers can buy the name and the site in one checkout, and billing platforms like WHMCS make the automation nearly free. Selling the domain next to the plan also keeps customers renewing everything in one place, year after year.

Is a domain reseller the same as a domain flipper?

No. A reseller sells new registrations as an authorized channel for a registrar. A domain flipper buys existing domains hoping to resell them at a profit on the aftermarket. The words get mixed up because both "resell" domains, but one is a distribution business and the other is speculation on names.

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