This answer will explain how you can transfer a top level domain into your Reseller account.

GTLD Domain Transfers

GTLD domain names in the .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info extensions can be transferred fully to our administrative control. A GTLD transfer differs from simply changing the name servers for a domain name where administrative control and responsibility for the domain name remains with its present registrar. Once a GTLD transfer is complete, its previous registrar has no control or responsibility for the domain name and you can manage and renew the domain name via your webfusion control panel.

Transferring domain names to our administrative control benefits you by having full control of all your domains and hosting accounts in one central control panel, saves you money as future renewals of the domain name will be carried out by us at our competitive rates and allows webfusion to provide you with a superior level of support on matters relating to your domain name.

For a domain name to be eligible for a GTLD transfer it must have been registered with its current registrar for at least 60 days and must not expire within the next 15 days. Even if all of these criteria are met, the current registrar may still refuse the transfer for any reason including but not limited to a dispute regarding the domain name or fees for its registration being outstanding. You are advised to check with the current registrar that they will allow a registrar transfer prior to initiating one.

The shared registry system requires that when a domain name is transferred between registrars successfully, its registration period be extended for a period of 12 months. webfusion will charge you for one years GTLD domain renewal when you initiate a GTLD transfer and its existing expiry date will be extended by 12 months once the transfer is complete.

The process for initiating a GTLD domain name transfer to webfusion varies slightly depending on the extension of the domain name and is documented below.

Initiating a .com or .net GTLD Transfer

To initiate a GTLD transfer request for a .com or .net domain name not currently present in your webfusion control panel, add the domain name to your account via the Add Domain page. Enter the domain name you wish to transfer, select the 'Existing Domain' option, and specify where the domain name should be mapped (pointed) to. Click 'Next' to proceed and choose 'Registrar Transfer' from the drop down box on the following page.

For domain names already hosted on your account but not under our administrative control, click the 'Manage' link adjacent to the domain name in the domain names listing and click 'Initiate Transfer' on the resulting page.

The initiation of a GTLD transfer requires the renewal of the domain name for one year at the same time, the charges for the transfer including the one year renewal are shown on the next page. Enter your account PIN number carefully and click 'Transfer Domains' to proceed.

The .com and .net GTLD Transfer Process

On initiation of the transfer request, webfusion will send an email to each of the contacts listed in the domain name's current whois record requesting authorisation to transfer the domain name. Provided at least one of the contacts replies with an authorised response and none of the contacts reply with a declined response within 5 days, webfusion will send a transfer request to the current registrar.

Initiating a .org, .biz or .info GTLD Transfer

To initiate a GTLD transfer request for a .org, .biz or .info domain name not currently present in your webfusion control panel, add the domain name to your account via the Add Domain page. Enter the domain name you wish to transfer, select the 'Existing Domain' option, and specify where the domain name should be mapped (pointed) to. Click 'Next' to proceed and choose 'Registrar Transfer' from the drop down box on the following page.

For domain names already hosted on your account but not under our administrative control, click the 'Manage' link adjacent to the domain name in the domain names listing and click 'Initiate Transfer' on the resulting page.

The initiation of a .org, .biz or .info GTLD transfer requires the current registrar to provide an authorisation code, often referred to as an "Auth-Code" or an "Auth-ID". You should contact the existing registrar whom should provide this. The following page will contain a blank field into which the authorisation code should be entered.

The charges for the transfer including the one year renewal are also shown on this page. Enter your account PIN number carefully and click 'Transfer Domains' to proceed.

The .org, .biz and .info GTLD Transfer Process

On initiation of the transfer, webfusion will send a transfer request directly to the current registrar together with the authorisation code supplied. Providing the current registrar has no objection to the transfer it should complete without further intervention within 10 days.

Monitoring and completing a GTLD Transfer

For most registrars the above steps are all that is required to complete the process, however certain registrars also have their own authorisation procedures which you will need to comply with in order for the transfer to complete. You will need to check with the current registrar what procedures if any you will need to follow in order to transfer the domain name successfully.

You can check the current status of the transfer request via the manage domain name page for the domain in question. Once the transfer process is complete, you will have full control over the domain name via your webfusion control panel.

Failed Transfer Requests

If the transfer request fails for any reason (e.g. none of the contacts authorise the transfer, one of the contacts decline the transfer or the present registrar declined the transfer), you will receive an email notifying you of the reason for the failure and the status of the transfer request will be shown as 'Transfer Fail' on the manage domain name page.

We cannot offer you a refund for a GTLD transfer request in any circumstances as we are unable to cancel requests and obtain refunds from the central registry. You can however reinitiate the transfer request as many times as is required free of additional charge until the transfer process completes successfully. To do so, click the 'Transfer Fail' link adjacent to the transfer request on the manage domain name page. and then click 'Reinitiate Transfer'. Before doing so, you should ensure that the reason for the failure has been addressed such that the reinitiated request does complete successfully. For .org, .biz and .info domain names, providing the original transfer request did not fail due to an incorrect authorisation code, you may re-enter the authorisation code provided by the current registrars.