Registry premium domains guide

Registry premium domains are unique names that registries offer at non-standard prices. They are typically short, memorable, or single-word names that customers will pay a premium to own. As a reseller, you set the final price and capture the margin, but you also need to handle pricing, registration, and renewals carefully so customers are not caught off guard.

How registry premium domains are priced

Registry premium domains fall into three pricing groups. Each group has different rules for registration, renewal, and transfer pricing.

Why offer registry premium domains

Offering registry premium domains lets you earn higher margins and retain high-value customers who would otherwise buy elsewhere. Customers searching for premium names are usually looking for something specific, so expanding your inventory gives you a competitive edge and helps drive repeat business.

When you offer these domains, follow these practices:

• Inform the customer of all premium fees at the time of purchase.
• Keep enough funds in your account to cover future fees.
• Vet large purchases to protect against fraud.
• Alert the customer about variable pricing at the time of purchase, when applicable.

Identifying registry premium domains

Premium status appears in your search results when you look up a domain in the Reseller Control Panel. The way pricing details display depends on whether the registry premium setting is enabled in your account.

When the registry premium setting is enabled

1. Start a new order in the Reseller Control Panel and search for the domain you want to register.
2. When the domain is available, you are taken to the registration page.
3. Under the registration period, a note indicates that the name is a premium domain and shows the one-year price. Select Registration renewal pricing to view renewal costs.

When the registry premium setting is disabled

1. When you search for the domain, it appears as a registry premium domain in the results.
2. Select Registry premium domain to view pricing details and see which group must be enabled before you can submit an order.

Enabling registry premium and placing an order

Once you enable the appropriate settings, registry premium domains are available through the standard domain order process.

1. Sign in to the Reseller Control Panel and select Domains from the main menu.
2. Select the Settings tab.
3. Scroll to the enable registry premium section and select Edit.
4. Toggle the switches to enable any or all of the three groups.
5. Select Save.

Warning: Before enabling any premium group, make sure your system is updated to handle the API requirements for registry premium names.

Renewals for registry premium domains

Registry premium domains must be renewed manually. Auto-renewal is not available because renewal prices can be very high, and a customer should never be surprised by an unexpected charge for a domain they did not plan to keep.

API commands for registry premium domains

The following commands in the OpenSRS API XML guide are most relevant when working with registry premium domain searches and registrations.

• lookup (domain) — Attributes and example request and response.
• name_suggest (domain) — Attributes and example.
• get_price — Attributes and example.
• sw_register — Attributes and example.
• renew (domain) — example request and response.

Next steps

• Enable the premium groups you want to offer. Decide which of the three groups fits your pricing model and turn them on in the Reseller Control Panel.
• Update your billing and order flows. Make sure your storefront, invoices, and customer notifications clearly show premium pricing for registration, renewal, and transfer.
• Build a manual renewal reminder process. Premium domains will not auto-renew, so put a workflow in place to contact customers before expiry.

Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.