How much a .ro domain costs and what you actually pay for

In short

• A .ro domain is paid for per year; at NBT Host, €10 at registration and the same €10 at renewal.
• You pay for the right to use the name, registered in your name. The website, email and SSL certificate come with hosting.
• You keep a domain for years, so the renewal price matters more than the first-year offer.
• Costs that may come up later: changing the registrant, transferring to another registrar and recovering a domain that was allowed to expire.

What you actually buy when you buy a .ro

You don't buy a domain once and for all, like an object. You pay for a period during which the name is registered to you, and as long as you keep renewing it, it stays yours.

Every registration involves three roles:

• the extension's registry: for .ro, that's ROTLD, which keeps the record of all .ro domains;
• the registrar: the company through which the registration is made with the registry. NBT Host registers through Openprovider, an ICANN-accredited registrar and ROTLD partner;
• the registrant: you or your company. The registrant's name is what counts when you want to move the domain, change its settings or prove that it's yours.

So the company you buy from may be different from the registry, and the final price also covers its service: registration, yearly renewal, access to DNS settings and help when something doesn't work.

Registration price and renewal price

Many domain offers put the first-year price in big print. Sometimes renewal costs the same, sometimes more. That isn't a problem in itself if you know in advance; the problem is finding out only at the first renewal.

A business domain is kept for years, because it's also everyone's email address. So the right calculation covers several years, not just the first. At NBT Host, the price is the same at registration and at renewal:

Prices are final: NBT X SOLUTIONS SRL is not registered for VAT. You pay by card, in euros, through Stripe. All extensions and their prices are on the Domains page.

When you compare with other offers, line up:

1. the first-year price;
2. the renewal price, per year;
3. whether the displayed price includes VAT or VAT is added at checkout;
4. what a transfer costs if you want to leave, and how easily you get the transfer key.

What the price includes and what it doesn't

At NBT Host, the domain price covers:

• registration in your name, with the registry;
• yearly renewal, which we handle, charging your saved card, until you tell us to stop;
• the nameservers ns1.nbt-host.ro and ns2.nbt-host.ro, set from the start, plus the DNS settings for your website and email if your hosting is with us too.

Not included in the domain price:

• website hosting: the domain is just the address; the website lives on a server, in a web hosting plan;
• email: addresses like office@firma-ta.ro come with the hosting plan, not with the domain. At NBT Host they're included in every plan; the options are explained in business email on your domain;
• the SSL certificate: this also comes with hosting. On a domain hosted with us, the Let's Encrypt certificate is issued and renewed automatically, at no cost.

You can also get just the domain, without hosting: on the order page, untick hosting and fill in only the domain.

Costs that come up later

Changing the registrant

If you registered the domain as an individual and want to move it to your company (or the other way around), for .ro this is a registry procedure: the transfer of the right of use. Through NBT Host it costs €10 and extends the domain by 12 months.

Transferring to another registrar

The domain is yours and you can move it to another company at any time. For .ro, the move is made with an authorization key that ROTLD sends to the registrant's email. Hence a practical rule: the registrant's email should be an address you'll always have, not one on the domain you're just buying. If you want to bring it to NBT Host, the steps are in the guide transferring a domain; we'll confirm the transfer price for .ro on request.

Expiration

A domain that isn't renewed can be registered by someone else. Recovering it, if still possible, is more complicated and costs more than a renewal. That's why we renew automatically, 30 days before expiration, and why it's worth keeping your saved card up to date.

Cheap .ro domains: what to watch out for

A low price isn't a bad sign. But before you pay, check four things:

• Whose name it's registered in. The domain must be in your name or your company's, not in the name of the company selling it to you, nor of the one building your website. You can find out what registrant data is publicly visible in the guide on WHOIS and registrant data.
• What it costs from the second year. If it isn't stated, ask.
• Whether you get access to the settings. Without access to the nameservers or the DNS zone, you can't move your website or email yourself.
• How you leave. A fair provider gives you the transfer key without conditions, as long as the domain hasn't expired.

How to buy a .ro domain

1. Choose the name and 2–3 backup options. Ideas and simple rules are in the guide how to choose your domain name, and choosing the extension is explained in .ro or .com domain.
2. Prepare the registrant details: full name or company name and tax ID (CUI), address, an email and a phone number.
3. Order and pay by card, on the website. If you're an individual, tick the request for immediate registration: once registered, a domain can't be returned.
4. We register the domain once the payment is confirmed, and let you know. We check availability ourselves, with the registrar; if the name has been taken in the meantime, you pick another option.

The full steps are in the guide registering a new domain.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a .ro domain as an individual?

Yes. The registrant can be a person or a company. As an individual, you tick the request for immediate registration when ordering, because the right of withdrawal can no longer be exercised once the domain has been registered.

Does a .ro domain come with an email address?

No. Email on your domain comes with hosting. At NBT Host, addresses are included in every hosting plan: 10 on the Starter plan, unlimited on the others. The details are on the email on your domain page.

My domain is with another company. Do I have to move it to host my website with you?

No. You leave it where it is and only change the nameservers to ns1.nbt-host.ro and ns2.nbt-host.ro. For .ro, nameservers can also be changed directly with ROTLD. The steps are in the guide pointing your domain to NBT Host.

Can I pay for the domain for several years at once?

At NBT Host, the domain is paid for one year at a time and renews automatically, at the same price. If you no longer want the domain, turn off renewal from your NBT Account before it expires.

Do I need to confirm anything after registering a .ro?

No. Email confirmation of your details, with a 15-day deadline, is required for .com, .net, .org and the other generic extensions, under ICANN rules. It doesn't apply to .ro.