Why do I need to pay for a domain I already own?
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Hello,
I’m confused about the domain transfer process. I already own my domain and paid for it at my current registrar.
Why do I need to pay $13 now to transfer it to WordPress.com, and then pay $13 annually going forward?
I already own this domain – shouldn’t I just be able to connect it to my WordPress site without these fees?
Can someone explain what I’m actually paying for here?
Thanks
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Hello there,
The fee indeed is for the same domain but it is not wasted. As part of the transfer process, we also renew your domain, so it will be extended one additional year.
After that, it will renew at its usual price from the new expiration date.
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But we already paid for this domain for this year (renewal should be in Aug 26), so why do we need to pay again?
Thank you for your answer
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If you’re moving to WordPress.com shouldn’t you be buying an annual plan (Personal plan or higher for more features) as then the domain transfer is included for free. Just having a domain without a plan doesn’t work too well.
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Hi @webuy312a0ffeee,
The transfer fee isn’t a second charge for the same year. When a domain is transferred between registrars, the process automatically includes a one-year renewal, so your current expiration date (August 2026) would be extended to August 2027. You’re not losing any time you already paid for.
That said, you don’t need to transfer your domain at all if your goal is just to use it with your WordPress.com site. You can keep the domain with your current registrar and simply connect it to your site, no transfer fee required.
Here’s the guide for connecting an existing domain instead:
https://wordpress.com/support/domains/connect-existing-domain/
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