VeriSign to Raise Prices on Dot-Com

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Confirming what many domain registrars suspected, VeriSign CEO Stratton Sclavos said that his company, which controls the rights to the lucrative .com top-level domain, would raise rents sometime this year.

Under the terms of the contract with ICANN, VeriSign can raise the wholesale price for .com urls by as much as 7 percent per year with six months notice. That could mean a $.42 increase to $6.42 per year for each url.

“As it relates to .com, I think our expectation is that we’ll have some action here in the first half of the year,” Sclavos said told investors during the company’s quarterly conference call after an analyst asked about a possible price hike.

The Commerce Department would need to give final approval to any proposed rate change.

In December, VeriSign renewed its contract with ICANN for .com through 2012. The contract gives the company the right to raise .com prices during four of the six years covered in the agreement.

The .com TLD is by far the most popular on the Internet. There currently are 59 million domains registered which use the suffix.

Whether domain registrars choose to raise the retail price for .com domains will be a matter for each retail seller. But many analysts expect domain registrars to pass the price increase along to consumers.

Sclavos also said VeriSign, which administers the .net TLD, would likely raise prices by as much as 10 percent this year.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Watch: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Segpay Names Kristi Greer VP of Sales

Segpay has promoted long-time employee Kristi Greer to the position of vice president of sales.

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

Show More