Where the settings are
Everything below is in both registrars.
Renewing
- Unlock the domain at the current registrar.
- Request the authorisation code, sometimes called an EPP code or auth code.
- Start the transfer at the new registrar and enter the code.
- Approve the confirmation email, which goes to the registrant contact.
- Wait. Transfers typically take up to five days and cannot usually be hurried.
Transfer lock
The lock must be off to transfer, and should be turned back on the moment the transfer completes. That last step is the one people forget.
Moving the notices somewhere safe
Update the registrant contact before transferring, not after. The confirmation email goes to the address on record, and if that address is dead the transfer stalls.
Worth knowing about Transferring a domain between registrars
Two things worth knowing. A transfer usually adds a year to the registration, so you are not losing time. And a domain cannot be transferred within sixty days of registration or of a previous transfer, which surprises people mid-migration.
The three that actually prevent a lapse
- A payment card that is current. An expired card with auto-renew on is the most common cause of a lapse, and the failure notice goes to the same place as everything else.
- A contact address that survives someone leaving. Not personal, and not at the domain that is expiring.
- The renewal date recorded somewhere other than the registrar's email, because that is the channel that failed.