.com Price Rise Nov 1: Renewal Lock-in Guide

.com is getting more expensive. According to Maxinames (September 30, 2026), the .com wholesale price rises from $10.26 to $10.97 per year on November 1, 2026 — an increase of $0.71 per year.

The wholesale price is what registrars pay the registry. When it goes up, retail prices almost always follow. If you hold a portfolio of .com domains, the window between now and November 1 is a clear opportunity to lock in today's rates.

How rate-locking works: renew now, pay today's price

Domain renewal pricing follows one simple rule: the price at the moment you pay is the price that applies. Renew before November 1, and your renewal is billed at the pre-increase wholesale level.

The maximum registration period for a domain is 10 years — meaning a single renewal can lock in current pricing for up to a decade. The math:

Hold 10 .com domains and renew each for 10 years before the deadline, and that's $71 saved. This isn't a loophole — it's normal cost optimization within the rules.

Which domains deserve an early renewal

Not every domain is worth maxing out to 10 years. Prioritize like this:

1. Core assets: domains with live sites, traffic, or brand value — renew these for the full term.
2. Expiring after November 1: you'll have to renew them anyway, so do it before the price goes up.
3. Long-term investment names: if you plan to hold for 3+ years, a 5–10 year renewal spreads the cost.
4. The "maybe" pile: names expiring soon that you don't really want — don't renew for a year just to save $0.71. Let go of what you'd drop anyway.

Renewing with USDT: step by step

Using DomainROC as an example, here is the USDT renewal flow:

Step 1: Select domains and term

Log in, open your domain management page, check the .com names you want to renew, and choose the renewal term (1–10 years). The order page shows the total — verify it before proceeding.

Step 2: Choose USDT payment and note the deposit details

At checkout, select USDT/crypto payment. The page displays a deposit address and the exact amount due down to the cent — write both down. The address determines the network; the amount determines whether your payment matches automatically.

Step 3: Send on the matching network

Transfer from your wallet or exchange. There is exactly one rule: send on the network the deposit address supports. An address starting with T takes TRC20 only. A 0x address could be ERC20, BEP20, or Polygon — read the network label on the payment page instead of guessing. Cross-chain mistakes are usually unrecoverable.

Step 4: Save your transaction hash and wait for credit

Keep your TxHash. On-chain arrival is not the same as order matching — the amount must match the order to the cent, and even a one-cent difference can trigger manual review. If your order status stays stuck, contacting support with your TxHash is the fastest resolution.

Fee reference (October 2026 observed ranges): TRC20 ~1–3 USDT, BEP20 ~$0.03–0.5, Solana usually under $0.05, ERC20 ~$3–15 (higher when congested). For large renewals, picking a low-fee network saves a little extra.

What the $0.71 actually means

The $0.71 increase is per domain per year at the wholesale level — the price registrars pay Verisign. Your retail price includes the registrar's margin, so the actual increase you see at checkout may differ slightly by provider. But every registrar faces the same wholesale cost, so retail prices across the industry move in the same direction. When comparing providers, look at the total checkout price for your desired term, not just the advertised first-year promo rate.

One more nuance: promotional first-year pricing (e.g., $1.99 for year one) is unaffected by this change — the increase applies to renewals and to the wholesale cost behind standard pricing. If you registered domains on deep promos, check what the renewal rate will be; the sticker shock often comes at year two, not year one.

Three reminders

1. Don't wait until the night of October 31. Leave yourself buffer for transfer confirmation and possible manual review — acting 3–5 days early is the safe move.
2. It's the wholesale price rising. Retailers may adjust on different schedules, but the direction is the same. Compare using the retail price you actually pay.
3. Audit before you renew. List every domain expiring after November 1, rank them by the priority above, and do it in one batch instead of paying transfer fees multiple times.

---

*Price source: Maxinames, September 30, 2026. Fee figures are October 2026 observed ranges; always check the live number in your wallet or exchange before sending.*