2026-09-14
.com Wholesale Price: History of Increases and Upcoming Changes
The wholesale price of a .com domain is set by the registry operator VeriSign under its contracts with ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA). Registrars pay this price for every registration and renewal, plus the ICANN fee, and the retail price consists of this cost plus the registrar's markup. This page collects every increase since 2021 and the rules under which the price can change further.
Price history
| Period | VeriSign wholesale price | ICANN fee | Total for the registrar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before September 1, 2021 | $7.85 | $0.18 | $8.03 |
| From September 1, 2021 | $8.39 | $0.18 | $8.57 |
| From September 1, 2022 | $8.97 | $0.18 | $9.15 |
| From September 1, 2023 | $9.59 | $0.18 | $9.77 |
| From September 1, 2024 | $10.26 | $0.18 | $10.44 |
| From July 1, 2025 (ICANN fee increased) | $10.26 | $0.20 | $10.46 |
| From November 1, 2026 | $10.97 | $0.20 | $11.17 |
Over five years, the cost of a .com domain for a registrar has gone from $8.03 to $11.17, an increase of 39%. Each VeriSign increase was exactly 7%, the maximum allowed by the contract. Details of the 2026 increase: .com wholesale price rises to $11.17 on November 1, 2026.
How the contract limits the price
The terms are set by Amendment 35 to the Cooperative Agreement between VeriSign and NTIA, in effect since 2018. The contract runs for six years and is divided into six "pricing years", each from October 26 to October 25. No increase is allowed in the first two pricing years of a cycle; in each of the remaining four, the price may be raised by no more than 7%. VeriSign chooses the date within a permitted year: in the previous cycle it was September 1, in the current one November 1.
The current cycle began on October 26, 2024, after the contract was renewed, and ends on November 30, 2030. The first permitted window opens on October 26, 2026, and the November 1, 2026 increase uses it. Three windows remain: the pricing years beginning October 26, 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Projected prices through 2029
The contract does not require VeriSign to raise the price, but in all five permitted windows since 2021 the increase has been the maximum. If this continues, the prices will be as follows:
| Projected date | VeriSign wholesale price | ICANN fee* | Total for the registrar |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 (announced) | $10.97 | $0.20 | $11.17 |
| Late 2027 (+7%) | $11.73 | $0.20 | $11.93 |
| Late 2028 (+7%) | $12.55 | $0.20 | $12.75 |
| Late 2029 (+7%) | $13.42 | $0.20 | $13.62 |
*The ICANN fee may also rise: it stayed at $0.18 for more than ten years and was raised to $0.20 in July 2025.
Retail prices rise by at least the same amount, since registrar markups are usually a percentage rather than a fixed sum. The difference between registrars remains and amounts to several dollars per year; current prices are listed on the .COM page.
After 2030
The contract renews automatically for another six years unless NTIA declines the renewal in writing 120 days before the term ends. This has never happened in the history of the agreement. If renewed on the same terms, the pattern repeats: two years without changes, then up to four increases of 7% each.
This page is updated with each announced increase.