Domain registration is one of the recurring expenses of running a website. While introductory registration offers often attract attention, renewal prices are what really matter over the long term.
A recent domain transfer involving flipnzee.com provides a practical example of how website owners can reduce domain registration costs without migrating their websites or changing their hosting providers.
On October 31, 2026, the domain was transferred from IONOS to Wix. The total payment was just ₹510.94, including GST, for an additional year of domain registration.
This article examines the actual transaction, compares the cost with IONOS renewal pricing, and explains how website owners can use a similar strategy to manage their domain expenses.
1. Why Consider Transferring a Domain?
Many website owners register their domains and purchase hosting from the same company. However, domain registration and website hosting are two separate services.
A domain can be registered with one company while the website is hosted with another.
For example:
- The domain can be registered with Wix.
- The WordPress website can remain hosted on IONOS.
- DNS records can be managed through Wix.
- Website files and databases can remain on the existing IONOS server.
This separation gives website owners the flexibility to choose a registrar based on price while retaining their existing hosting arrangements.
In the case of flipnzee.com, the domain owner wanted to reduce the recurring cost of domain registration. The IONOS .com renewal price was approximately $20 per year, making it worthwhile to explore alternative registrars.
2. Actual Wix Domain Transfer Cost: flipnzee.com
The domain owner completed the transfer of flipnzee.com to Wix on October 31, 2026.
The actual Wix invoice shows the following charges:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Domain: flipnzee.com | ₹433.00 |
| GST (18%) | ₹77.94 |
| Total paid | ₹510.94 |
The invoice confirms the following annual registration period:
October 31, 2026 – October 31, 2027
Therefore, the total expenditure for transferring the domain to Wix and extending its registration for one year was ₹510.94, including GST.
This is an actual transaction amount, not an estimated promotional price.
Wix requires customers transferring eligible domains to purchase at least one additional year of registration. The remaining registration period is carried over, and the additional year is added to it. Wix does not charge a separate transfer fee.
Readers can check the requirements and current prices here:
- Wix domain transfer: Transfer a Domain to Wix
- Wix transfer instructions: Step-by-Step Transfer Instructions
- Wix transfer pricing policy: Transfer Costs and Registration Extension
The final transfer price depends on the domain extension and any applicable promotions or vouchers. It is therefore important to check the checkout amount before completing a transfer.
3. Wix vs IONOS: Comparing Domain Renewal Costs
The most interesting aspect of this example is the difference between the actual Wix payment and the IONOS renewal price.
The domain owner was facing an IONOS renewal cost of approximately $20 per year for a .com domain.
IONOS publishes its domain prices and regular renewal fees on its official pricing page. Its listed regular renewal price for a .com domain is $20.
Readers can verify the price here:
Official IONOS pricing: IONOS Domain Prices and Renewal Costs
For an illustrative comparison, the following calculation uses an exchange rate of ₹94.723 per US dollar.
Annual domain cost comparison
| Particulars | Wix | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Domain extension | .com | .com |
| Annual price before tax | ₹433.00 | Approx. ₹1,894.46 |
| GST / tax | ₹77.94 | Not included |
| Total shown or estimated | ₹510.94 | Approx. ₹1,894.46 before applicable taxes |
The IONOS figure is an approximate currency conversion of its $20 renewal price, not an actual IONOS invoice. Applicable taxes, exchange rates and payment charges may affect the final amount. IONOS pricing can also vary by billing region.
How much can be saved?
The comparison of the pre-tax prices is:
IONOS annual renewal:
20 × ₹94.723 = ₹1,894.46
Wix annual domain charge before GST:
₹433.00
Estimated difference:
₹1,894.46 − ₹433.00 = ₹1,461.46
This represents an approximate 77% reduction in the pre-tax domain cost.
Even when comparing the full Wix payment of ₹510.94, including GST, against the IONOS pre-tax estimate, the difference is approximately ₹1,383.52.
The actual saving could be different once applicable IONOS taxes and payment charges are included.
For website owners managing several domains, even modest savings on each domain can make a meaningful difference to annual operating expenses.
4. The Website Remained Hosted on IONOS
One important aspect of this transfer is that the website owner did not have to migrate the WordPress website to Wix.
The domain registration was transferred, but the existing WordPress installation continued to be hosted on IONOS.
Only the DNS configuration needed to be adjusted.
The configuration involved two important records.
Root domain A record
The root domain was pointed to the IONOS server IP address:
flipnzee.com → 50.21.180.69
WWW CNAME record
The www subdomain was configured to point to the IONOS webspace hostname:
www.flipnzee.com → access-5020702327.webspace-host.com
Existing TXT records were retained rather than being deleted unnecessarily.
Finally, the domain was assigned to the existing WordPress directory in IONOS:
/flipnzeepro/wordpress
This arrangement allowed the website owner to retain the existing WordPress installation, website files, database and hosting service.
The example demonstrates an important principle:
Changing a domain registrar does not require changing the website hosting provider.
Website owners can therefore choose a domain registrar based on price while continuing to use their preferred hosting company.
5. Is Wix the Cheapest Registrar for the Long Term?
Although the transfer to Wix was economical in this example, website owners should not assume that Wix will always offer the lowest renewal price.
Domain registration prices can change, and promotional transfer prices do not necessarily reflect long-term renewal costs.
It is therefore worth comparing other registrars before the next renewal.
Cloudflare Registrar
Cloudflare offers domain registration and renewal at cost, without the traditional registrar markup.
This makes it an interesting option for website owners who prioritise transparent long-term domain pricing.
However, Cloudflare Registrar requires domains to use Cloudflare’s authoritative DNS.
Official website: Cloudflare Registrar
Spaceship
Spaceship is another registrar worth considering.
It offers domain registration, transfers and renewals, with competitive pricing for popular extensions such as .com.
Website owners should compare its regular renewal prices with promotional offers before deciding to transfer.
Official website: Spaceship
The best registrar is not necessarily the one offering the cheapest first-year price. The renewal price, transfer requirements, DNS facilities and additional charges should also be considered.
6. Can a Domain Be Transferred Again After One Year?
Yes. A domain can generally be transferred to another registrar once it meets the applicable transfer eligibility requirements.
For example, after transferring a domain to Wix, its owner could later consider moving it to Spaceship or Cloudflare.
However, there are several important points to understand.
The 60-day transfer restriction
ICANN rules generally restrict certain registrar transfers during the first 60 days following a new registration or a previous transfer.
Therefore, a domain owner should check transfer eligibility before planning another move.
Another registration extension
A subsequent transfer of a .com domain normally requires purchasing another year of registration.
Consequently, transferring a domain to another registrar is not a way to avoid paying for the next registration period.
Existing registration time
Any remaining registration period is generally carried over when a domain is transferred. The additional registration year is added to the existing period.
This means that a domain owner should compare the cost of transferring with the cost of simply renewing at the current registrar.
The objective should be to find the most economical registrar for the next registration period, rather than transferring domains unnecessarily.
7. A Practical Domain Cost-Saving Strategy
The flipnzee.com example illustrates a straightforward approach that other website owners can consider.
- Compare domain transfer prices across different registrars.
- Consider transferring to a registrar offering a competitive price.
- Retain the existing hosting provider if its service is satisfactory.
- Configure DNS records to connect the domain to the existing website.
- Monitor renewal prices rather than automatically renewing without comparison.
- Before the next renewal, compare Wix, Cloudflare, Spaceship and other registrars.
- Transfer again only when the potential savings justify the additional registration cost and effort.
This approach can be particularly useful for website owners managing multiple WordPress websites.
For example, someone operating five or ten websites may have considerable annual domain renewal expenses. Choosing a cost-effective registrar while retaining reliable hosting can help reduce those expenses without requiring a complete website migration.
8. Conclusion: Separate Domain Registration from Website Hosting
The transfer of flipnzee.com from IONOS to Wix provides a practical example of how domain registration costs can be reduced.
The domain owner paid ₹510.94, including GST, for one year of domain registration through Wix.
By comparison, the IONOS renewal price was approximately $20 per year. Using the illustrative exchange rate in this article, that represents approximately ₹1,894.46 before applicable taxes.
The resulting cost difference demonstrates why comparing domain transfer and renewal prices can be worthwhile.
However, the bigger lesson is not simply that Wix is cheaper than IONOS. Domain prices change, promotional offers expire, and another registrar may offer a better deal in the future.
The more sustainable strategy is to keep domain registration and website hosting independent.
A website owner can use Wix today, consider Spaceship or Cloudflare later, and continue hosting a WordPress website wherever the best combination of performance, reliability and price is available.
A domain name and a website do not have to be managed by the same company.
That flexibility can help website owners control recurring costs while retaining their existing websites and hosting arrangements.
Useful links for readers
| Purpose | Official resource |
|---|---|
| Transfer a domain to Wix | Wix Domain Transfer |
| Wix transfer instructions | Wix Help Center |
| Wix transfer pricing policy | Wix Transfer Costs |
| Check IONOS renewal prices | IONOS Domain Pricing |
| Cloudflare Registrar | Cloudflare |
| Spaceship Registrar | Spaceship |
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