The .com Wholesale Price History Explained: Contracts, Freezes and Escalations
A detailed timeline of .com wholesale registry pricing from the 2012 cap freeze through the 2018 NTIA Cooperative Agreement amendment and annual price increases.
The wholesale price of a .com domain is one of the most consequential figures on the internet. As of 2026, .com represents over 160 million registrations globally. Unlike unregulated retail pricing set by individual registrars, Verisign wholesale registry fee is strictly governed by a tripartite legal framework involving ICANN and the United States Government.
The Tripartite Framework
Verisign operates .com under two interrelated agreements:
- The .com Registry Agreement between Verisign and ICANN.
- The Cooperative Agreement (NCR-97-0333) between Verisign and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the US Department of Commerce.
Because .com was designated a critical public asset, the US Department of Commerce retained regulatory oversight over wholesale price adjustments to prevent monopolistic extraction.
The 2012 to 2020 Price Freeze
Under the 2006 agreement, Verisign was permitted 7 percent wholesale price increases in four out of six years. On 2012-11-30 (Friday, November 30, 2012), the wholesale fee was raised to $7.85 USD.
However, when the 2012 renewal was negotiated, the Department of Commerce froze the price at $7.85 USD. For eight consecutive years, from 2012 through 2020, Verisign was legally barred from raising wholesale .com fees, even as global inflation and registry operational costs mounted.
The 2018 Cooperative Agreement Amendment
On 2018-10-26 (Friday, October 26, 2018), the NTIA announced an amendment to Cooperative Agreement 97-0333. Under this agreement, the Trump administration restored Verisign contractual flexibility to raise wholesale fees by up to 7 percent annually during the final four years of each six-year contract cycle.
On 2020-03-27 (Friday, March 27, 2020), ICANN approved Amendment 3 to the .com Registry Agreement, incorporating the NTIA pricing provisions.
The Stepped Price Increases (2021 to 2024)
Under Amendment 3, Verisign instituted annual wholesale increases on September 1 of four consecutive years:
- 2021-09-01 (Wednesday, September 1, 2021): Increased 7 percent from $7.85 to $8.39 USD.
- 2022-09-01 (Thursday, September 1, 2022): Increased 7 percent from $8.39 to $8.97 USD.
- 2023-09-01 (Friday, September 1, 2023): Increased 7 percent from $8.97 to $9.59 USD.
- 2024-09-01 (Sunday, September 1, 2024): Increased 7 percent from $9.59 to $10.26 USD.
Under the contractual schedule, years 2025 and 2026 represent a mandatory price pause before the next potential escalation cycle begins under future agreement reviews.