Donuts, which manages the largest number of new gTLDs (242 domain zones), announced the cut in registration prices for 250,000 premium-priced domain names. Discounts as high as 90% are possible. Another 850,000 domain names will lose their premium status and will be offered at regular prices. Thus, the pricing overhaul will affect 1.1 million domain names. Observers note that a large number of these names are domains previously managed by the Rightside registry, which was acquired by Donuts in 2017. Rightside was famous for being aggressive on pricing and put the premium tag on domain names that would be unlikely to spark any interest among investors. Donuts is probably trying to fix this imbalance.
However, Donuts is not going to miss the last chance to make money from the soon-to-be cheaper domains. According to Domain Incite, from September 5 to November 1 there will be a “pre-sales” event, a Dutch auction, where the price is gradually reduced until a buyer is found. During this period, registrants can pay the current premium fee for the first year on the understanding that they will renew at the standard pricing.
