In modern web development, it is generally assumed that digital infrastructure has become transparent and customer-oriented. However, the major Russian registrar Reg.ru continues to use methods characteristic of the early wild west of the internet. When it was time to renew one of our international projects in the .net zone, the price in the control panel caused a real shock: 3,083.00 ₽ for a single year of renewal.
At the same time, the international provider Cloudflare charges $11.86 for the identical service (at the current exchange rate, this is about 1,060–1,080 ₽). The difference is almost 3 times (a 290% markup) for a simple record in the Verisign registry! We analyzed how this economy works, what artificial barriers Reg.ru builds to retain clients, and why "care for security" is actually just a banal delay tactic.
The Economics of Markup: Why are they asking for 3083 rubles?
International domain zones (.com, .net, .org) are regulated by the ICANN corporation. The .net zone registry belongs to Verisign, which sets a single base (wholesale) price for all accredited registrars. Cloudflare Registrar operates on an At-Cost model: they pass on to the client exactly the price requested by the Verisign registry plus a few cents for the ICANN fee.
Reg.ru builds a markup of 2000+ rubles into that same domain, issuing an invoice for 3,083 ₽. For webmasters or owners of site networks (PBNs, news sites, services), such overpayment on dozens of domains amounts to hundreds of thousands of rubles in pure loss for no reason.
Anatomy of Transfer: What "Dark Patterns" You Will Encounter
The only reasonable step in this situation is to move the domain to an honest registrar. But here is where it gets interesting: Reg.ru does everything possible to make the transfer process as uncomfortable as possible. If in Cloudflare or Porkbun the "Get Transfer Code" button is one click away in the main domain menu, in Reg.ru you will have to go through a real quest in the interface.
The item to get the code is hidden in the "Operations" tab under the camouflage name "Change Registrar". When attempting to initiate a transfer, the system displays a banner with a warning: "Important! The domain name is an important intangible asset... In connection with the increasing number of domain transfers resulting from the deception of administrators, the application is submitted by the owner..."
The registrar tries to create a feeling of risk and the commission of a fatal error in the user, although transferring to Cloudflare, on the contrary, increases domain security thanks to free two-factor authentication (2FA/Passkeys) and advanced WAF protection.
Technical Absurdity: Artificial "3 Working Days"
The most blatant technical nonsense happens at the stage of confirming the application. The chronology of the experiment shows strange logic: Reg.ru instantly (in 2 seconds) sends an email with a verification link. This proves that their mail server and automation system work flawlessly. However, after clicking the link and confirming ownership, the user suddenly receives the status: "Application for Authinfo successfully submitted and will be processed within three working days".
Why is 3 days an artificial brake? The entire global domain name system works on the EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol). Generating an AuthInfo code is an elementary automatic operation on the server side (creating a random GUID/hash string in the database). It takes less than 10 milliseconds.
The 3-day delay is created solely for marketing reasons: counting on forgetfulness (in 72 hours the site owner will get distracted) and coercion to pay. If the user starts the transfer 5–7 days before the end of the registration term, taking into account the 3-day wait for the code and the 5-day standard ICANN transfer, the domain risks "dying" in the process. Fearing the loss of the site, the client is forced to pay 3,083 ₽.
Checklist: How to correctly transfer a domain from Reg.ru to Cloudflare
To avoid falling into the trap of deadlines, follow a strict algorithm. Start the process 20–30 days before the end of the registration, do not drag it out until the last week. It is important not to change the full name, email, or phone number before the transfer, as changing data includes an automatic ICANN lock for 60 days.
In the Reg.ru panel, you must disable "Transfer Protection" (the WHOIS status should change from clientTransferProhibited). Then go to the "Operations" section ➔ "Change Registrar", confirm the email, and wait for the code (from 15 minutes to 3 days). In Cloudflare, go to Domain Registration ➔ Transfers, enter the AuthInfo code, and pay for the transfer. A year of renewal will be automatically added to the current date!
Conclusion
Inflating tariffs by almost 3 times and creating artificial 3-day delays when issuing technical codes is a policy of retaining clients through inconvenience. If your site works on an international domain (.com, .net, .org), keeping it with local resellers with a horse markup is economically unfeasible. Transferring domains to primary platforms like Cloudflare pays off on the first day and saves the budget for years.
