Transfer your domain out of Square
When you need to transfer your domain name away from Square to another registrar or host, you can start the process right from your Square account.
Note: If you prefer managing your domain with Square Online, check out how to transfer your domain to Square.
Before you begin
Below are important points to note before you begin the transfer process.
Making any changes to your registrant contact information (name, address, email, phone number) will result in a 60-day registrar lock, during which you’ll be unable to transfer your domain. If you wish to transfer your domain right away, do not update your registrant contact information. This is not a policy put in place by Square but a restriction put in place by ICANN – the international, not-for-profit organisation that oversees the registration of all domain names globally.
Transferring a domain name to a new registrar means you’ll manage your domain name settings and billing through another company (but you can still host your Square Online site with Square).
When transferring your domain name, you must disable what’s known as the registrar lock. Disabling it will allow you to start the transfer, but it also disables WHOIS privacy protection if you have it enabled. You’ll need to set up privacy protection again with your new registrar.
Domain name transfers work differently for some ccTLDs, or country-specific domains (like ‘.com.au’, ‘.co.nz’, ‘.nl’, ‘.de’, ‘.fr’, etc.). If you bought a ccTLD through Square and would like to transfer it out, try the standard transfer process outlined below. If you receive an error and are unable to transfer your ccTLD, please contact Square Support so we may help you transfer it away.
Start the transfer process
To transfer your domain name away from Square to another host:
From your Square Online Overview page, go to Website > Domains.
Under the domain you’d like to transfer, select Manage > Manage domain.
Under ‘Registrar lock’, toggle off Enable registrar lock to unlock your domain for transfer and generate your authorisation code (also known as an EPP code or transfer code).
Copy and use the Auth code as needed.
Most domain transfers will take approximately 7–10 days to complete.
Alternatives
Rather than transferring your domain away, you can simply update your domain’s nameservers to provide a new host with full DNS control (which is a method of connecting your Square-hosted domain to a third-party website). Changing your nameservers can sometimes involve less hassle than transferring. To learn about updating nameservers, check out how to manage records for Square Online domains.
Cancel the transfer process
To cancel the domain name transfer, be sure to contact your new host as soon as possible to cancel the process. At Square, be sure to turn your registrar lock back on to reenable WHOIS privacy protection.