3 accreditations to look for in a domain registrar

If you are a reseller who wants to partner with a (new) domain registrar, it’s important to choose the right one for you. There are many different factors to consider if you are selecting a registrar. Looking for specific accreditations can be a good way to narrow down your selection of registrars and make sure you end up with a trustworthy partner for your business. In this blog post, we’ll explore three essential accreditations to consider when selecting a domain registrar.

ICANN accreditation

All domain extensions are officially managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN manages domain names and IP addresses, ensuring that when you type in a web address, your browser gets directed to the correct website. Registrars, like Openprovider, need to be accredited by ICANN to be able to sell domains – which makes ICANN accreditation an important sign to look out for.

Being ICANN-accredited means a registrar can register all regular generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as .com, .net, and .org. It also means that a registrar operates transparently and follows industry best practices. 

When it comes to accrediting registrars, ICANN has strict requirements in place. The registrar application process is extensive and involves submitting a lot of documentation about a registrar’s business and its financial and technical stability and longevity. One important criterion that ICANN uses to select registrars is their financial situation, which should be solid enough to ensure long-term operation. Technically, registrars also need to have a robust infrastructure in place, particularly for DNS services. After being accredited, registrars need to pay an annual fee of $4,000 to ICANN to continue their accreditation. For resellers, partnering with an ICANN-accredited registrar therefore not only ensures trust and support but also proof of their registrar’s financial and technical stability.

Accreditations with ccTLD registries

While ICANN manages gTLD accreditations, this is not the case for country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), such as .uk and .de. Individual domain registries are responsible for accrediting domain registrars with the right to sell and manage domain names with their TLDs, with each ccTLD registry having its own accreditation process. 

Partnering with registrars accredited by individual ccTLD registries offers many advantages for resellers, such as access to exclusive, region-specific domains and compliance with their local regulations. If you are a reseller that wants to target a large demographic, working together with a registrar who is accredited for many different ccTLDs is a big advantage. Just like ICANN, ccTLD registries have strict policies and requirements in place when it comes to accrediting individual registrars, which means that accredited registrars must possess strong financial and technical stability.

ISO 27001 accreditation

ISO/IEC 27001 is a globally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). Registrars accredited with ISO 27001 certification demonstrate a commitment to implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive information. Choosing a registrar with ISO 27001 accreditation ensures information security, compliance with regulations, and the overall protection of sensitive data. It’s a cornerstone in building trust, mitigating risks, and ensuring the integrity of domain registration services.

Work with Openprovider

Selecting a domain registrar accredited by ICANN, individual ccTLD registries, and ISO 27001 assures reliability, security, and compliance, both for you as a reseller and for your end customers. Partnering with a registrar with these accreditations helps you offer quality service and stand out in the competitive domain market.

Openprovider is accredited with ICANN and certified for ISO 27001. We also have accreditations with the majority of ccTLD registries and are working on expanding our offer here. In the past months, we have successfully become accredited for .hk, .ca, and .ai.

Are you curious about how Openprovider can help you grow as a reseller? Click here to learn more about Memberships for resellers, and click here to book a call with one of our account managers to learn more about how we can work together!