I want to signup domains for my hosting customers. How I want to do this is by collecting their information [CC#,contact info,domain wanted] during signup. Then I take this information to the registrar and enter it myself, to setup the domain. And then the domain is the customer's. After the intial setup, I'm DONE with the domain. No billing, no nothing.

My PROBLEM is that it seems there is no registrar where I can do this! I COULD signup each one individually, but all the places want me to open an account. It wouldn't work to sign up all domains under one account, and it would be time-consuming, if not impossble, to make a new account at the registrar EVERY TIME I get an order.

I would use one of their 'reseller' or whatever programs, but with the ones I have seen, I have to bill the customer myself. Which is NOT what I want. I also don't want varying prices. No discounts for signing up more domains.

It seems to me, from what I've seen, that this is impossible. But can you all help me find a place that lets me do what I want?

http://ir.dotster.com/home
https://secure.onlineaccess.net/iyd/users.php?IYD=1
http://www.enom.com/resellers (#4 on the list)

Part of the problem is that you want something that doesn't make sense.

Originally posted by appletreats
I want to signup domains for my hosting customers.
I want to do this is by collecting their information
[CC#,contact info,domain wanted] during signup.
Then I take this information to the registrar and enter it myself.
Then the domain is the customer's.
After the intial setup, I'm DONE with the domain.
No billing, no nothing.

First, you won't be able to take your customer;'s CC# to a registrar and enter it in for them. That's illegal.

My PROBLEM is that it seems there is no registrar where I can do this! I COULD signup each one individually, but all the places want me to open an account. It wouldn't work to sign up all domains under one account, and it would be time-consuming, if not impossble, to make a new account at the registrar EVERY TIME I get an order.

Second, what registrar can set up individual accounts (so it knows who owns it and who to bill), yet not set up individual accounts (what you don't want to do). This is impossible.

I would use one of their 'reseller' or whatever programs, but with the ones I have seen, I have to bill the customer myself. Which is NOT what I want. I also don't want varying prices. No discounts for signing up more domains.

It seems to me, from what I've seen, that this is impossible. But can you all help me find a place that lets me do what I want?

What you need is a place that will let you have a part of your site for domains, allow them to search, register (pay for), and maintain the domain, without your involvement. I've listed 3 URLs at the top of the page which will give you that.

If you just want to enter in domains into your one resller account and manually bill them, then that is different, but that would require you to keep track of billing which you said you didn't want to do. So these are three choices, though I'm sue there are more.

Chat Log:

* Chicken to the rescue!
* Yes! I am no longer spewing crap all over the floor!
* I am no longer in any sort of fit!
* There is no need for alarm!
* But... but...
* (falls over)

But seriously, which one would you recommend, Chicken? Or anyone else.

btw, eNom is a no.

Also, can either of the remaining options redirect to a new page after registration of the domain is complete? For example, redirect to my order page. So the customer would go Domain Registration -> My Site. Of course if that won't work, the other way around is fine.

Aaaand, do either of the two remaining options let me choose the nameservers for all the registered domains? Or at least provide defaults? This way I won't have the headache of customers not entering the right DNS info... :(
Specifically, this phrase from the Dotster agreement worries me (in reference to above paragraph):
"Reseller acknowledges and agrees that it shall have no right, title, or interest in and to the data elements consisting of the SLD name registered, the IP addresses of nameservers, and the identity of the registering registrar for propagation of and the provision of authorized access to the TLD zone files."

Or am I reading that wrong?

Because of that reason, I'm leaning towards itsyourdomain.com. Plus it's less confusing :)

Originally posted by appletreats
Aaaand, do either of the two remaining options let me choose the nameservers for all the registered domains? Or at least provide defaults? This way I won't have the headache of customers not entering the right DNS info... :(

That I can't recall. I've always liked itsyourdomin, though I'd ask for a slightly reduced price (I think on their site it is $15), I dealt with Ted there.
ohhh and also http://www.domainbank.com Jodi there (they have a similar program). Both are easy to set up and some decent hosts here have used some of the ones I listed.

Major problem with IYD. They let the customer register more than one domain at a time. I resell OLM, so I cannot have this... and I already signed up with IYD! Do the others have this "problem"? (not one for them, i suppose)

Originally posted by Chicken
Part of the problem is that you want something that doesn't make sense.

Makes sense to me...but then it is Friday afternoon and I usually say yes to anything by this time of the week. :-)

First, you won't be able to take your customer;'s CC# to a registrar and enter it in for them. That's illegal.

Why mate? If you're inferring that the card holder themself has to make the transaction, then it's no different than a merchant taking credit card phone orders and then presenting them to the bank themselves...even for a recurring transaction. We've been there a few years ago, and it's legal. This is of course if I understand your meaning.

Second, what registrar can set up individual accounts (so it knows who owns it and who to bill), yet not set up individual accounts (what you don't want to do). This is impossible.

Wanna bet. :-) We have clients with the one master account, ordering domains for clients and entering those clients details into the registry information, all the time. Whether they send the client through the payment gateway or do it themselves after obtaining their clients card details (securely I hope) is irrelevant. The billing contact is still the domain owner.

What you need is a place that will let you have a part of your site for domains, allow them to search, register (pay for), and maintain the domain, without your involvement. I've listed 3 URLs at the top of the page which will give you that.

Yep, that's one option.

[/QUOTE]If you just want to enter in domains into your one resller account and manually bill them, then that is different, but that would require you to keep track of billing which you said you didn't want to do.[/QUOTE]

Which the method I mentioned up above easily overcomes.

Cheers

Gary

Originally posted by appletreats
Major problem with IYD. They let the customer register more than one domain at a time. I resell OLM, so I cannot have this... and I already signed up with IYD! Do the others have this "problem"? (not one for them, i suppose)

If you are reselling OLM, why don't you use their domain name reselling service that is provided free? It uses NameRegistrars.net and is quite nice. Plenty of control options, the ability to give the customer a control panel, and even setup resellers under yourself. All control panels are customizable, so you can make it match your company, and your resellers can make it match theirs.

Or do they not give their resellers this? We buy dedicated servers from them, so maybe it's different. When we asked about reselling domain names, they set us up an account to do it right away, no extra fees involved. You do have to ask though, they don't set you up for this by default.

Maybe there is a reason you don't like their domain name reseller program? If so, please post about it.

Mark

First, you won't be able to take your customer;'s CC# to a registrar and enter it in for them. That's illegal.

Why mate? If you're inferring that the card holder themself has to make the transaction, then it's no different than a merchant taking credit card phone orders and then presenting them to the bank themselves...even for a recurring transaction. We've been there a few years ago, and it's legal. This is of course if I understand your meaning.


I'm talking about taking credit card numbers to 000domains and buying a domain on behalf of your client. Entering a customer's credit card details for anything but you directly charging them from your merchant account is surely illegal.

This is different than a merchant taking credit card phone orders and then presenting them to the bank themselves. If the cutomer needs ram for their server, you can't enter their details in at crucial.com, and just because it is your reseller account (from the registrar), doesn't mean you are authorized to enter in credit cards numbers.

Please PM me who the registrar is you are using. I'd like to check out the program and see what you are talking about. Maybe we are just crossing wires.

Originally posted by Chicken
This is different than a merchant taking credit card phone orders and then presenting them to the bank themselves. If the cutomer needs ram for their server, you can't enter their details in at crucial.com, and just because it is your reseller account (from the registrar), doesn't mean you are authorized to enter in credit cards numbers.

A bit different to what I was getting at. We do put client card details through our payment gateway, when the card details have been lodged securely with us and the appropriate permission has been provided by the client. This is usually something initiated by the client though, for whatever reason (one being their inability to reach said gateway due to their firewall...uncommon but still a factor.

Please PM me who the registrar is you are using. I'd like to check out the program and see what you are talking about. Maybe we are just crossing wires.

Yeah...a different matter altogether. In part I was referring specifically to your comment "Second, what registrar can set up individual accounts (so it knows who owns it and who to bill), yet not set up individual accounts (what you don't want to do). This is impossible." This is very possible with a manually provisioned system when the domain owners are individually set up and billed by whatever means we put in place for them (CC/MO/etc).

Cheers

Gary

Second, what registrar can set up individual accounts (so it knows who owns it and who to bill), yet not set up individual accounts (what you don't want to do). This is impossible.

I guess I know what you mean, and I should have added, "...without a reseller account..." eh? And you could register domains through your reseller account and charge them from your merchant account and have them listed as the billing contact. You cannot take cc#'s you obtain from a form to a registrar and type them in there however. I think we're all on the same page, just different books! :D

Originally posted by Chicken
I think we're all on the same page, just different books! :D

In actual fact, I'm all over the library. :-) We have used a few systems over the years, and they are all very different.

From within our Admin Module of one that we use, we can "Log in as Mr Jones", and if Mr Jones has submitted his card details to us (over the phone for example) we will register his domain for him. No problems.

I'm pretty sure most of the others have been the same. From within our own account we can register domains, putting in the relevant card details/name on card for any domain, and set the billing contact accordingly.

This is what the original poster is aiming for, yes? :-)

Our current system is totally unique again. We can have resellers within resellers within resellers, providing custom payment gateways or accepting payment in bulk for domain credits if we want. We're building a backend to manage the whole thing the way we want to run it, always ensuring that at the end of the day each domain has the relevant billing contact and is registered in the name of its rightful owner.

Cheers

Gary

Originally posted by phastnet


If you are reselling OLM, why don't you use their domain name reselling service that is provided free?

Or do they not give their resellers this?

Maybe there is a reason you don't like their domain name reseller program? If so, please post about it.

Mark

I completely forgot about this! My question about them are:
1. Do I have to bill the customer myself? (Like the way their hosting reselling thing works)
2. Will it setup the nameservers correctly?
3. Can they register only one domain at a time?

If none of these things lets them only register one at a time, I'll just tell 'em that they can register a million if they want, but only the one they enter on the signup form will work. :) (But i'd prefer the only-one-registered option)

Originally posted by appletreats


I completely forgot about this! My question about them are:
1. Do I have to bill the customer myself? (Like the way their hosting reselling thing works)
2. Will it setup the nameservers correctly?
3. Can they register only one domain at a time?

If none of these things lets them only register one at a time, I'll just tell 'em that they can register a million if they want, but only the one they enter on the signup form will work. :) (But i'd prefer the only-one-registered option)

Actually, I'm about positive you can choose to either bill the customer yourself or let them sign up through your custom control panel themselves, but I can't remember for sure, it's been awhile since we went through everything. They let you specify what prices you want to charge retail customers, and what prices to charge resellers, so everything looks pretty professional to the end-users.

And yes, you give it default information, and it will use this as a template for both the nameservers and technical contact, but you can always override the defaults, if needed.

You can register one domain at a time, or they have bulk registration features.

It's really the best domain name reselling system we've seen so far, we were very impressed. Since they give it to you free, you should at least tell them to set you up so that you can thoroughly check everything out. I'm pretty sure you'll like what you see.

I just emailed them my questions. Hopefully they're what I want!

I think you'll like what you see. We used various registrars before them, and never had the control and flexibilty that their program gives us. Once they reply and set you up, please post your thoughts on their program and any problems you may see with it. Thanks!