EPP code

You get the EPP code from your current registrar, usually in the domain settings of your account, and give it to the new registrar when you start the transfer. It proves you're allowed to move the domain.

For .com and other generic domains, ICANN's transfer policy says your registrar must provide the code within five calendar days of your request. The domain's transfer lock also needs to be turned off first.

Example: yourbusiness.com is registered with one company and you want it with another. You unlock the domain, copy the EPP code, enter it at the new registrar and pay for the transfer. The old registrar may ask you to confirm by email, and the domain moves once the transfer completes.

.uk domains work differently: you change the domain's registrar tag (the IPS tag) instead of using a code. Serverlinx never asks for your registrar login; a transfer only needs the code.

What it means for your price: for generic domains, a transfer usually includes a year's renewal, added to your current expiry date, so you rarely lose time you've paid for. Compare the new registrar's transfer and renewal prices, not just the first year.