How do companies like namecheap sell domains

[Khoomn]

Like what is allowing them to own every domain or sell access to that domain. what is stopping me from just gaining it myself for free somehow. I'm just confused how godaddy and namecheap can sell the same domain at different prices and still give people access to it.

[TetraSky]

https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name-registrar/

 

Basically, the fee that you pay is their profit + the actual fee for the domain that they pay on your behalf.

 

As far as I know, you can't just bypass the middleman (godaddy and what not) and reserve your own domain.

[Khoomn]

10 hours ago, TetraSky said:

https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name-registrar/

 

Basically, the fee that you pay is their profit + the actual fee for the domain that they pay on your behalf.

 

As far as I know, you can't just bypass the middleman (godaddy and what not) and reserve your own domain.

so who owns the rights to sell domains to companies like them

[TetraSky]

3 hours ago, Khoomn said:

so who owns the rights to sell domains to companies like them

I believe it's ICANN that gives registrar like NameCheap or GoDaddy, the "power" to sell domains.

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/responsibilities-2014-03-14-en

 

Quote

In order to register a domain name, a Registered Name Holder (also known as a Registrant) has to use the services of an ICANN-accredited Registrar. In order to become an ICANN-accredited Registrar, the Registrar must enter into a contract with ICANN, referred to as the Registrar Accreditation Agreement or the RAA. The RAA sets out various rights and responsibilities for Registrants, and Registrants have additional rights and responsibilities that are set forth in separate ICANN policies and specifications that the Registrars agree to follow.