We get it. Price increases aren’t exactly the kind of news anyone loves to hear. But with .nz domain names about to get a bit more expensive, we wanted to break down what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how you can get ahead of the change.
Let’s dive in.
Did you know?
If you upgrade to a paid Rocketspark plan from your free trial and register a new domain at the same time, you’ll get that domain free for the first year. It’s a little bonus from us to help you get started.
Yes, domain prices are increasing
From 1 July 2025, the wholesale cost of all .nz domain names is going up by 22%. This applies to every .nz domain type, like .co.nz, .org.nz, .net.nz, and more.
The price change comes from InternetNZ, the non-profit organisation that manages the .nz domain space for every company that sells .nz domain names. This price change doesn’t just affect Rocketspark, we expect most domain name companies will increase their .nz domain renewal prices from 1 July 2025.
What does that mean for you?
At Rocketspark, we’ll be updating our standard .nz domain pricing from $35 per year to $39 per year (excluding GST).
We know price increases aren’t fun, but we’re here to help you get ahead of the change and save where you can. Let’s show you how.
Who is InternetNZ, and why are prices changing?
InternetNZ is the non-profit organisation that keeps the .nz domain space running. They manage the technical infrastructure that makes sure your website stays online, secure, and stable. They also fund projects that help make the internet more open and accessible for all New Zealanders.
They haven’t raised the wholesale price of .nz domains since 2020, but like most organisations, their costs have been steadily rising. In fact, they claim their infrastructure costs have gone up by around 75% in the last five years. This price change helps cover those increases, along with new compliance requirements like data protection, privacy rules, and sustainability standards.
Their goal is to keep the .nz domain system strong and reliable for the future.
But there’s good news (yep, really)
If you’ve already got a .nz domain with Rocketspark, we’re giving you the option to renew early at the current lower price. Even better, you can renew at that lower rate for multiple years (with increasing savings the longer you renew for!).
For example:
💡 Renew for 3 years before the price change?
You’ll pay $97.65 instead of $108.81, saving you over $11.
💡 Renew for 5 years before the price change?
You’ll pay $154.00 instead of $171.60, saving you over $17.
💡 Renew for 10 years now?
You’ll pay $262.50 instead of $292.50, locking in the current rate for a whole decade.
What if I have my domain elsewhere?
If your .nz domain is hosted somewhere else, you can transfer it to Rocketspark from your dashboard before 1 July and renew your domain at the current lower price for up to 10 years. We’re also offering a special switching offer to make it easy to make the switch.
It’s a simple way to stay ahead of the change, and our award-winning Customer Success team will be here to help if you need a hand moving your domain over.
Here’s what you can do now
No one likes paying more than they need to, so here’s how you can stay ahead:
✅ Renew your domain before 1 July 2025 at the current price
✅ Choose a multi-year renewal and lock in savings for up to 10 years
✅ Transfer your domain to Rocketspark before 1 July to lock in the best price
✅ Set and forget it for peace of mind
We will be contacting all customers with instructions on how to renew their domains or transfer their domains to Rocketspark over the next couple of weeks. If you’ve got questions in the meantime, our team is here and ready to help.
Thanks for trusting Rocketspark with your domain 💙. We’re here to help you stay online, stay supported, and stay ahead of the curve.
