Confused by domain name (transfer) costs.

[#1]

Hi
I have been paying 123Reg for web hosting with a domain name.
The cost is minimal but I notice that my BBYW1 account includes some free webspace.
This is great, but I am flabbergasted by the Plusnet domain name costs.
Even though I'm not a business, it's a .com address I use.
Am I correct in assuming that I can pay a once-only transfer fee of £17.25 inc. to have this .com address point to my Plusnet space?
Alternatively,  I could get a .co.uk address which I could transfer at no cost.
How does one qualify for the Plusnet £0.98p .co.uk domain which is mentioned but not fully explained under Domain Costs section? And is that an annual or monthly charge?
Thanks,
Pale.

[#2]

I can't comment on the .com charges but I used to have a .co.uk address with PN and they charge £1 per month for the registration. I've recently transfer my domain to E-Uk hosts at no charge and they only charge £12 per 2 years for registration. Remember also if you set up a web site with PN and then change ISP you will loose your site - this is the reason I changed hosting companies
Paul

[#3]

The best option is to keep the management of your domain with 123Reg and have Plusnet host it. Your BBYW1 account allows you to have up to 5 domains hosted for free. All you have to do is change the nameservers of your domain to those of Plusnet and raise a ticket to request the hosting only. You will continue to pay 123Reg for management (i.e. renewal of the domain) with Plusnet hosting for free.
All is explained with the answer to question 2 on this link: http://www.plus.net/support/domains_and_dns/hosting/domainin.shtml#hostingonly
The fees quoted by Plusnet would only apply if you were to transfer the management of the domain to them as well as the hosting. This is not to be recommended.
The hosting allowances can be found here http://www.plus.net/support/domains_and_dns/hosting/hosting_allowances.shtml

[#4]

Thanks Anon -that's definitely the way to go.
I didn't realise 123Reg would 'Point' the domain to my free PN webspace 'Web Forwarding' they call it.
And it's a welcome revelation that PN will host up to FIVE websites (having done one for my sister, of course my Dad wants one now). Although I'll have to find out how they do this as I'd need unique addresses to which to redirect each domain.
I shall peruse the links you showed.
Thanks again, Pale.
ps. Paul -these are PN's published prices. Granted, transfer of an existing domain is cheaper:
All domains are renewed or registered for two years.
Domain type Example Registration cost
International domains .com .net .org £90.85
UK domains .co.uk .net.uk .org.uk .me.uk £51.75
Alternative UK domains .uk.com .gb.com .uk.net .gb.net £90.85

[#5]

Quote from: pale95

Although I'll have to find out how they do this as I'd need unique addresses to which to redirect each domain.

You could place each site in a different folder on your Plusnet webspace and point each domain to it's own folder.

[#6]

Yow will only be able to use 123Reg Web forwarding for multiple sites if they allow the following to be entered for each of the domains.
Forward domain 1 to www.username.plus.com/domain1
Forward domain 2 to www.username.plus.com/domain2
Where domain1 and domain 2 are folders in you web space as mentioned by @strat.

[#7]

Quote from: pale95

'Web Forwarding' they call it.

Web forwarding is a little different from what I was suggesting but is another option for you. As you have no doubt seen the 123Reg Control Panel allows you to forward your domain to Plusnet with various options (framed or non framed). You could point as many domains as you wanted to, all pointed to different folders within your Plusnet web space (as mentioned above). Emails could also be forwarded to Plusnet in a similar way.
The 123Reg Control Panel also has the option to Change the Nameservers and it is this option that I was referring to previously. Once done, all the controls would then be carried out through the Plusnet Member Centre and not through 123Reg.