Yes, we can hold a domain for you before you pay. If you ask us to reserve or register a name ahead of payment, for example by phone before a project starts, we register it under our own registrar account and at our own cost, as a courtesy. That courtesy hold lasts up to 5 calendar days. If payment does not settle in that window, the system releases the name.
How a courtesy reservation works
The reservation takes the domain off the market right away, so nobody else can grab it while your order comes together. It is registered in our registrar account, not yours. Until you pay in full, you have no ownership of the domain and no right to its EPP/Auth transfer code. Payment in full is what turns the reservation into your registration.
The 5 calendar day clock
- The hold runs up to 5 calendar days, pending settled payment and a completed order.
- If your payment fails or is reversed, or the order is not completed within those 5 days, our system releases or deletes the domain within the registrar's grace window.
- Once released, the name may become publicly available again, and we are not liable if a third party then registers it.
- Once the 5 days pass with payment settled, the registration is final and non-refundable.
After a release
A released domain cannot simply be handed back, even if you return shortly after the 5 days. If the name is still available, a paid recovery attempt may be possible, with no guarantee of success. The details and fees are in the Terms of Use, and Released or Lapsed Domains walks through exactly what happens next.
If you have a courtesy reservation open, the fastest way to keep the name is simple: complete the order and let the payment settle inside the window. Check your invoice in the client portal, or contact us if anything about the order is unclear.
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