How Buying a Domain Works

Safe, simple and protected by Escrow.com from start to finish.

Three steps

1

Choose and request

Pick buy now, make an offer, lease to own or rent with a website. Your free account keeps track of every request.

2

Pay into Escrow.com

For purchases we open an Escrow.com transaction in your name. You pay Escrow.com, a licensed escrow service. The seller does not receive your money yet.

3

Domain moves to you, then the seller is paid

The domain is transferred to your registrar account. Once it is in your name and you confirm, Escrow.com releases the payment to the seller.

Why we use Escrow.com

Escrow.com is a licensed escrow service used across the domain industry. It acts as a neutral middle party, so neither side has to trust the other with money or the domain.

Your payment is on hold until the domain is fully transferred. Escrow.com only releases the money to the seller after the domain is in your account and you confirm it. Escrow.com’s fee is shown in the transaction before you pay.

What you need

  • A free Domaina account (created when you send a request)
  • An account at a registrar you choose
  • An Escrow.com account (free to open)

Questions

You pay Escrow.com, not the seller. Escrow.com holds your payment until the domain has been transferred to you and you confirm it is in your account. Only then is the money released to the seller. If the transfer does not happen, the funds go back to you under Escrow.com’s terms.

Most transfers finish within a few days once payment is secured in escrow. Transfers between registrars can take up to a week for some domain extensions.

Yes, with lease to own. You can point the domain to your website from the first payment, and ownership transfers to you after the final payment.

You pay monthly to use the domain with a simple, professional website set up for your business. It suits new businesses that want a strong name without a large upfront cost. Ask for a quote on any domain page.

.ca domains can be held by Canadian individuals and businesses (and some others with a Canadian connection), as required by CIRA. We help you move the domain to the registrar you choose.

Yes. Every price on Domaina is in Canadian dollars. Escrow.com accepts CAD by bank wire. If you prefer to pay by card or PayPal, we can set up the Escrow.com transaction in US dollars at the equivalent amount, subject to Escrow.com’s limits.

Purchases are paid to Escrow.com by bank wire in CAD or USD, or by card or PayPal for USD transactions where Escrow.com allows. Monthly rentals and lease-to-own plans are paid by Interac e-Transfer under a written agreement.