GoDaddy begins accepting pre-registrations for fresh TLDs for up to $1,200 each
Pre-registrations now accepted for fees of up to $1,200 per domain.
Overnight GoDaddy started accepting paid pre-registrations for four fresh top level domain names: .uno, .menu, .build, .luxury.
While many registrars have offered some sort of pre-reservation or pre-registration service that did not require any firm commitment by the client, GoDaddy is the first major registrar I’m aware of to actually charge an upfront fee.
And the fees are steep.
Prices to pre-register each domain vary widely by top level domain. Each domain offers “pre-registration” and “priority pre-registration”. More than one person can make either type of pre-registration, and if that’s the case then the domain will go to auction.
It seems that paying the higher price for priority pre-registration will give you priority over people who opt for just pre-registration. But if multiple people select the priority option, you’re still headed to auction. Priority appears to be like a mini-landrush, as domains will be submitted to the registry ahead of general availability. A portion of the priority fee is a non-refundable application fee. The good news is that prices are so high that it’s unlikely there will be much competition for each domain.
It’s also not clear if you get a leg up by pre-registering at GoDaddy versus another registrar.
Here’s the pricing, with TLD / regular pre-registration / priority pre-registration (priority non-refundable amount):
.Build / $99.99 / $189.99 ($40)
.Luxury / $799.99 / $1.199.99 ($400)
.Menu / $49.99 / $349.99 ($150)
.Uno / $39.99 / $299.99 ($0)
I find it interesting that .build has the second highest pre-registration cost of the four, but the lowest priority cost. I also assume there’s some correlation between the lower number and the general availability registration fee, which suggests that .luxury will indeed be a luxury domain.
Other than the priority application fee (in parentheses above), fees are refundable if you don’t get the domain.
