nameshift.com

What It Is

Nameshift is a domain marketplace based in the Netherlands, founded by experienced domain investors. The platform focuses on domain brokerage and secure escrow services, aiming to solve the trust problem between buyers and sellers during domain transfers. It currently lists more than 1.3 million domains for sale.

Core Services and Features

The platform’s core offering is its service model: it is not a traditional domain registrar, but a marketplace focused on secondary-market domain transactions. It provides secure escrow: the buyer pays into the platform’s bank account, and funds are released to the seller only after the buyer confirms they have control of the domain. In terms of DNS and add-on services, sellers can point a domain’s NS to Nameshift to generate a for-sale landing page. The platform also offers value-added features such as traffic statistics, sales archives, lease-to-own, and domain auctions. For transfers in and out, it supports bulk importing domain lists via CSV, and during a transaction the seller only needs to provide the transfer data. However, note that if the buyer does not transfer the domain out within 10 months after acquiring it, the platform reserves the right to delete it or charge a custody fee.

Pricing and Payments

Registration is free, and Nameshift uses a transaction commission model. If you park domains using Nameshift’s NS, the commission is 10%; otherwise, it is 13%. If the seller brings their own buyer and only uses the escrow service, the commission can be as low as 5%. Payment methods include bank transfer and Stripe. Settlements are available in USD, GBP, and EUR, and VAT-compliant invoices are provided.

Pros and Cons

Pros: founded by domain investors who understand the industry’s pain points; escrow mechanism helps protect funds; the 5% commission for seller-sourced buyers is highly attractive; supports multiple currencies and VAT invoices. Cons: commission is relatively high if you do not use the platform’s NS parking service (13%); the platform does not verify domain legality or handle ownership disputes, so buyers must bear the risk themselves; the custody policy for domains not transferred out within 10 months is fairly strict.

Who It’s For and Access from China

Nameshift is suitable for domain investors who need to sell domains, especially those looking for multi-currency settlement in the European market. Regarding access from China, the current network status is unknown, but as a European platform it is usually likely to be directly accessible. Payments rely on Stripe and bank transfers, which may create withdrawal barriers for Chinese sellers. Alternatives to consider include Sedo or Dan.com.