Every private domain deal has the same stand-off. The buyer will not pay before the name moves, and the seller will not move the name before being paid. Domain escrow breaks it: the buyer pays a regulated intermediary, the seller transfers, the buyer confirms, and only then is the money released.
This guide covers how that works at Escrow.com, which Escrow.com itself describes as a “licensed and bonded escrow service”, what it costs as of 16 October 2026, and the risks escrow leaves with you. Fees and terms change, so check the live pages before you rely on any figure here.
How a domain escrow service works, step by step
Escrow.com sets out its own sequence on its guide to buying and selling domains online, under the heading “5 easy steps for buying and selling domains online”. In short:
- Agree terms. After registering, “both parties agree to terms of the transaction, which includes the domain name(s) and sale price.”
- The buyer pays Escrow.com. “Once Escrow.com verifies and secures the payment, the seller is instructed to transfer the domain name.”
- The seller transfers the name and tells Escrow.com it has done so.
- The buyer accepts. When the buyer confirms possession, or Escrow.com confirms receipt through WHO.IS, “the inspection period begins.”
- The seller is paid once the transfer is verified or the inspection period has ended.
The point is that the buyer pays Escrow.com, not the seller. In Escrow.com’s words, it “can withhold payment until we’re satisfied the domain name has been transferred”, in part by checking the registrar’s WHOIS record for the new registrant. The money sits “in a trust account until the entire transaction is complete.”
The escrow domain transfer and the inspection clock
The transfer itself depends on the registrars. Escrow.com’s FAQ says it “can vary from a few minutes to up to six weeks.” If both sides agree, the seller can do a “push” to your account at the same registrar, which often happens when the name is under an “ICANN-imposed 60-day transfer lock”.
Then the inspection period starts. Its length is agreed per deal and “can range between 1 to 30 calendar days.” It should not include the transfer time. The detail that catches buyers out is what happens if you do nothing: the period “will automatically time out, and the default assumption is that the Buyer has “Accepted””. So check the registrant record shows you, or that you control the name at your registrar, before the clock runs out. Escrow.com also asks every party to check their account “every 24 hours while their transaction is ongoing”.
Rejecting is possible but not free. If a deal is cancelled after funding or the buyer rejects, “the Buyer is responsible for 100% of the Escrow Fee”, whatever split was agreed at the start.
| Step | Who acts | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Agree terms | Both | Name, price, who pays the fee, inspection days |
| Fund the escrow | Buyer | You are on www.escrow.com, not a look-alike |
| Transfer | Seller | Push at the same registrar or a transfer out; minutes to six weeks |
| Inspection | Buyer (1–30 days, agreed) | Registrant record shows you; accept before it times out |
| Payout | Escrow.com | Seller paid by wire (US $10, non-US $20) or ACH (no charge) |
Escrow domain fees and who pays them
The buyer and seller decide who pays: “Buyer pays 100%”, “Seller pays 100%” or “Buyer and Seller each pays 50%”. A buyer’s share is added to the payment; a seller’s share comes out of the payout. Escrow.com’s published US$ rates for domain names, checked 16 October 2026, start like this:
- Up to $5,000: 2.6% ($50.00 minimum)
- $5,000.01 to $50,000: 2.4% ($130.00 minimum)
- $50,000.01 to $200,000: 1.9% ($1,200.00 minimum)
The rate keeps falling in higher bands. Its fee calculator, run on the same day for a domain paid by wire, returned $50.00 on a $1,000 sale, $78.00 on $3,000 and $480.00 on $20,000. The optional concierge service, where Escrow.com organises the transfer for you, costs roughly double the standard rate.
Payment method changes the bill. Wire transfer works for any amount. Card or PayPal is only for smaller deals, up to US$5,000 excluding fees, with an extra 3.05% processing fee, and only if one party has completed a transaction before. A buyer outside the US paying by international wire adds $25.00. Deals over $3,000 also require identity verification for everyone involved. To decide what the name is worth in the first place, see our guide to domain appraisal.
What escrow does not check
Escrow protects the payment, not the purchase decision. Escrow.com’s own FAQ says the buyer should confirm “that the Seller actually owns the domain(s) as well as performs lien and trademark searches; these are services that Escrow.com does not provide”. That work is yours, before you fund anything.
Run the name through the Domain Age Checker to get its registration date and true age, with a flag if it was dropped and re-registered. A seller describing an “aged” name that was re-registered last year is telling you something. Our post on domain ownership history covers reading who held a name and when, and a trademark question belongs with a trademark lawyer.
How to spot a fake escrow site
The most common escrow fraud is not a failure of escrow. It is a scammer running a look-alike. Escrow.com warns that “the person recommending a fraudulent escrow site is usually a participant in the scam”, and that such people “often have a seemingly good reason why they can’t use Escrow.com”. The red flags it lists:
- The seller insists on a particular service: “Be wary the moment a seller begins to stipulate the escrow site”.
- The site’s domain was “registered for a few weeks or months”, far less than the firm claims to have operated.
- The address is “a domain name that is close to the real one”.
- Payment goes person to person, “like Western Union”.
- “Suspiciously low escrow fees.”
The age test is quick. Paste the suggested escrow site’s domain into the same Age Checker; a site claiming decades of trading on a name registered this spring is the answer. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an emailed link.
Buying through a marketplace that uses escrow
If you buy on a marketplace, escrow is usually built in. Sedo, Afternic and others have their own checkout terms; read them. On the SERPHeroes Domain Marketplace, “Escrow.com holds your payment, the seller transfers the domain, and the seller is paid only once you confirm you have it.” The buyer pays “The agreed price plus Escrow.com’s transaction fee” (SERPHeroes charges buyers no fee), and every amount is shown at checkout before you pay. Its rule is the one to follow anywhere: never pay a seller directly.
Buying a name someone already owns and has not listed? Start with our guide on how to buy a domain that is taken, then come back here to pay.
One limit to state plainly: escrow tells you the money and the name changed hands as agreed. It cannot tell you whether the price was fair, whether the name carries a trademark claim, or whether its past will hold you back in search.
Wondering whether Escrow.com itself can be trusted? Is Escrow.com safe for buying a domain? covers its licence, the fees and how to spot a fake escrow site. For the paperwork, see the domain sale agreement template.
Frequently asked questions
Is Escrow.com licensed?
Escrow.com says its operator, Internet Escrow Services, Inc., holds “a combination of escrow and money services business licenses” in the US, with an escrow licence from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
How long does the inspection period last?
Whatever the parties agree, between 1 and 30 calendar days. If the buyer takes no action, it times out and the buyer is treated as having accepted.
Who pays the escrow fee?
The buyer, the seller or both equally, as agreed at the start. If the buyer cancels after funding or rejects the name, the buyer pays the whole fee.
Can I pay by card?
For deals up to US$5,000 excluding fees, with a 3.05% processing fee, and only if one party has transacted before. Larger deals go by wire.
The takeaway Agree the inspection days, fund only on the real escrow.com, confirm the name is yours before the clock runs out, and do the ownership and trademark checks escrow leaves to you.
