Frequently Asked Questions

DomainEscrow.com is a domain name escrow and transfer service operated by JJN Solutions Law, PLLC, a licensed law firm. We act as a neutral third party between a buyer and a seller: we hold the money (and in some cases the domain itself) until both sides have done what they agreed to do, then we complete the exchange. We handle domain name transactions only. We are not a general-purpose escrow service.

Domain transactions have a structural trust problem: whoever moves first is exposed. If the buyer pays first, the seller may not transfer. If the seller transfers first, the buyer may not pay. Neither party wants to go first. An escrow agent removes that problem. The money sits with a neutral party who releases it only when the domain has demonstrably changed hands.

Both hold the buyer’s funds in our attorney trust account. The difference is whether we also take custody of the domain.

Full details: Transfer Service · Escrow Service

If the two parties know each other, or the amount is modest, the Transfer Service is usually sufficient and costs less. Choose the Escrow Service when the domain is valuable enough that you want it out of the seller’s control before any money moves, when the parties are strangers, or when either side has expressed concern about the other performing. If you’re unsure, call us before initiating. We’ll tell you honestly which one fits.

No. There is no minimum transaction amount for any service or transaction type. Minimum fees do apply, however — $350 for the Transfer Service and $600 for the Escrow Service. On a small transaction the fee will therefore represent a larger percentage of the total. Our cost to run a $2,000 transaction is very nearly the same as a $50,000 one: the same agreement, the same trust accounting, the same verification steps.

Yes. We accept international bank wires, and foreign sellers can provide a W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E in place of a W-9 for tax reporting purposes. All transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars and governed by the laws of the District of Columbia.

• Outright purchase — buyer pays once, domain transfers, done.
• Lease-to-own — buyer pays monthly toward ownership, with the domain transferring once all payments are made.
• Straight lease — lessee rents use of the domain for a term, with no ownership transferring at any point.

Domain Transfer Service

Domain Escrow Service

Use the fee calculator on our service pages for an exact figure on your transaction.

Whoever the parties agree. You record this when you initiate the transaction, and it is written into your agreement.

• Buyer pays — the fee is added to the purchase price, so the buyer deposits price plus fee.
• Seller pays — the fee is deducted from the seller’s payout.
• Split 50/50 — half each, handled both ways.
• Broker pays — deducted from the broker’s commission.

The fee calculator will show you what each party pays or nets under any of these arrangements.

Yes — fees charged by the financial institutions that move the money. These are in addition to the service fee and are paid by whoever is sending the funds.

On larger transactions, wire is almost always cheaper. Because the ACH fee is a percentage, a $500,000 transaction incurs a $5,000 ACH fee versus $20 for a wire.

Seller payouts are made by bank wire (or another method agreed in the transaction paperwork) after obligations are confirmed and the inspection period has closed without a valid objection. Any bank charges on the receiving side are the recipient’s responsibility unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

The service fee is collected as part of the funded transaction. If the buyer is paying the fee, it is included in the deposit instructions. If the seller or broker is paying, it is deducted from the amount disbursed at closing. The exact mechanics are spelled out in your Transaction Agreement.

The Seller/Lessor, Buyer/Lessee, or Broker can initiate a transaction online. The initiating party submits the domain and deal terms; the other named party then receives those terms by email and is asked to agree.

• Initiation — a party starts the transaction online and submits domain and deal terms.
• Notification — the initiator receives confirmation; the other party receives the terms and is asked to agree.
• Agreement — JJN Solutions Law, PLLC emails both parties a formal Transaction Agreement with the deal terms and contact information.
• Authorization — both parties sign and return the agreement. The Buyer/Lessee receives payment instructions; the Seller/Lessor receives domain transfer instructions.
• Fulfillment & Closing — the Buyer/Lessee has a five-business-day inspection period to confirm full administrative control. Once obligations are confirmed, funds are released and the domain path completes according to the service type.

Timing depends on the parties’ responses, signed authorization, payment clearance, and domain transfer speed at the registrar. Many cooperative deals move from signed agreement to close in roughly one to two weeks, but international wires, registrar locks, and delayed signatures can extend the timeline. The Buyer/Lessee always receives a five-business-day inspection period after gaining control. Approved release or transfer occurs on the next business day after fulfillment is confirmed.

After the Buyer/Lessee obtains full administrative control of the domain, there is a five-business-day inspection period to confirm that control is real and complete. If no valid objection is raised within that window, the transaction proceeds to closing and fund release on the next business day after confirmation.

For a Transfer Service transaction, the domain transfers directly between the parties and funds are released the next business day after the administrator confirms completion. For an Escrow Service transaction, the domain is held in a neutral JJN-controlled account; once both parties’ obligations are confirmed, funds are released to the Seller/Lessor and the domain is transferred to the Buyer/Lessee on the next business day.

The administrator coordinates transfer instructions and confirms that the Buyer/Lessee has received full administrative control before the transaction closes. Verification is practical and documentary — control at the registrar, not a subjective opinion about the domain’s commercial value.

In a lease-to-own deal, the buyer/lessee makes scheduled payments toward ownership. The domain transfers to the buyer once all required payments under the agreement have been made and closing conditions are satisfied. Until then, funds and (when using Escrow Service) domain custody are handled according to the Transaction Agreement.

A straight lease lets the lessee rent use of the domain for a defined term. Ownership does not transfer at any point. Escrow or transfer coordination can still protect deposits, periodic payments, and the return or continued control of the domain at term end, exactly as the parties document.

Service fees are calculated on the transaction structure set out when you initiate. Outright purchases are straightforward percentage-of-amount fees with the published minimums. Lease and lease-to-own structures are documented in the agreement so each party knows whether the fee is assessed on the full economic value, on funded amounts, or as otherwise agreed at initiation. Use the fee calculator and call 888-897-0886 before you start a multi-payment deal if you want the fee treatment confirmed in plain language.

That depends on the service. Under the Escrow Service, the domain can be held in a neutral JJN-controlled account until conditions for release or final transfer are met. Under the Transfer Service, the domain path follows the parties’ direct transfer instructions and the agreement’s payment schedule. Choose Escrow Service when you want maximum custody protection across a long payment schedule.

Yes. Brokers can initiate transactions with the agreed terms so both parties receive automatic notifications and formal documentation. The broker’s role and any commission instructions are recorded when the transaction is opened and reflected in the Transaction Agreement.

Commission can be paid from the transaction proceeds as the parties direct. The service fee may also be designated as paid by the broker (deducted from commission) if that is what the parties agree. Clear allocation at initiation prevents last-minute disputes at closing.

Named parties receive transaction terms, agreement documents, and closing-related notices. When a broker is named on the transaction, they stay in the notification path so they can coordinate client responses without becoming a substitute for either principal’s authorization.

Yes. DomainEscrow.com remains neutral regardless of how the brokerage relationship is structured. We do not represent the buyer, seller, lessor, lessee, or broker, and we do not advise whether a price or deal is advisable for any party.

Transaction funds are held by JJN Solutions Law, PLLC in its regulated attorney trust account. That custody arrangement protects payment until agreed conditions are met. It does not create an attorney-client relationship or convert the escrow into legal representation.

For an Escrow Service transaction, funds are released to the Seller/Lessor on the next business day after both parties’ obligations are confirmed and the transaction closes. Funds are not released early because one side is impatient, and they are not held indefinitely without a contractual basis.

We work from named parties, written terms, signed Transaction Agreements, and verifiable payment and transfer instructions. Domain control is confirmed before closing. We are a neutral intermediary — we do not “vouch” for either party’s character — but the process itself removes the classic pay-first or transfer-first trap that enables many domain scams.

No. Only follow the payment instructions issued for your transaction after authorization. If anyone claiming to be the other party or “support” asks you to redirect payment, stop and call us at 888-897-0886 before sending anything.

Only under the Domain Escrow Service, where the domain is moved into a neutral JJN-controlled account. Under the Domain Transfer Service, funds are held by us while the seller transfers the domain directly to the buyer. Choose Escrow Service when domain custody is part of the protection you need.

After the parties agree to the online terms, JJN Solutions Law, PLLC emails a formal Transaction Agreement containing the deal terms and each party’s contact information. Both parties sign and return that agreement before payment instructions and domain transfer instructions are issued.

All transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars and governed by the laws of the District of Columbia.

No. Domain escrow and transfer services are administrative and transaction-facilitation services. Holding funds in a regulated attorney trust account does not turn the service into legal services, create attorney-client privilege, impose a duty of confidentiality owed to a client, or provide conflict-of-interest protections. We do not represent either party or advise whether a transaction, price, or domain is right for you. Each party should obtain independent advice when needed.

Legal services from JJN Solutions Law, PLLC are separate, require a written engagement agreement and conflicts check, and are billed separately at the firm’s hourly rates. Nothing on this website, in transaction documents, or in transaction correspondence constitutes legal advice.

U.S. sellers typically provide a W-9 for tax reporting. Foreign sellers can provide a W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E in place of a W-9. Requirements are confirmed during onboarding of the payout party.

The five-business-day inspection period exists so the Buyer/Lessee can confirm full administrative control. If control is incomplete or does not match the agreed deliverable, the buyer should object inside that window through the channels given in the Transaction Agreement. We then hold further release while the issue is addressed under the agreement rather than quietly closing over a broken transfer.

The process depends on signatures, payment, and transfer performance. If a party goes silent, contact the administrator at 888-897-0886. Next steps follow the Transaction Agreement — including notice requirements and any rights to cancel, extend, or disburse only when contractual conditions are actually met.

Registrar locks, auth-code problems, and pending status issues are common operational snags. We coordinate transfer instructions and verification; the parties must complete the registrar-side steps they control. Funds are not treated as earned by the seller until the agreement’s completion standard is actually satisfied.

Cancellation rights and refund mechanics depend on where you are in the process and what the signed Transaction Agreement provides. Before funds move and before domain control changes, unwinding is typically simpler. After funding or transfer steps begin, the agreement controls. Call us early if both parties want an orderly stop.

Call 888-897-0886 or email info@domainescrow.com with your transaction reference and a short description of the issue. Human support is part of the service — you are not limited to an automated ticket queue.