Secure your desired domain name with the Early Access Period…

Unless you’ve registered your brand’s trademark and are taking part in your desired domain name’s Sunrise Period, your best chance to secure an upcoming domain is to pre-order it with us ahead of time. Not only is pre-ordering free (you’ll only be charged if we register your desired domain name on your behalf), but we’ll even attempt to register the domain automatically for you right when it becomes generally available.

In light of the heated competition forecasted for .SHOP domain names when they launch on September 26th, we’re offering another option to help secure your desired .SHOP domain early.

Before launch day arrives, we’ll be taking part in the Early Access Period (EAP) for the .SHOP domain extension. Pre-ordering your desired .SHOP domain for registration during the EAP could significantly boost your odds of claiming it before anyone else can.

What is the Early Access Period (EAP)?

The Early Access Period (EAP) is a launch phase that some domain extensions go through before their official launch. During EAP, domains with a given extension are available for a premium price on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Early Access Period for .SHOP domains will run from September 1st-24th, before .SHOP domains officially launch on September 26th. In other words, the EAP will be the public’s earliest chance to register .SHOP domain names.

What does registering a domain during EAP cost?

Early Access has a unique pricing structure. First and foremost, a domain costs more to register during EAP than it would during General Availability. This is due to a one-time setup fee applied to the domain’s standard registration price. Not to worry, though. This fee drops every few days as EAP goes on.

The EAP setup fee will not be applied to the domain’s renewal cost next year. And, as always, you won’t be charged unless we register the domain on your behalf for any reason.

How you can get a .SHOP domain during the Early Access

You can take part in .SHOP’s Early Access Period by pre-ordering your desired .SHOP domain, then selecting the EAP phase when you’d like us to register it for you. You must schedule your pre-order before your desired EAP phase begins; you won’t be able to select a phase after it starts.

Here’s how you can pre-order and schedule a .SHOP domain for registration during the EAP. (If you’ve already pre-ordered a .SHOP domain with us, skip ahead to Step 3.)

1. If you haven’t pre-ordered a .SHOP domain yet, go to uniteddomains.com to check its availability.

2. If the domain is available, Click Add to Cart.

3. When you’re done searching, click Checkout. You’ll be walked through the steps to complete your pre-order.

4. Once you’ve pre-ordered your .SHOP domain, go to your Pre-Order list by clicking My Account > Manage Pre-Orders in the upper right.

4. Click Change Registration Phase to the right of your pre-order.

5. Select when you’d like us to register the domain, then click Save.

And that’s it! Kick back, relax, and let us take care of your domain’s registration for you during the Early Access Period.

The Early Access Period for .SHOP domains starts September 1st, 2016. If you’re dead-set on registering a .SHOP domain name you expect will be in high demand, you could get exactly the edge you’re looking for if you take advantage of the Early Access Period.