Domain Name Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know this is a Good Price?
Profit Gate surveyed of all the U.S. based ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers) accredited registrars. Since the product (a domain name being registered) is identical, regardless of where you get it, why pay any more than you have to? We found one of the major ICANN accredited registrars selling domains for $14.95 rather than the usual $35 we're used to seeing! Profit Gate then arranged an even better discount to bring you one of the lowest prices on the Web! We can also help you choose your domain name, an important part of your web site strategy. Choose your name carefully, since many Search Engines favor sites with a "key word" in the domain name!

How can you sell domains so cheap?
Profit Gate has arranged a special price through an ICANN accredited company, and because we sell so many domains per month, we get a big discount! We pass most of this along to you.

Is Profit Gate the cheapest place to buy domains?
No. There are companies selling dot com domains for as low as $8.88. So why pay $12.95 at Profit Gate? In a word - SERVICE!Whenever you need help, Profit Gate will assist you by phone or email and we'll do it quickly and efficiently. When you deal with most other companies, good luck getting any real service.Also, some Registrars sell names to the Spammers to increase their profits. At Profit Gate, we offer a Privacy Policy in writing that your information will never be sold to spammers or anyone else - period.

Do you accept payment by US Mail?
No. We used to, but there were too few orders by mail to warrent continuing this service. As of June 24, 2003 Profit Gate discontinued this optional payment method. You can, however, used a standard "debit card" on a regular checking account to purchase a domain.

What is an ICANN Accredited Registrar?
(Historical Data) In 1992, Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI) was granted an exclusive contract by the National Science Foundation to be the sole registrar for .com, .net and .org Domain names. NSI also maintained the central database of assigned names called WHOIS. Every ".com", ".net" or ".org" domain registered anywhere in the world had to pay NSI a registrar fee. This "InterNIC Fee" was in addition to the service charges required for hosting of the domain name. InterNIC (Internet Network Information Center), is a cooperative activity between the U.S. government and Network Solutions, Inc., In 1997 the U.S. Department Of Commerce along with the Clinton Administration dismantled NSI's monopoly and ordered the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit organization, to create and implement plans for an open, competitive market for registrations of .com, .net and .org domain names. Today, any accredited ICANN "registrar" or their authorized agents can issue or renew .com, .net and .org domain names, performing the same functions as Network Solutions. All of these pay Network Solutions a flat fee for managing the central database that is necessary to prevent duplications.

Why Should I register a Domain Name?
Getting a domain name registered is the first step to having a real "presence" on the Internet. Combined with web hosting you get an internet address in the form of http://www.yourcompany.com instead of being "part" of a provider's web site.

How Do I Register a Name?
Click Register Here, and follow the simple instructions.

What Are the Rules in Creating a Domain Name?

You can use - (yourname) followed by .com - .net - .org - .us - .cc - .biz - .info - .tv - .ws - .nu - .bz - .sr
Use only letters, numbers, or dashes
Cannot begin or end with a dash
Underline character not allowed
Name is NOT case sensitive
Name cannot have more than 63 characters total (new expanded length!)
Once registered, your domain name can be accessed on the Internet from anywhere in the world!

How Many Years Can I Get Right Now at this Price?
You can register for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years.

What if I'm not sure of the name that I want?
If you would like to consult with us about the best name for your web site, we will be glad to share our knowledge with you, and no, we don't charge anything for that. Call us toll free at: (866) 292-1110 or e-mail us from our Contact page. If you would just like to research domain names before registering, go through this Free Search link, enter a possible name in the search window there, and click "search". Check out your name(s), then save money by registering with Profit Gate.

How many names can I register?
There is no limit to the quantity of domain names that you can register.

What is the cost to register a domain name?
The total cost to register a domain name is usually $35 per year.
At Profit Gate, you pay only $12.95/year and save over $22 a year!

How long does it take to register a domain name?
To register a domain takes only a few minutes. The registration is then transmitted from us to Network Solutions where it must wait up to 12 hours to be included in the master records. After Network Solutions puts it into the master records, then all the local Internet Service Providers must update their records. Altogether, it generally takes 1 or 2 days at most, for a new domain to become active on the web.

Do I have to use the name right away, or can I just "reserve" it for future use?
There is no requirement to use the domain name within any set time period.

Do I have to be a "company" to register a domain name?
No, individuals and organizations can also register domain names.

Does a company or individual need to be located in the United States to register a domain name?
No.

What is the difference between .com, .net, and .org?

".com" names were originally designated for commercial (for profit) organizations or individuals but now are typically used for any purpose.
".net" was originally for network providers, but can now be used for any purpose, commercial, non-profit, or personal.
".org" was originally designated for non-profit organizations or groups, but now can be used for any purpose, commercial, non-profit, or personal.
".edu" is for 4 year, degree granting colleges/universities ONLY.
".gov" was originally reserved for federal government agencies ONLY. It is now used by ANY US government entity, including states and cities.

How long can a domain name be, and what characters can it contain?
A domain name can be up to 63 characters PLUS the extension
(.com, .net, .org etc.) Keep in mind that domain names longer than 22 characters (plus the extension) may not be compatible with older browsers, e-mail programs or certain Internet applications. A domain name can contain characters (A-Z), numbers (0-9), or both. A domain name can contain a dash "-" (example: why-not.com). "Case" (upper or lower) does not matter with domain names. The domain name "Larson.com" is the same as "LARSON.COM" or "LarSon.Com". Names are assigned on a first come, first serve basis. Subject to any trademark, legal, or ICANN rules or changes, once you register a name it's yours as long as the appropriate initial and renewal fees are paid. Please note that registration of a domain name, does not prevent a company or individual with an exact or similar trademark from raising objections to the registration through legal or domain dispute methods. It is not recommended to infringe on known trademarks.

Once I register the name, what can I do with it?

Just reserve it for future use.
Sell it to someone else.
Use it for a Web page. There will be an additional charge for "hosting" of the web pages (as opposed to just "hosting" the domain name). The charge for this varies with the company providing the hosting, but would typically cost anywhere from $15 to $150 per month plus setup charges. Now you can get hosting for as little as $4.95/month. For more information see Profit Gate's Hosting Dept. There will also be an additional charge to "create" the pages unless you would like to do this yourself.
Use it for E-Mail. E-mail service is typically included in the price of the service described above but can be purchased separately, that is, without a web page or web site. You can set up personalized email addresses like: bill@yourdomain.com.