Mechanics

At-cost floor. Transparent spread.

DomainGems lists dropped names the way a registrar should: the first bid equals Cloudflare’s registration fee. Competition is optional. Profit is explicit.

1. 01

   The floor is Cloudflare’s price

   Before a listing goes live we check the domain and read registration_cost from Cloudflare Registrar. That number is the opening bid and the minimum. There is no buyer’s premium on the floor.

2. 02

   One bidder pays at-cost

   If you are the only person to bid when the clock ends, you receive the name for exactly the Registrar fee — even if you typed a higher number. Excess hold is refunded.

3. 03

   A higher bid buys the position

   When someone outbids you, your hold is released immediately. If you sit out, you keep the spread (their bid minus yours) at settlement. Re-bid and you forfeit that slice — you want the name, not the profit.

4. 04

   Settlement is conserved

   Winner’s payment covers three things: Cloudflare registration, profits owed to sit-outs, and any leftover from forfeited slices (refunded to the winner). The house does not skim the floor.

5. 05

   Anti-snipe

   A bid in the last two minutes extends the clock by five. Durations are 24, 48, or 72 hours.

6. 06

   Escrow

   Bids hold funds from your wallet. Preview accounts start with $1,000 demo balance. With STRIPE_SECRET_KEY set, desk deposits open Stripe Checkout and credit the same wallet via webhook. Stripe integration details.