Amazon launches .PAY

Amazon Registry Services operates many new gTLDs such as .BOT, .DEAL and .FREE – the latest launch was that of .FAST, .TALK and .YOU last August. It is now the turn of .PAY, a gTLD that is likely to raise interest and thus follows a slightly different launch schedule:

Sunrise Period (13 April 2026 – 13 May 2026)

As shared in our April newsletter, during this period, trade mark holders who had registered their trade marks with the TradeMark Clearinghouse (TMCH) could apply for the corresponding domain names under .PAY. It was a “Start Date” Sunrise, meaning that domain names were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Limited Registration Period (LRP) (13 May 2026 – 1 February 2027)

Instead of being followed by the traditional Landrush Period, the Sunrise Period is followed by an LRP with specific restrictions on both eligibility and use which are summarised below:

• Eligibility will be restricted to applicants who “conduct payment transactions online using an approved Payment Service Provider or Third-Party Payment Processor”.
• Applicants will need to use their domain names “in connection with payment-related services, including but not limited to processing payments, facilitating e-commerce transactions, or providing payment gateway services”.

General Availability

The dates for General Availability have not yet been announced, but it looks set to occur in early 2027. It has also not been communicated if the restrictions in place during the LRP will still apply.

Given that, by definition, .PAY implies a payment portal, all businesses that facilitate online payments will likely be interested in securing their brands under this new gTLD. However, many brand owners made defensive domain name registrations during the Sunrise Period in order to protect both their intellectual property rights and their consumers.

Authored by the Anchovy News team.