ChanTan Studio DocsDomain Prices and Renewals in ChanTan Studio
What a domain really costs in ChanTan Studio, why FROM $1/YEAR is not the price, and how renewal works — reminder emails from 60 days before expiry, then one click to renew, paid by card.
Two things about domains cause more confusion than anything else in ChanTan Studio: what a domain costs, and what happens after the first year. Both are answered here, plainly.
⚠️ The one thing to remember: your domain is registered for 1 year and is never renewed or charged automatically. From 60 days before expiry, ChanTan emails you reminders and shows a banner in the Studio — press "Renew now" and pay by card. Missed the date? You have 30 days to restore it, at a much higher registrar price; after that it is released for good.
What a domain actually costs
"FROM $1/YEAR" on the "Buy a domain" card is a marketing label, not a price. Never plan your budget around it.
The real price comes from the registrar and depends entirely on the ending:
- Some endings (like
.shop) genuinely start around $1 a year. - Popular endings like
.comcost more. - Rare or in-demand names cost more again — some are marked "Premium name" and can't be bought here at all.
The only numbers you should trust are the ones on your screen:
| Where you see it | What it says | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A search result | "Available · {price} / first year" | The real price for that exact domain |
| A search result | "Available" | Buyable — the price is still loading |
| The checkout card | The exact first-year price | What your card will be charged |
The price is locked while you decide
The quote on the checkout card is held for 10 minutes. If it lapses, a fresh quote is fetched automatically — and if the registrar's price changed in the meantime, the purchase is refused rather than silently charging you more.
You're only charged if the domain is really secured
Your card is authorised first and captured only after the domain is actually booked. If the registrar doesn't complete it, the authorisation is released and you are not charged. Domains are paid by card through Stripe's secure checkout — ChanTan never sees your card number, and domains are never paid in credits.
Renewing your domain
Your registration covers 1 year from the day you bought it. Nothing is ever renewed or charged automatically — you decide when to renew.
How it works
- We remind you. From 60 days before the expiry date, ChanTan emails you (60, 45, 30, 15, 7, 3 and 1 day before) and shows a banner in the Studio. Your domain card shows "Expires {date}" with the tag "Purchased".
- Renew in one click. Press "Renew now" in the email or the banner, or open your "Wallet" page (the billing page) → "Domain renewals" → "Renew now". Choose the renewal length; each option shows its price.
- Pay by card on Stripe. Domains are never paid in credits. Once the registrar confirms, your new expiry date shows up and you get an email.
⚠️ Don't leave it to the last day. The registrar needs a little time to confirm a renewal — renew when the first reminders arrive.
Missed the date? The domain card shows "Expired" and your site stops being served on that address. For 30 days after expiry you can still restore it from "Domain renewals" (it reads "Expired — restore by {date}"), at a much higher registrar price. After that the domain is released for good and anyone can register it.
Your free address is not affected
Your yourname.chantan.one address is free forever and has no expiry date at all. Even if a bought domain lapses, your app stays reachable there — nothing is deleted. Hosting for the published app is billed separately in credits (details here).
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does my domain renew by itself? | No. We email you from 60 days before expiry; renew in one click with "Renew now". Nothing is charged automatically |
| Is the domain really mine? | Yes. It's registered in your name with the registrar |
| Can I pay for a domain with credits? | No — domains are paid by card through Stripe |
| Is there a refund button? | No. Every payment problem goes to support, with your "Order {id}" |
| Where's my order id? | On the screen shown right after the purchase. Keep it — support needs it |
| What if the purchase failed? | You weren't charged; the authorisation is released |
Moving your domain to another company
The domain you bought is yours to move. A transfer needs an authorisation code from the registrar, and there is no button for it in ChanTan Studio today — contact support and ask for it.
One industry rule to know: newly registered domains are locked by registrars for their first 60 days and can't be transferred during that window. That's not a ChanTan rule and nobody can waive it.
Domains you bought elsewhere
If your domain came from GoDaddy, Namecheap or any other registrar, its renewal stays with them — you renew it where you bought it, on their schedule and at their price. ChanTan only connects it to your app. See Connect your own domain.