domains GoDaddy Launches Payable Domains

[Lox]

...... Now when a domain name is registered, its usefulness is no longer contingent on its owner creating a website and publishing content. Instead, domain owners can quickly start taking payments via their enabled Payable Domain. For example, if a person registers the domain of their name or business, such as www.roohshad.co, they will then receive the corresponding Payable Domain, pay.roohshad.co, to accept payments. Once that first payment is received, domain owners can then link a bank account to their GoDaddy Payments account, complete the verification process, and receive payouts for transactions just as they would with any other payments service. Payments are processed securely and efficiently, with funds deposited into users' bank accounts as early as the next business day....

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[QUAD DOMAINS]

We definitely see your point. Their (GoDaddy) introduction of payable domains has raised some valid concerns within the domain community though. Especially at a time when domain ownership and utility are major topics.

GoDaddy is the largest, and most famous, domain registrar in the world; but it doesn’t mean they can’t, and don’t, ever get it wrong. The fact they decided to dictate which of a customer’s 3rd level domains does what is concerning.

We all know blockchain domains are the elephant in the room. Especially with ENS making it possible for .com names to be used as crypto wallet-addresses. This has led to the centralized domain space being check-mated in a way.

It was inevitable for GoDaddy to move toward a payment solution. However, it seems they’re inadvertently pulling back the curtain on what “owning” a centralized domain really means. Is it ownership if they can “assign utility”?

GoDaddy designated pay.yourdomain.ext as “THE” domain for every person who opts to accept payments. Which group of customers unanimously agreed to this? They (GoDaddy) apparently decided it.

Undoubtedly, people will like it……until another option presents itself. We can only imagine how this will impact the ability to transfer a domain with substantial payment traffic away from GoDaddy to another registrar etc.

GoDaddy has used the big “I” word. (Innovative) It would be a shame if their service is deemed an innovative way to convince domain owners they have more control when they don’t. Especially with the broadening of domain options.

When GoDaddy said “innovative”, they in essence said “thoroughly thought out”. We’re all for innovation; but what part of the offering is innovative? Maybe the service should be marketed as an added convenience rather than revolutionary.

While I don't think it deserves a place on the evolution of domain names chart , I think the idea of integrating GD Payments will be attractive to many professionals and small businesses. The percentage they charge for credit card processing seems reasonable, and I can see this being competition for PayPal and other payment systems.

Sure, GD Payments could readily be integrated into a website, but this makes the process easier and will be attractive to some.

Any form of payment system will be tested by various bad actors, and hopefully it has thought out vulnerabilities.

I wonder, if this is successful, if it might be just the first of various pre-installations they might do.

It is of course good for GD, if it means another reason for end users to register their domain names there and to buy into various extra cost services.

-Bob

 

[magnificentdomains]

Great news - anything that increases the demand for domains is good for all of us.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

More clarity would be helpful about this service. GoDaddy did update their privacy terms as of February 14, 2023. They also post their Commerce Services Agreement here.

It remains unclear, after reading this, whether someone paying through this service will not be subjected then to GoDaddy and affiliate marketing subsequently.

Would it not be best for the domain owners, to have absolute reassurance that Godaddy only uses the information from the payable domains to provide the transaction. Otherwise, wouldn't it be foolish for a payable-domain business to be openly sharing their customer database, buying habits, and private company revenue information with a third party like GD?

 

[Fayaz Ahmed]

They basically link GoDaddy Payments "forcefully" for every registration. So in the past, you had the option to not use GoDaddy Payments - now, every new domain gets a hot subdomain at "pay." and once a payment is made via it, will activate the rest of the process. It's a brilliant move, truth be told, to provide an instant method for payments via the GD platform. Now, the obvious question: Can you delete the subdomain, and can you disable that automatic subdomain creation via an option in your panel? My gut feeling: Nope. Summoning @James Iles for further details.

It doesn't mater how much GoDaddy tries, the DNS system is such that they'll have to allow the removal of pay subdomain.

If all else fails, just add a different name server (NS settings), and then GoDaddy just doesn't have the control anymore.

So I don't think they'll force users to keep the subdomain. It doesn't help them if the users move the name server away from GoDaddy.

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

If there’s anything most domain investors can agree on, it’s the fact they (GoDaddy) are likely well-versed on how to circumvent the barriers of the DNS system. This isn’t to imply their goal involves doing so. It’s just to say they’re likely aware of what things domain holders would attempt to do in order to get around an offering that’ll likely net GoDaddy substantial revenue.

The DNS system is due for an upgrade; and most objective individuals in the domain space would agree. There’s a shallow level of regulation for how the registrar and domain holder dynamic should work; which can easily be exploited by any company with a plethora of customer behavior data, assets and trust in their grasp. GoDaddy has collected each for years.

As much as we’d like to hope GoDaddy has nothing malicious in the cards, one can only wonder what strategies they have in the wings to maintain profits in a space that’s becoming extremely competitive on various fronts. Customers need, and deserve, to have full control of their assets now more than ever. The illusion of ownership won’t cut it in this new era of domaining.

It doesn't mater how much GoDaddy tries, the DNS system is such that they'll have to allow the removal of pay subdomain.

If all else fails, just add a different name server (NS settings), and then GoDaddy just doesn't have the control anymore.

So I don't think they'll force users to keep the subdomain. It doesn't help them if the users move the name server away from GoDaddy.

 

[trap3]

Yet another reason imo to just move your business away from GD.

 

[william]

Looks like a subdomain on your main domain, e.g. if you register widget.com you get an automatically set up subdomain, pay.widget.com

https://aboutus.godaddy.net/newsroo...ing-the-Domains-Role-in-Business/default.aspx

Where is the innovation?!

You're looking at it from the wrong end. The innovation is not for users, it's for them. They add an extra feature that gives people to get more entrenched with their services, so they are more likely to renew and pay for other extra features (and GD upsells like crazy). So it is innovation. But only for GoDaddy.

 

[carob]

HI I have seen the demo site but without making a payment to it I can't answer this question:

What url and domain do you see in the browser when actually paying? Is it still pay.mydomain.com or is it something like pay.godaddy.com?

If you used paypal.me from its early days you saw it start taking payments at paypal.me/myhandle but now all paypal.me/myhandle payments get redirected to paypal.com, though they do show the paypal.me string in the url. So presumably Paypal later thought customers would find that more trustworthy?

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

This is a very valid question. If we had to guess, it will probably be the pay.yourdomain.ext that masks another domain that’s more GoDaddy specific. (Ex: pay.yourdomain.ext masks pay.godaddy.com)

It appears the domain “payabledomain.com” forwards to GoDaddy; so they could reasonably use that domain. Using that domain would make the most sense because it’s “generic” and conveys “transaction”.

If they (GoDaddy) have to go with any domain in the address bar to use/mask, it probably would/should be their payabledomain.com. This would ensure those who submit payments aren’t being mislead about who’s being paid.

In addition, using payabledomain.com would ensure the brands of domain holders aren’t diluted. The GoDaddy brand should NOT be what the address bar reads when a customer of a domain holder goes to submit a payment.

Just our thoughts….

HI I have seen the demo site but without making a payment to it I can't answer this question:

What url and domain do you see in the browser when actually paying? Is it still pay.mydomain.com or is it something like pay.godaddy.com?

If you used paypal.me from its early days you saw it start taking payments at paypal.me/myhandle but now all paypal.me/myhandle payments get redirected to paypal.com, though they do show the paypal.me string in the url. So presumably Paypal later thought customers would find that more trustworthy?

 

[Future Sensors]

Let's look at one example website, https://pay.hydrogames.org/

Visiting their main site, their Payable Domains integration looks terrible.

 

[Acroplex]

HI I have seen the demo site but without making a payment to it I can't answer this question:

What url and domain do you see in the browser when actually paying? Is it still pay.mydomain.com or is it something like pay.godaddy.com?

If you used paypal.me from its early days you saw it start taking payments at paypal.me/myhandle but now all paypal.me/myhandle payments get redirected to paypal.com, though they do show the paypal.me string in the url. So presumably Paypal later thought customers would find that more trustworthy?

Although I haven't transacted through one of the "pay.*" subdomains, the SSL is issued by GoDaddy and it's valid for both pay.example.com and www.pay.example.com per below (so it's separate from the SSL issued (or not) for example.com and www.example.com) - e.g. in the case of hydrogames.org they don't have an SSL on their main site, but the "pay.*" structure does.

 

[comRaid]

An easier way to set up payments for 'mom and pop' business sites is definitely a bullish news for sub 2000$ domain sellers. Hope the concerns expressed by fellow domainers are addressed by the GoDaddy team.
If the 'pay' subdomain option is activated only by choice, then there is no question of violating the rights of domain owners.

Let's wait and see how the end users are going to adopt this "new way". As a customer, I am not comfortable providing my credit card information to lesser-known businesses. Stripe/ PayPal based payment options may be worked out.

That evolution chart is obviously over the top. The idea was already there and as a registrar, Godaddy just made it easy to set up.
Subdomain-based stripe payment - https://stripe.com/docs/payments/checkout/custom-domains.

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

One of the core concerns we’ve heard rests with GoDaddy’s delegation of a particular 3LD for every domain asset registered with them. It seems they’ve done the equivalent of designating the living room of someone’s home a game room without the consent of the home owner themselves. Not to mention, it appears they’re dictating how every domain holder must use their pay. 3LD.

Granted, it’s not as big of a deal for some as it is for others. Especially with it being marketed as a way for domain holders to generate money. Most people love to make money until…Anyhow, it’s worth considering whether GoDaddy plans to allocate future 3LD for other services they plan to offer. If so, the optics might imply they own the domains and not those paying the ongoing renewal costs. This is where it seems some are concerned most.

An easier way to set up payments for 'mom and pop' business sites is definitely a bullish news for sub 2000$ domain sellers. Hope the concerns expressed by fellow domainers are addressed by the GoDaddy team.
If the 'pay' subdomain option is activated only by choice, then there is no question of violating the rights of domain owners.

Let's wait and see how the end users are going to adopt this "new way". As a customer, I am not comfortable providing my credit card information to lesser-known businesses. Stripe/ PayPal based payment options may be worked out.

That evolution chart is obviously over the top. The idea was already there and as a registrar, Godaddy just made it easy to set up.

 

[Future Sensors]

One of the core concerns we’ve heard rests with GoDaddy’s delegation of a particular 3LD for every domain asset registered with them.

Why do you keep saying this? It's based on opt-in and on a voluntary basis.

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

It seems we’re being misunderstood.

Yes, the “service” is reportedly opt-in.

The designation of the .pay 3LD was not.

YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE which 3LD address is used to receive payments was SUPERSEDED BY THE CHOICE OF THE REGISTRAR to designate pay. as the address for every name they custody.

Some domain “owners” have expressed valid concern about NOT having a CHOICE in whether it was “pay.”, “donate.”, “tip.” and so on that was designated as a payment address.

Furthermore, how does such a move impact GoDaddy customers who may have already been using their .pay 3LD for something totally unrelated?

Some have expressed the service could’ve been launched without the delegation of the .pay 3LD by GoDaddy. Offering the service and allowing “owners” of domains to CHOOSE which of their 3LD is used to accept payments seems reasonable, courteous and very much possible.

Would you agree @futuresensors?

Why do you keep saying this? It's based on opt-in and on a voluntary basis.

 

[Future Sensors]

@QUAD DOMAINS My response only addressed what you said about automatically creating a subdomain for every domain registered through GoDaddy, which is not the case. As for your other reservations, I understand that you think it's not flexible enough. That may be so, but that was not my point.

 

[Mytz.com]

very good !

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

Ahh! We see where the mixup is coming in. When it was stated they “created” a 3LD, it was our way of saying GoDaddy had in essence done so by designating how the .pay 3LD would be used instead of the domain “owners” deciding for themselves. That’s all. We absolutely see where the collision of interpretation likely occurred.

In theory, GoDaddy created it by designating the address; but didn’t technically “create” the domain itself and “present” it as a mandatory-use to domain owners. Gotcha! Pardon us if it read as we were implying GoDaddy literally created a 3LD. They simply didn’t “give” domain “owners” the option to choose which 3LD serves as their payment address despite “owning” the domain.

Hopefully we were able to clear up any miscommunication on our end.

@QUAD DOMAINS My response only addressed what you said about automatically creating a subdomain for every domain registered through GoDaddy, which is not the case. As for your other reservations, I understand that you think it's not flexible enough. That may be so, but that was not my point.

 

[Acroplex]

Great analysis, @QUAD DOMAINS and I'm loving the emojis as well.

On the note of forced use, whether it's via a switch or not, I would assume that a user wishing to utilize their own pay.example.com structure with a payments provider of their own choice they can do so, on their own hosting outside of the GoDaddy automations.

This entire "innovation" is based on the presumption that the average Joe Hosted biz owner would entrust GoDaddy and its automated creation of a financial transactions service that rides on their own domain name, as opposed to GoDaddy.com.

Of course, this thread has provided numerous reasons why that service should be received with skepticism; GoDaddy should address issues such as the potential for reversed payments etc.

And a final note: Never roll out a consumer service at this scale, with a lengthy PR but no FAQ. At least, use a better domain than the one provided as an example and use its traffic to share the practical details related to this innovation.

 

[Future Sensors]

On the note of forced use, whether it's via a switch or not, I would assume that a user wishing to utilize their own pay.example.com structure with a payments provider of their own choice they can do so, on their own hosting outside of the GoDaddy automations.

I think, when you don't opt-in for the GoDaddy Payable Domains service, no pay.* subdomain is created, and the customer will still be able to manually create a pay.* subdomain, with their own payment solution of choice.

@James Iles Could you please check if this is true?

 

[Acroplex]

No mom and pop small biz cares/knows about A records so this is a turn-key solution that arrives with some caveats. It's meant to enhance the core products provided by GoDaddy and as it's lumped along with registrations, sales, and hosting, we won't be able to gauge its performance unless GD shares it in the future.

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

You’re spot on @Acroplex! Some domainers seem to be misinterpreting what GoDaddy’s approach “implies” on both the theoretical and technical front. Domain owners were suppose to, at least, have the opportunity to CHOOSE what their 3LD payment address would be; along with other pertinent details.

Of course the average new user might deem GoDaddy’s approach to be just fine. However, GoDaddy is an established company with an obligation to its tenured customers/investors. With all the fragility (both existing and looming) in the domain space, it’s fair to say every detail matters at this juncture.

🗣 Touting “innovation” without a thorough FAQ seems like GoDaddy has confidence EVERY domain owner will go along with the roll-out no questions asked. In an era where blockchain domain ownership is being pegged to “control”, GoDaddy has courtesies it MUST extend to domain “owners”.

The designation of “pay.” prompts the question of why “tip.”, “donate.”, “give.” and the like weren’t 3LD options. After all, there are tons of different circumstances under which money is transferred from one party to another. Specifying “pay.” seems a bit odd.

To your point about hosting for those who’d like to use their pay. under other circumstances, this is surely an option; but could potentially come with an inconvenience. Maybe one imposed by GoDaddy. After all, pay. 3LDs will be synonymous with the GoDaddy brand.

⛓ GoDaddy shouldn’t dismiss the fact that blockchain domains (like them or not) allow any SLD OR 3LD to be used as a crypto-wallet address. This means pay. could be viewed as a limitation sooner than later. We have a hunch GoDaddy knows this. But are they prepared?

Domain “owners” deserve to be treated as owners. Anything else makes them renters. It doesn’t help that renewals are ongoing. The elephant in the room is what ownership of a centralized domain means in situations where payments are being exchanged “in the name of”. GoDaddy can do better.

Great analysis, @QUAD DOMAINS and I'm loving the emojis as well.

On the note of forced use, whether it's via a switch or not, I would assume that a user wishing to utilize their own pay.example.com structure with a payments provider of their own choice they can do so, on their own hosting outside of the GoDaddy automations.

This entire "innovation" is based on the presumption that the average Joe Hosted biz owner would entrust GoDaddy and its automated creation of a financial transactions service that rides on their own domain name, as opposed to GoDaddy.com.

Of course, this thread has provided numerous reasons why that service should be received with skepticism; GoDaddy should address issues such as the potential for reversed payments etc.

And a final note: Never roll out a consumer service at this scale, with a lengthy PR but no FAQ. At least, use a better domain than the one provided as an example and use its traffic to share the practical details related to this innovation.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

That's not an evolution of domain names, that's a thing being hosted on a domain that lets them cream off a bit of $$$$ MOOlaa (to build on the cow analogy from earlier)

 

[Future Sensors]

https://pay.roohshad.co/ is an example of a quick payment site

It's all powered by our GoDaddy payments product which you can find more info on here:
https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-godaddy-payments-40505

and here
https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-are-the-charges-and-fees-for-godaddy-payments-40617

It's basically Google Pay?

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

That's not an evolution of domain names, that's a thing being hosted on a domain that lets them cream off a bit of $$$$ MOOlaa (to build on the cow analogy from earlier

Should be interesting to see if all the "MOOlaa" that GoDaddy spent on this is starting to pay off. Their 8-K annual report will be showing up shortly on Edgar