Atom offers the ability for sellers (the “Seller”) to sell domains via Payment Plans (Lease to Own) on our platform. Atom acts solely as an authorized agent and intermediary facilitating the sale on the Seller’s behalf and does not take beneficial ownership of the domain except as necessary to effectuate the transaction. Payment by a buyer through Atom satisfies the buyer’s payment obligations, and the Seller agrees to look solely to Atom for its share of payments. The Seller may elect to remain anonymous, and Atom has no obligation to disclose the Seller’s identity except as required by law or as necessary to complete the transfer.
1. Enabling/Disabling Installment Options
Sellers can choose to enable or disable the installment payment option for their Premium and Standard Marketplace domain listings.
2. Payment Collection
When a buyer opts for an installment plan, Atom will automatically collect monthly payments from the buyer until the domain is fully paid off or the plan is cancelled.
3. Plan Duration
The maximum term for a payment plan is 36 months for domains priced above $10,000. Buyers may select shorter durations. In some instances, payment plans may be limited to 6 or 12-month durations, depending on the selling price. Atom may also allow sellers to offer 48-month payment plans in some situations (typically for domains above $100K).
4. Transfer to Atom
Upon receipt of the first payment, sellers must transfer the domain ownership to an Atom-managed registrar account. Until the purchase price is paid in full, the domain remains under Atom’s sole custody and control.
5. DNS Management
After the first installment, our domain specialists will assist the buyer in updating the name servers or DNS as per the buyer’s request. Such access does not grant the buyer any ownership interest in the domain prior to full payment.
6. Domain Holding & Early Payoff
Until the domain is fully paid off, Atom holds the domain in an Atom-managed registrar account. Sellers can offer early payoff discounts for buyers as an additional incentive for the buyer to pay off the remaining balance. If a buyer opts for early payoff, Atom may choose to waive any remaining surcharge fees on future installments at our discretion.
7. Non-Payment & Termination
Should the buyer fail to complete the remaining installment payments, any already paid installments will be forfeited. The domain will be listed for sale again on our marketplace, and its name servers will revert to our servers. Sellers can request the transfer of domain ownership back to their account.
8. Domain Renewal Costs
Atom will pay for renewal fees for .com domains while they are held in our managed registrar account. For all other domain extensions, the seller is responsible for renewal fees during the payment plan period.
9. Payout Schedule
Sellers will receive their portion of each installment payment monthly, within 3–5 business days of Atom receiving the payment and verification of funds.
10. Cancellation & Refunds
The seller is entitled to receive payouts only for installment payments that have been received and verified by Atom.
All payments undergo a verification process, and Atom may, at its sole discretion, issue refunds to buyers in situations such as fraud risks or verification failures. In cases where a refund is issued, the seller will not receive compensation for the refunded portion of the payment.
If a payment plan is cancelled, the seller is not entitled to receive any compensation for the future unpaid installments.
11. Seller Representations & Warranties
The seller represents and warrants, as of the listing date and as of the date of transfer, that: the seller is the current registrant of the domain or otherwise has the exclusive legal right to transfer it; the domain registration is active and in good standing; and, to the best of the seller's knowledge, the domain is not subject to any registrar lock, dispute, or restriction that would prevent transfer, no action has been taken that would impair transfer of the domain, and the domain is not subject to any pending UDRP, URS, court proceeding, or trademark dispute.
The seller acknowledges that Atom may rely on these representations in connection with its obligations to buyers, and conveys these representations to the buyer without independent verification.
12. Failure to Transfer
If the seller fails to transfer the domain in accordance with these terms, Atom is entitled to a return of any amounts paid to the seller and may pursue any remedies available at law or in equity. Atom may refund the buyer the amounts actually received and may seek recovery of such amounts from the seller.
13. Claims & Disputes
The seller must promptly notify Atom, and no later than 2 business days after receipt, of any Claim (including any UDRP, URS, or court proceeding) relating to the domain prior to transfer.
In the event of any Claim, the seller has the right, but not the obligation, to control the defense of such Claim prior to transfer. Atom may participate in or coordinate the defense as necessary to protect its interests or those of the buyer. If the seller fails to act or is unavailable, Atom may, but is not obligated to, take reasonable steps to respond to or mitigate the Claim.
Atom may take actions reasonably necessary to preserve the domain or comply with registrar or registry requirements, including locking the domain or coordinating with relevant parties.
The existence or outcome of any Claim does not relieve the seller of its obligation to transfer the domain upon receipt of the purchase price unless such Claim legally prevents transfer.
14. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability
Except as expressly set forth in these terms, the domain is provided “AS IS,” and Atom makes no representations or warranties regarding the domain. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Atom is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, and Atom’s total liability will not exceed the amounts actually paid by Atom to the seller under the transaction.
15. Seller Cooperation & No Circumvention
The seller shall provide all information reasonably requested by Atom to complete the transaction and comply with applicable laws or registrar requirements, including authorization codes, unlocking the domain, and responding to registrar confirmations in a timely manner.
The seller agrees not to circumvent Atom by dealing with the buyer outside the platform for this or any related transaction.
16. General
Notices to Atom must be in writing and sent to Squadhelp LLC, Attn: Legal Department, 2000 Center Drive, Suite East B216, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192, USA, and by email to legal@atom.com. A user account is not required to receive effective notice.
These terms incorporate the Atom Terms of Service (available at atom.com/legal/terms) with respect to disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, dispute resolution and arbitration, and general platform terms. Governing law, venue, and dispute resolution follow the Atom Terms of Service; to the extent not applicable, these terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois.