Since publishing my book How to Get Your Own Top Level Domain, I’ve had a lot of conversations about ICANN’s upcoming 2026 round of new gTLDs. And one of the most common questions I hear is this: If you apply and then change your mind, can you get your money back?
The short answer is that the refund rules for 2026 are not yet final. However, if we examine what happened in 2012 and compare it to the draft rules for 2026, we can see where things are headed.
How Refunds Worked in 2012
Back in 2012, the application fee was 185,000. That included a $5,000 non-refundable deposit and a $180,000 evaluation fee. Some of that fee was refundable, but only depending on when you withdrew:
If you pulled out before ICANN published the list of all applied-for TLDs – what they called “the Reveal Date” – you could get almost the entire fee back. Remember that submissions are confidential until the Reveal Date, when ICANN announces all applied-for strings.
If you withdrew after the Reveal Date, but before evaluations began, you still could get part of it back, but a lesser amount. The later you waited – for example, after evaluations were underway – the refund dropped even further. And once you signed a Registry Agreement, there were no refunds at all.
I believe there were some cases that allowed some applicants to receive a full refund of the evaluation fee (minus the $5,000 deposit) if they withdrew before the Reveal. But those were outliers and not common. So the big lesson from 2012 was this: the earlier you withdrew, the more you got back. The later you waited, the less you saw. And once the deal was signed, the money was paid and gone. Of course, you got your TLD if you signed, and the string was delegated to the IANA root.
What About Refunds in 2026?
Now, let’s fast forward to today. ICANN hasn’t published the final refund rules yet, but the draft guidebook provides a fairly clear picture.
This time, the application fee is higher, $227,000. And refunds are much less generous. Instead of being able to get nearly all of it back if you withdraw early, the draft rules set up three refund windows:
First window: If you withdraw right after paying, up until 10 days after the “string confirmation day,” you receive 65% back.
Second window: If you withdraw later in the evaluation process, the refund drops to 35%.
Third window: If you wait longer, you can get only 20% back.
And once you’ve signed a Registry Agreement, there are no refunds (and again, you’ve received your TLD)
There may be a few exceptions where you might see more:
If ICANN makes a big rule change that impacts your application, they’ve built in a “material change” clause where you could qualify for a larger refund.
If your string gets flagged as a high-risk collision with existing internet names, you can withdraw and still get 65% back, even if you’re outside the first window.
And in rare cases – like if your string conflicts with a country code domain in another process – you might even qualify for a full refund.
But those are special situations. The reality is: refunds in 2026 are much stricter than they were in 2012. ICANN wants to discourage speculative applications. The expectation is that if you apply, you’re serious – and if you back out, you’ll only see part of your money come back.
Takeaway
So if you’re thinking about applying in 2026, remember this: the refund safety net isn’t what it used to be. In 2012, you had more breathing room to change your mind. In 2026, you’ll need to be much more confident up front, because once you commit, most of that fee is staying with ICANN.
Disclaimer
The information in this video is provided for general informational purposes only and reflects my personal views and opinions. I am not an attorney, and nothing presented here should be considered legal advice. The content does not represent the views of my company or any organization with which I am affiliated.
If you are considering applying for a new gTLD in ICANN’s 2026 round, you should conduct your own due diligence, carefully review ICANN’s official Applicant Guidebook and related documentation, and seek appropriate professional legal, financial, or business advice before making any decisions.
While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, ICANN’s rules and policies are subject to change, and I make no guarantees regarding the completeness or accuracy of the content shared here.
