AFSS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMildenhall, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
AFSS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AFSS
- Legal name
- Nameshift.com
- Website
- https://afss.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AFSS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Domain Name Marketplace
- akta.pro primary industry
- Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where AFSS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mildenhall
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AFSS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Domain Seller Commission: Commission charged to domain sellers for facilitating safe transactions. Buyers pay no fees; sellers pay the commission on completed sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer pays only the domain purchase price with no additional fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
AFSS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AFSS, operating through its Nameshift.com brand, runs an online domain name escrow and purchase marketplace that facilitates safe transactions between domain buyers and sellers. The platform acts as a trusted third-party intermediary, holding the buyer's payment in escrow until the domain transfer is confirmed complete and then releasing funds to the seller. The service is free for buyers, who pay only the agreed purchase price; sellers pay a commission on completed sales.
Product overview
Nameshift.com is a single-service domain name escrow platform that enables buyers to safely purchase domain names. The core offering consists of the domain purchase/escrow service which includes free domain transfer assistance, free VAT invoicing, and a buyer-protection guarantee. The service emphasizes safety (escrow-based payment release only after transfer completion), speed (24-hour average transfer time), and zero fees for buyers (seller pays commission).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nameshift.com Domain Purchase Service An online domain name escrow and purchase marketplace that enables buyers to safely acquire domain names from sellers. Nameshift.com holds the buyer's payment in escrow until the domain transfer is confirmed complete; if the transfer cannot be completed the buyer receives a full refund. The service includes free domain transfer assistance, free VAT invoicing by email, multi-currency payment support (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, bank transfer, and regional methods including iDEAL, Bancontact, EPS, UnionPay, and JCB), and an average 24-hour domain transfer completion time across 15 regional locales.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24-hour average transfer time
Companies that use AFSS
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AFSS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AFSS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
AFSS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Undeveloped: Domain name marketplace backed by portfolio investors. Competes for premium domain listings and end-buyer traffic with similar self-serve purchase flows.
- Sedo: Largest global domain name marketplace with integrated MLS distribution and escrow-style transfer services. Directly competes with Nameshift.com for buyer and seller mindshare in the domain aftermarket.
- Afternic (GoDaddy): GoDaddy's domain resale platform with syndication to the world's largest registrar. Competes head-to-head on inventory breadth and integrated transfer/escrow services for premium domains.
- Escrow.com: General-purpose online escrow service widely used for domain and digital-asset transactions. Competes on the same buyer-protection/escrow mechanic that anchors Nameshift's offering.
- Dan.com: Domain marketplace offering buyer-friendly installments and integrated escrow/payment flows. Closest direct competitor to Nameshift's buyer-focused, low-friction value proposition.
Regional players
- BrandBucket: Brandable domain marketplace focused on premium, curated names. Comparable on premium-domain buyer demand and on the need for escrow-protected handovers, though skewed toward creative/agency buyers.
Emerging players
- Flippa: Marketplace for websites, domains, SaaS apps and online businesses with integrated escrow. Overlaps with Nameshift on domain transfer use cases and on the broader digital-asset transfer opportunity.
- Squadhelp: Brandable domain marketplace with naming contests and curated inventories. Adjacent competitor in the premium/brandable domain segment where escrow-backed transfers are common.
Broad incumbents
- GoDaddy: World's largest domain registrar and owner of Afternic. Competes indirectly through registrar-bundled transfers, aftermarket programs, and customer ownership of the renewal relationship.
- Namecheap: Major registrar with its own marketplace and transfer tooling. Provides an alternative full-stack path for buyers/sellers that can disintermediate pure-play escrow services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
AFSS social profiles
Digital presenceAFSS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AFSS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AFSS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AFSS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AFSS
What does AFSS do?
AFSS, operating through its Nameshift.com brand, runs an online domain name escrow and purchase marketplace that facilitates safe transactions between domain buyers and sellers. The platform acts as a trusted third-party intermediary, holding the buyer's payment in escrow until the domain transfer is confirmed complete and then releasing funds to the seller. The service is free for buyers, who pay only the agreed purchase price; sellers pay a commission on completed sales.
Is AFSS a public or private company?
AFSS is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was AFSS founded?
AFSS was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AFSS based?
AFSS is headquartered in Mildenhall, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does AFSS make money?
One revenue line is on record: domain Seller Commission.
Who are AFSS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Undeveloped, Sedo, Afternic (GoDaddy), Escrow.com and Dan.com. BrandBucket is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Flippa and Squadhelp. Broad incumbents are GoDaddy and Namecheap.
Does AFSS have an API?
No public API is recorded for AFSS.
What industry is AFSS in?
AFSS's product category is Domain Name Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAL, Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms.