If I successfully registered a domain name but haven't paid, is the domain still mine?

Domain name registration is a consumption activity, and consumption naturally requires money. When registering a domain name without payment, the ownership of the domain is a major concern.

Successfully Reserved a Domain Name, But Won the Bid Without Paying

Some domain name registrars offer free reservation services; however, these services are often unsuccessful, though success is not impossible. Even if successful, the domain name you reserved is unlikely to attract much attention; otherwise, there would at least be an auction. Even if you win the bid, the domain name might not be very useful, let alone resell. However, as long as you haven't paid, the domain name isn't yours.

Generally, most platforms have a time limit. If payment isn't made within this time limit, the registrar will release the domain name. This means that although you nominally won the bid, without payment, the right to use the domain name is not yours.

Successfully Bidding, But I Didn't Top Up

Similarly, you successfully bid, this time perhaps not a free reservation, but even if you paid the reservation fee, the domain name still belongs to the registrar. The domain will only become yours after you pay the outstanding amount. Generally, domains won through bidding are good, but if you think you can profit from this by exploiting a loophole, you're mistaken. Large platforms aren't stupid; such loopholes are undetectable.

Of course, if you can't pay the difference immediately due to some reason, you can contact the platform's customer service to discuss the issue. Generally, there's a grace period of a few days. Many domain investors have found that their winning bids have been released or re-bid by the platform after a day or two of inattention. Domain registrars have this right, so everyone should be careful and avoid missing out on good domains due to negligence.