A short first-year figure is easy to compare. It is also incomplete. A name used on invoices, a website and staff mail becomes harder to change with every month that passes, so the price to keep it deserves as much attention as the price to register it.
Compare the available endings on the same basis. Put the registration amount and the renewal amount on one line, and check the period each covers. If a renewal figure cannot be quoted today, say that plainly. A dash or an invented estimate is not a helpful answer to someone planning a continuing cost.
The cheapest spelling is not always the clearest one. Say the name aloud, write it in an email address, and imagine a customer typing it after hearing it once. A small saving in the first year is not useful if people repeatedly land on the wrong name.
When a name is added to a cart, its availability and price can change before payment. A checkout should confirm the current result rather than quietly charge for an old search. If the name has gone, the reader needs a clear refusal and a chance to choose another. If the figure has changed, the new amount should be shown before consent to pay.
Keep the name’s renewal date with the rest of the business’s recurring dates. The business should know who receives reminders and who can approve a renewal, so the next decision is not made by an unattended inbox.
