Short names

From xat wiki

Short register names, or short names, are register names that you can purchase for xats. They are limited to 4-9 characters in length, as opposed to the free default register names that are created upon registration, which are 10-18 characters long.

Short names also put you higher up in the Visitors list. See Topman article for more information about the ranking system.

How do I buy a short name?

To buy a short name, visit the short name page located at https://xat.com/store#!shortname and enter your current register name, your current password and the desired short name that you want and click "Get cost". After reviewing the cost, you may choose to purchase the name or come back later.

Short name prices increase depending on how many times they are searched, so it is better to buy them sooner than later.

How much do short names cost?

Short names have a minimum price of 1,000 xats and no maximum price. Generally speaking, the less characters in the short name the higher the price.

Can I transfer a short name to another account?

Yes! You can either transfer your short name to another account that you own, or to a separate user.

Transfer short name to an alternate account

In order to transfer your short name to another account you own:

  • you must be a paid user (on at least one account).
  • open a ticket regarding the transfer.

Note: Both account registered names will be swapped with each other.

Transfer short name to another user

In order to transfer your short name to a separate user:

  • each user must open a ticket confirming the transfer, as well as verify themselves with security questions.
  • both accounts involved must be paid users.
  • both accounts must have account protection enabled (2 - Internet provider or 3 - IP Address).
  • one user must pay a 1,000 xat fee (fee can only be paid by one user).

Important to keep in mind:

Both registered names will be swapped between the accounts. This means, if you are receiving a short name from another user, you should ensure that you move your current registered name to an alternate account if you wish to keep it.

Once agreed, there is a 5-day waiting period before the request is processed. This means that the request will be processed after the 5 days are over, not in exactly 5 days (this is for security purposes).

The short name swap is irreversible. However, you can request it again if both users agree and another fee is paid.

If you are buying or selling a short name, the agreement must be stated in the ticket in case of any disagreements.

Can I have a short name put back on sale?

Yes, however you must be a paid user to request for a short name to be put back on sale. The short name must:

  • not be inappropriate.
  • not belong to a retired or existing volunteer nor try to impersonate one.
  • not belong to a retired or existing xat staff nor try to impersonate one.
  • not belong to an account where subscriber features have been suppressed or the account has been deleted as a form of punishment.

Volunteers may choose to deny the request at their discretion should the short name be otherwise in breach of the terms of service.

Short name errors

Name taken (1)

If the short name page displays Error 1 while trying to get the cost of a short name, this means that it is currently tied to a user account. If the user that owns the short name has gone inactive for at least one year, you may be able to have it put back on sale.

To check if a user has gone inactive and if so, request the short name to be put back on sale, follow these steps:

1. Check with bots that the name appears to be unused.
  • Go to a chat such as xat_Test and use the command !userinfo SHORTNAME and make sure they have not been spotted by a bot for at least 1 year. If the bot responds with a generic not found message, they've likely been inactive for a long time and you should still open a ticket.
2. Open a ticket.
  • Open a ticket under the "Short names and Groups" help topic and specify which short name that you would like to be put back on sale, and state that it belongs to an inactive user.
3. Volunteers will open a ticket with the current owner to give them a chance to keep the short name.
  • If the user doesn't reply within one week, Volunteers can release the name subject to xat's official checks on the last time the account was used.

Name taken (2)

If the short name page displays Error 2 while trying to get the cost of a short name, this means that you can open a ticket under the "Short names and Groups" help topic and volunteers will be able to release the short name for you.

Note: You must be a paid user to open a ticket in this department.