On ENSv2, the annual fee for a .eth name is charged in USDC, a stablecoin, not in ETH. This is the same in the ENS App and ENS Explorer.
What is a stablecoin?
A stablecoin is a token pegged to a currency, usually the US dollar.
Why stablecoins? The name's price is set in dollars, so it doesn't move with ETH price.
What you pay, and in what
Payment | Currency | Notes |
Annual name fee (registration / renewal) | USDC | $8 a year for 5+ characters, more for shorter names, less a year for 2+ years. See Pricing, fees and multi-year discounts. |
Gas (network fee) | USDC, when you register or renew in the ENS App or ENS Explorer. A little ETH for other actions. | Amount varies with network demand. |
How payment works in the app
Your wallet may ask you to approve each part in turn:
Approval. You let ENS take up to the amount shown, in USDC, from your wallet.
Registration or renewal. The transaction that registers or renews the name.
Once you approve, the next step starts on its own. Approving USDC is not a payment: the price is charged when the name is registered or renewed.
In the ENS App or ENS Explorer, you can pay with USDC on Ethereum or on another supported network, such as Arbitrum, Base, Optimism or Polygon. When you register or renew this way, the network fee (gas) comes out of the same USDC, on whichever network you pay from.
Common questions
I don't have USDC. What can I do?
The apps don't swap other tokens into USDC for you, so you need USDC in your wallet before you pay. You can get it on any major exchange and send it to your wallet.
Which stablecoins can I use?
USDC only, in both the ENS App and ENS Explorer. Other tokens, including DAI and ETH, aren't accepted there.
Do I still need ETH at all?
Only for some actions. Registering and renewing, in the ENS App or ENS Explorer, are paid in USDC, and so is the network fee (gas) for them. Other actions, like editing records or upgrading a name, need a little ETH for network fees (gas). See What is gas?
Where do the fees go?
Registration and renewal fees go to the ENS DAO, the community that governs ENS.
Didn't ENS used to take ETH?
Yes. Previously, .eth names were priced in dollars but paid in ETH, so the amount you paid moved with ETH's price. ENSv2 charges the dollar price in USDC instead, so it stays the same. This applies to every name, including names you haven't upgraded to ENSv2: they renew in USDC at the same price.
Can I pay with a credit or debit card?
No. You pay in USDC from your connected wallet. Connect a wallet in the ENS App and the checkout shows the name's price and the network fee before you confirm.
Why is "You pay" lower than the total?
When you pay, you approve up to the amount shown. If the price and network fee come in under that, what's left over stays with you and comes off your next payment. The payment summary then shows the Registration total (or Renewal total), your Existing balance, and what You pay. If the balance covers it all, the app says no extra payment is needed.