Can you buy a two-letter .ch domain?

Count the label before .ch, not the extension

In ab.ch there are two letters before the dot; the letters ch do not count towards that label. In abc.ch there are three. WIPO lists the normal .ch range as three to 63 characters and describes the permitted basic forms. Three characters pass only the length check: they do not establish availability or compliance with the other requirements. Start with a short list of pronounceable names. If your brand has two letters, a meaningful full brand or product name may be a candidate. Avoid adding an unexplained character simply to get past an input field.

An existing short name does not establish general availability

Switch’s terms allow statutory exceptions or exceptions approved by the competent authority to the minimum length. An existing short .ch name therefore does not prove that every similar name can be newly registered. Nor does it establish that the particular name may be transferred to you. For a specific exceptional name, first obtain confirmation of the applicable restrictions. Do not assume an exception because another website has a short address. An input error or length rejection is also different from a result saying that someone else has registered the name.

Already the holder? Use the account transfer route

The chname.ch new-registration check rejects a .ch label shorter than three characters. The transfer form has a separate input check for existing domains and does not reject two letters solely because of their length. This is form validation, not a promise that the registry will accept a transfer. Open My account and choose Transfer domain rather than using the new-name cart. Switch explains that you obtain an authorisation code from the current registrar. Review the current quote, holder details and any restrictions. Provide the code only through the designated secure form and wait for transfer confirmation.

Buying someone else’s name is a separate arrangement

Suppose a company uses a two-letter brand and is offered an existing short .ch name. This is a worked example, not a domain listing or customer story. First establish whether the seller is the authorised holder and whether a holder change is permitted for that name. Separately agree what the purchase includes and how the change will be confirmed. Moving registrars does not resolve a missing purchase agreement or pay the seller. The standard price for an available new name is not an acquisition price. Do not enter the name as a new registration in an attempt to complete a negotiated purchase.

Compare a usable alternative with the right costs

If your project needs to launch soon, compare a permitted new name with a potentially longer acquisition process. At current standard chname.ch rates, an available new .ch registration costs €9.99 and annual renewal €12.99. This is not a quote for a two-letter domain or a transfer. For an existing name, check the separate purchase arrangement, current transfer quote and future renewal. Test an alternative as a full email address and when spoken aloud. Choose something your audience can type correctly; having the fewest letters is not by itself a reason to accept awkward spelling or unclear handover conditions.

A useful question

Do the dot and ch count towards the minimum?

No. In the example ab.ch, the label before the extension has two characters. The extension does not turn it into an ordinary label of at least three characters.

Can transfer input accept a short name while registration search rejects it?

Yes. The input checks serve different purposes. Accepting the input does not establish final eligibility or your authority over that domain.

Does a transfer payment buy the domain from its current holder?

No. A registrar-transfer payment is not a payment to a seller. Any acquisition and permitted holder change must be arranged separately.