Frequently Asked Questions
The registry, the invitations, the price, the record
The registry
What does owning a day actually give me?
Your name, an optional short bio, and an optional photo are tied to a single calendar date on The Time Owner's permanent public registry. The record lives at /day/YYYY-MM-DD, is one-per-date, and is intended to last.
Why would I want to own a day?
For the same reason people name stars, plant trees, or carve initials into wood. It is a mark that says: I was here, this date mattered to me. Unlike most such marks, this one has a permanent public record attached to it.
Is this a legal property right in the date?
No. The Time Owner is a public registry, not a legal claim. No one is prevented from celebrating a date because another person has a registry entry for it. What you receive is the unique ledger entry within this registry.
Is any day truly available?
Any unclaimed day from year 1 through December 31, 2099 is available, with one exception: a small number of dates around major historical tragedies are blocked from claim and clearly marked.
Can I claim more than one day?
Yes. Each claim is independent. Your birthday, your anniversary, the day you started something important - each can have a separate record.
Can a company or organization claim a day?
Yes. The owner name field accepts any name - personal, organizational, or otherwise. The bio and photo fields let you explain the significance as you see fit.
Pre-launch and invitations
What does "pre-launch" mean?
Public claims are not yet open. During pre-launch you can reserve a specific date or join the waitlist by giving an email. Reservations are non-binding, free, and held at the price announced at launch.
How do invitations work?
Every successful reservation comes with three single-use invitation links. You share them with anyone you choose. When someone reserves through your link, they are marked priority for launch day and you earn a launch-day perk.
How many invitations do I get?
Three single-use invitations per reservation. The codes appear on the success screen after you reserve, and we email them to you for safekeeping.
What is the perk for inviting people?
For each invitation that converts into a reservation, the inviter earns one launch-day perk - first dibs on a contested date, a free certificate upgrade, or a comparable bonus. The exact perks are finalized close to launch and communicated by email.
Do I need an invitation to reserve a specific date?
Yes, during pre-launch. Specific calendar dates can only be reserved by holders of an invitation code. Without one you can still join the general waitlist, which is open to everyone and which gets first access at launch. Once public claims open, invitations are no longer required.
How do I get an invitation?
From someone who has already reserved. Each successful reservation comes with three single-use codes the bearer can share with anyone. We do not sell or assign invitations directly. The general waitlist is the path for everyone without one.
I have a code. How do I use it?
If you received a link, just open it - the code attaches automatically and you can reserve any specific date. If you received the code as plain text, paste it on the redeem page (linked from the day pages and the waitlist) and we'll attach it for your next reservation.
Can a reservation or invitation be declined?
Yes. We may decline a reservation or refuse to honor an invitation if a date is reclassified as historically blocked, if abuse is detected, if applicable law requires it, or if the registry is paused or closed. Reservations are non-binding and do not by themselves create a contract or guarantee a claim.
Will the registry stay invitation-only after launch?
No. The registry is intended to be open to anyone after launch. The invitation phase is the early-bearer period, where the first wave of reservations and referrals shape what the registry looks like on opening day.
Pricing and payment
What does it cost?
Pricing has three tiers. Standard from $29 covers most days. Notable from $99 covers recurring cultural marks and one-off historic moments. Landmark from $199 covers annual anchors many people share, like New Year's Day or Christmas. A small set of dates is blocked from sale entirely. Final pricing is announced at launch; pre-launch reservations are honored at the announced price for their tier.
Why "from"? Is the price not fixed?
We are still finalizing exact pricing. "From" reflects the floor of each tier so we do not promise a specific amount that may need to change. Reserved dates are honored at the announced price for their tier.
When do I pay?
Not during pre-launch. You pay only when you convert your reservation into a claim at launch. Card processing is by Stripe; we never see, store, or process card details.
Are reservations refundable?
Reservations are free and create no payment obligation, so there is nothing to refund. Once you convert your reservation into a paid claim at launch, claims are non-refundable except where required by law or where a date has been reclassified as blocked. See the Terms for the full policy.
The record itself
What if I make a mistake in my entry?
Contact us with your name, claimed date, and the correction. We can update bio text, photo, and contact information at any time. The owner name and date of the original claim are permanent.
Will this site still be here in 10 years?
We take the long view seriously. Records are stored in a durable, exportable format. If our commitment ever changes, every record holder is notified, given at least 90 days, and given a way to take their record with them.
What is the printed certificate?
An archival-quality document stating your ownership of the date, printed with your name and the date in full, and mailed to any address. It is an optional paid upgrade at claim time.
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