When you "buy" a star, you are essentially paying a private company to enter a name into their own proprietary registry and send you a gift kit. How to "Register" a Star
If you simply want to find a star to dedicate to someone without the paperwork, you can use free tools like Stellarium or Google Sky to pick a coordinate and "claim" it in your own heart. how to buy your own star
Decide on the name you want to register and a significant date (such as a birthday or anniversary) to be printed on the certificate. When you "buy" a star, you are essentially