A domain is registered for a fixed term. When that term ends, the name must be renewed or it will expire. We handle registration and renewal in the portal. Keep auto-renew on and a card on file so the name, website, and email on that domain stay online.
Search and register a new name at /domains. See Register a domain name.
How renewal works with us
- You register (or transfer) the domain with us for a term of one or more years. The longest term depends on the extension (up to 10 years).
- The domain service in the portal shows Next due (when we invoice the next term) and Expiry (when the registry registration ends). Those dates should stay in step.
- About 14 days before the next due date we raise a domain renewal invoice. You will see it under Billing.
- If auto-renew is on and a default card is saved, we charge that card when the invoice is due and renew the name at the registry for the next term (usually one year).
- After a successful renewal you get a Domain renewed email. The new dates appear on the domain.
New domains are created with auto-renew on. Leave it on unless you intend to let the name go.
Auto-renew off does not stop the invoice. You still get billed. The card is not charged automatically, so you must pay the invoice yourself if you want to keep the name.
Check the dates
- Sign in at the portal.
- Open Domains.
- Under Your registered domains, read Next due and Expiry.
- Click Manage to open the domain.
The dashboard also lists upcoming renewals in the next 90 days.
Use the dates in the portal. Do not rely on a public WHOIS lookup as your only check.
Turn auto-renew on (recommended)
- Sign in at the portal.
- Open Domains and click Manage on the name.
- Under Quick actions, click Turn auto-renew on.
- Confirm the prompt.
The summary shows Auto-renew as On. To stop automatic charges, use Turn auto-renew off instead. The domain will not renew on its own after that, and it can expire when the term ends.
Auto-renew uses the default card on Payment methods. Add a card there if none is saved. Update it before the card expires.
Account credit is applied to invoices automatically when you have a balance. You still need a valid card for any amount left to pay.
Pay a renewal invoice
You do not click a separate Renew button on the domain. Renewal is the invoice.
- Open Billing.
- Open the domain renewal invoice (status sent or overdue).
- Click Pay … now, or wait for auto-renew to charge the saved card on the due date.
Pay as soon as the invoice appears if you prefer not to wait. If the card needs an extra check, we email a link so you can finish payment in the portal.
Want a longer term than the usual next year? Open a support ticket and we will tell you what that extension allows.
What happens if the domain expires
If the invoice is not paid by the due date, the registration can lapse.
- The website and email that use this name typically stop working.
- The domain status in the portal may move to expired, then redemption.
- There is often a short window after expiry when we can still renew it at the usual renewal price.
- After that, many extensions enter a redemption period. Restoring the name needs extra work and an extra fee. The fee depends on the extension. We do not list prices here.
- If nobody restores it, the name can be released. Anyone may then be able to register it, including someone else.
Those windows are set by each extension's registry, not by a single global calendar. Do not wait to find out which window you are in.
Recover an expired domain
If the portal still shows the domain and there is an unpaid renewal invoice: pay that invoice in Billing straight away. Then check that Expiry has moved. If it has not, open a support ticket.
If the domain shows a redemption banner: do not wait. Open a support ticket. We will tell you whether it can still be restored and what the extra fee is. Recovery is not instant.
If the name has already been released: we cannot pull it back. Search at /domains. If it is still free, you can register it again. If it is taken, it belongs to whoever registered it.
Keep notices arriving
We email invoices, renewal reminders, and the domain-renewed confirmation to the account address on the portal. Do not reply to those emails for help. Use a support ticket.
Set reminder timing under Account → Notification preferences. You can choose email at 30 days, 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before the next due date. Billing emails are a separate preference on the same page.
Some registries also write to the registrant contact on the domain. Keep that email current:
- Open the domain with Manage.
- Click Edit registrant contacts.
- Save the new address.
See Get your EPP/transfer code and enable domain privacy.
If something looks wrong
Auto-renew did not take payment
- Open Payment methods and make sure a default card is on file and in date.
- Open Billing and pay the invoice yourself.
- Turn auto-renew back on after the card is updated.
The domain expired and I want it back
- Pay any open renewal invoice first.
- If the page shows redemption, open a support ticket the same day.
- After release we cannot recover it for you.
I am not getting reminders
- Confirm the portal account email, and check junk mail.
- Turn the renewal reminder options back on under Account → Notification preferences.
- Keep auto-renew on so you are not relying on mail alone.
I only wanted to stop hosting, not the domain
Hosting, LochStudios Mail, and the domain are separate services. Cancelling hosting does not renew (or drop) the domain. Leave domain auto-renew on if you still want the name.
The site still does not load after a successful renewal
The name is registered again, but DNS must still point at your hosting. See Point your domain at your hosting.
For a specific date, fee, or an expired name, open a support ticket and we will look it up.