Renewing a domain: deadlines, late renewal and recovery after expiry
PrintIn short: pay the renewal invoice that TopHost issues 14 days before the due date and nothing changes for your website or email. Miss it and the domain expires; after that it can only be recovered during a 30 or 60-day redemption period, for an extra fee. Once that period ends, anyone can register it.
Paying for a renewal
- Sign in to the client area and go to Domains.
- Choose the domain, the renewal option and the period you want.
- Pay the invoice that is created.
A renewal invoice that has already been issued is waiting under Invoices. You can pay it by bank card, through PayNet, with a MIA QR code, through PayPal or by bank transfer.
Tip: when the due date is close, pay by card or QR code rather than bank transfer, which takes longer to arrive. A .md domain can be renewed for several years at once, up to 5, so you are not tied to a yearly invoice.
What happens if you do not pay
| Stage | Effect |
|---|---|
| Due date passes unpaid | The domain expires. The website and mailboxes on it may stop working |
| Redemption (30 or 60 days, depending on the extension) | Recovery is still possible, but costs a penalty on top of the renewal fee |
| Redemption ends | The domain is released. If someone else registers it, it cannot be recovered |
Extensions with earlier deadlines
- .DE must be renewed at least 3 days before expiry, or it is deleted automatically and moves to a 30-day redemption period.
- .IT must be renewed 30 days before expiry, or it goes into a 30-day redemption period with extra fees for recovery.
- .EU, .ES and others may have their own conditions too, sometimes requiring renewal a month ahead.
Your domain has already expired
Look for the invoice in your client area first. While the domain is still in its grace period, a normal payment is usually enough. If it is already in redemption, open a ticket and we will tell you the recovery cost (penalty plus renewal) and what happens next. The sooner you act, the better the chance of keeping the domain.
After the payment is confirmed, the registry processes the renewal. The website may take a few more hours to come back, because DNS servers around the internet keep the old answer for a while. If nothing has changed by the next day, contact us.
Questions
Does my hosting expire together with the domain?
No. Each one is billed on its own invoice with its own due date. If the hosting invoice stays unpaid, the account is suspended no later than 5 days after the due date, and after 30 days without payment the account may be deleted from the server.
Can I transfer an expired domain to another registrar?
No. It has to be renewed first.
Is the renewal price fixed?
No, it can be adjusted every year in line with the market. Once a domain is renewed, the fee is not refunded.
How do I make sure I get the invoice?
Keep the email address in your client area up to date and check your spam folder. The holder is responsible for keeping the domain's data correct.
