What happens after a domain expires?

Once the domain name expires, it will no longer resolve as the name server records are changed into the registrar's parked name server records. Registrants will lose control over the domain name's DNS records so email service, the website or any related service will be down until the domain gets renewed.

The domain enters renewal grace period which usually lasts up to 30 days for common extensions such as .com, .net, and .org. During the 30 days of its expiration, the registrants are allowed to renew the domain name without additional charges. However, not all domains have a renewal grace period. For example, .nl and .me domains go into redemption the same day it expires.

If the domain name is not renewed during the renewal grace period, it will then enter into the redemption period that lasts from 2 weeks to 30 days. At this time, you are still allowed to renew the domain name but at an additional cost ($60-$100).

If a domain is not redeemed by the original registrant and is not purchased at auction, the domain is then returned to the market and can be registered again on a first-come, first-served basis. At this time, anyone can register the domain name including the original registrant. If the registrant does not want to pay for the redemption fee, he may choose to let the domain get deleted and re-register it when it's available to the general public. However, availability is not guaranteed.

Do I lose time if I renew early?

No, you do not lose any time for renewing early. Your domain's expiration date will always be on the anniversary of the day when it was registered. For example, if you registered your domain on 1/1/2023 for 1 year and it expires on 1/1/2024. Your domain's expiration date will be 1/1/2025 even if you renew 2 days after the registration on 1/3/2023. Similarly, if renew your domain on 1/6/2024 for 1 year when it would already have expired and is in the renewal grace period, its expiration date will remain 1/1/2025.

How many years should I renew and when?

Not renewing your domain name on time not only costs you cash, but also your brand name and reputation. If it is a live domain, we suggest that you always keep the domain's expiration date a few years into the current year.

Here are some tips to keep your domain name up to date at all times:

• Enable auto-renewal and have a valid credit/debit card in your account. We will renew your domain name automatically 30 days prior to its expiration. Note that we do not process auto-renewals through PayPal so you have to have a credit/debit card in your account for the auto-renewals to go through.
• Make sure that your account email address is up to date and can receive emails from the registrar. We send 4-5 reminder emails 30 days before your domain name expires.
• Register your domain name for multiple years and leave the worries behind. The domain price has been increasing over the years and you can sometimes get a discount as well if you renew for multiple years.